"If I say, 'I ought to pray,' I will soon run out of motivation and quit; the flesh is too strong. I have to be driven to pray." (Jim Cymbala. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. p.49)
"Pastors and churches have to get uncomfortable enough to say, 'We are not New Testament Christians if we don't have a prayer life.'" (cf. Acts 2:42) (Jim Cymbala. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. p.50)
[Disclaimer: Up until I started reading Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire a few days ago I knew nothing of Jim Cymbala or Brooklyn Tabernacle--the church he pastors. In that light, I am hesitant to endorse either the book or the man. The further I get into the book, the less comfortable I become with Jim's style of ministry. Yet one thing spurs me to keep reading--Jim consistently identifies prayer as the impetus for what has taken place in Brooklyn. Until God brought Jim and his wife to the point of desperation where they had to pray and they had to see God work, their ministry was completely ineffectual. Afterwards their effect on the community seemed (to me, as the reader) effortless, but they never lost sight of the fact that the quality of the church is determined by the quality of its prayer--a lesson I need to learn.]
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2 comments:
So, I've now read the first two posts and profited from both. Thanks
Regarding Jim Cymbala, I don't know a lot about him, but I have heard that both of his books are excellent, even if we would disagree with some of his ministry methodologies.
Stay tuned. I have more Jim Cymbala quotes ready to post after Christmas, and I would like to do a book review early in the new year. In every chapter I read statements with which I disagree, but in each chapter I also find many ideas that I need to implement in my own life.
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