My greatest sin, and yours, is prayerlessness. My failures are all prayer-failures. The lack of souls saved in my ministry is primarily because of lack of prayer, not because of lack of preaching. The withering away of joy in my heart, sometimes, is the fruit of prayerlessness. My indecision, my lack of wisdom, my lack of guidance come directly out of my prayerlessness. All the times I have fallen into sin, have failed in my duties, have been bereft of power, or disconsolate for lack of comfort, I can charge to the sin of prayerlessness. Oh! Horrible sin, the lack of prayer! - John R. Rice
It is a sin when we pray and ask amiss that we might consume it on our own lust. It is a sin when we pray without faith. And it is sad beyond expression when wrong home life, when wrongs unrighted, when unforgiveness, or rebellion, or distaste for the Bible or any secret love of sin hinders our prayers. But the greatest prayer sin of all is simply NOT TO PRAY! Our greatest trouble is not that we pray wrongly. Our greatest trouble, our greatest sin, perhaps, is that we pray little or DO NOT PRAY AT ALL! - John R. Rice
The disciples begged Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray." They did not say, "Lord teach us HOW TO PRAY." They simply asked, "Lord, teach us TO PRAY." Oh, that people would forsake their sin of prayerlessness and get down to prayer. - John R. Rice
All of our alibis for the lack of the power of the Spirit of God which was manifest in the New Testament times can properly be ignored. The real difference between New Testament churches and the churches of today, between New Testament preachers and the preachers of today, between New Testament Christians and the Christians of today is in the pattern of prayer, and the power that comes through prayer! If New Testament Christians had the right idea of serving the Lord, then we have the wrong idea. If they were right so to pray, then we are wrong not to pray as much as they did. If we don't follow the examples of the heroes of the Bible in prayer, then our prayerlessness is sin. - John R. Rice
The Bible does not teach that one who prays may live forever without dying, but it certainly does teach that many die prematurely when they might live longer with great blessing if they had prayed. - John R. Rice
I would set apart a season of time early in every day to pray, along with meditation on the Bible. The earlier, the better. It ought to be before breakfast. One great missionary had a motto, "No Bible, no breakfast." If he couldn't find time to read the Bible and pray, then he would not take time to eat. Brother, that motto will make an impression on the callous carnality of us who put our stomachs before God if we will but adopt it! -
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