S. D. Gordon Quotes on Prayer, Surrender, Jesus and Pain
PrayerHoly SpiritChristian LifeDevotional
S. D. Gordon wrote the way he talked: short sentences, homely pictures and a habit of saying a big truth in a handful of words. That's why lines from his Quiet Talks books turn up on church signs and in sermons a century later, often with no source attached.
Every quotation below is copied exactly from his books in TheWay Library, with the book and chapter it comes from, so you can read each one in its setting. For his life story, see who was S. D. Gordon. For a guide to all his books, see S. D. Gordon books.
On prayer
Prayer was Gordon's great subject. He believed it was the main work of a Christian, not an extra added on to the real work.
The greatest thing any one can do for God and for man is to pray. It is not the only thing. But it is the chief thing.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 1
You can do more than pray, after you have prayed. But you can not do more than pray until you have prayed.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 1
The great people of the earth to-day are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean these people who take time and pray.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 1
Prayer is striking the winning blow at the concealed enemy. Service is gathering up the results of that blow among the men we see and touch.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 1
The pathway from God to a human heart is through a human heart.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 1
Our asking and expecting and God's doing jointly bring to pass things that otherwise would not come to pass. Prayer changes things.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 2
Faith is blind, except upward. It is blind to impossibilities and deaf to doubt.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 4, Jesus' Habits of Prayer
Faith is not believing that He can but that He will.
Quiet Talks on Prayer, chapter 4, Jesus' Habits of Prayer
He kept prayer simple, too, and practical:
Prayer is as simple as a-b-c. And it is as profound as the deepest metaphysical problem.
Quiet Talks on How to Pray, Preface
Prayer needs a place, and prayer hallows the place, any place.
Quiet Talks on How to Pray, chapter 1, Some Simple Suggestions About Praying
Prayer becomes partnership, an agreed upon scheme of working together for a great common end.
Quiet Talks on How to Pray, chapter 4, Something About God's Will in Prayer
Prayer clears the vision, warms the heart, and makes us practical.
The Bent-Knee Time, Week 3, Monday
On surrender and the Holy Spirit
His first book asked why so many Christians have so little power. His answer was surrender to the Holy Spirit.
In every heart there is a cross, and a throne, and each is occupied. If Jesus is on the throne, ruling, self is on the cross, dying.
Quiet Talks on Power, The Price of Power
The Holy Spirit does in me what Jesus did for me.
Quiet Talks on Power, The Olivet Message
Surrender on my part is followed by mastery on His part.
Quiet Talks on Power, The Personality of Power
He wants to use your lips; but, even more, He wants to use your life.
Quiet Talks on Power, The Channel of Power
Obedience is the great foundation law of the christian life.
Quiet Talks on Power, Making and Breaking Connections
For Gordon, obedience was never cold duty. It grew out of love:
Love longs to please love, regardless of any sacrifice involved.
Quiet Talks on Following the Christ, The Lone Man Who Went Before
Obedience is the active rhythm of love on the street of life.
Quiet Talks on Following the Christ, The Lone Man Who Went Before
On Jesus
Gordon wrote about Jesus with real affection. Again and again he says that Jesus is God making Himself plain to us.
Jesus is God spelling Himself out in language that man can understand.
Quiet Talks about Jesus, The Purpose in Jesus' Coming
Our Lord Jesus was the face of God looking longingly into men's faces.
Quiet Talks on Following the Christ, The Lone Man Who Went Before
Jesus never used His power to show that He could, but only to help somebody.
Quiet Talks about Jesus, The Tragic Break in the Plan
Everything depends on getting Jesus placed.
Quiet Talks on John's Gospel, introduction
Our Lord's great plan, bearing the stamp of its divinity in its sheer human simplicity, is this: we who know Jesus are to live Him.
Quiet Talks on John's Gospel, chapter 2, The Wooing Lover
No one ever had a sight of Christ's face and forgot. No one ever gets a sight of Him and gets over it.
Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation, chapter 3
On God's love and the world
Gordon believed God's love will not rest until the lost world is won back home.
God gave His breath to man in creation, and His blood for man on Calvary.
Quiet Talks with World Winners, The Genesis Water-mark
There is no emergency that can arise that is too great for love's resources.
Quiet Talks with World Winners, The Master Passion
God cares more for a man than for a plan.
Quiet Talks with World Winners, The Past Failure
On serving God
The life that men see depends wholly upon the life that only the Master sees.
Quiet Talks on Service, The Triple Life
God reckons our service not by our ability but by our willingness.
Quiet Talks on Service, Gideon's Band
Faith is never contrary to reason, but it is frequently higher up.
Quiet Talks on Service, Deep-Sea Fishing
On sin, pain and self-mastery
He didn't soften sin, and he didn't pretend pain was easy. But he found God's purpose in both.
Sin is death in the green; death is sin dead ripe.
Quiet Talks on Personal Problems, The Problem of Sin
The greatest battlefield on which a man ever fought is within himself.
Quiet Talks on Personal Problems, The Problem of Self-Mastery
Pain is as common in life as salt in the sea, and has the same bitter tang and the same power to purify.
Quiet Talks on Personal Problems, The Problem of Pain
Grief qualifies us to help those with like grief.
Quiet Talks on Personal Problems, The Problem of Pain
For those who grieve
Last, a few lines from the books he wrote for people in sorrow.
Never a day passes without death breaking some heart.
Quiet Talks about Life After Death, chapter 1
Since the heart of our Lord Jesus broke, our breaking hearts can be repaired.
A Quiet Talk with Those Who Weep, chapter 2, Breaking Hearts
Here is the simple but wondrous bit of meanwhile truth, the valley-truth, to cheer the lower road: there is Somebody by your side.
A Quiet Talk with Those Who Weep, chapter 7, The Pilot's Face
Where to read more Gordon
These lines come from all thirteen of his books in the library. If you want to read one book first, make it Quiet Talks on Prayer, the source of many of his best-known sayings. Then try Quiet Talks on Power for his teaching on surrender. All his books are listed on the S. D. Gordon author page, and our reading guide explains what each one covers.