Evan Young

“a commitment to put God first and love and follow him supremely is necessary before God can grant out prayers without harming us. If we are living lives in which God does not have our highest allegiance, then we will use prayer instrumentally, selfishly, simply, to try to get the things that may be already ruining our lives.”
― Timothy J. Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

“The Lord did not come to make a display. He came to heal and to teach suffering men. For one who wanted to make a display the thing would have been just to appear and dazzle the beholders. But for Him Who came to heal and to teach the way was not merely to dwell here, but to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him, and to be manifested according as they could bear it, not vitiating the value of the Divine appearing by exceeding their capacity to receive it.”
― St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

“I believe that many who find that "nothing happens" when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand.”
― C.S. Lewis, On the Incarnation

“When everything is said and done, God isn’t going to say, “Well said,” “Well thought,” or “Well planned.” There is one measuring stick: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”5”
― Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small