Quotes by Mark Batterson

I just dont think pastors should turn their pulpits into public policy platforms. It cheapens the gospel. Our congregation doesnt need another political opinion. They need spiritual revelation. They dont need to think about politics on the weekend. They need to be reminded to seek first the kingdom of God.

We give people political labels, sexual labels, and religious labels. But in the process, we strip them of their individuality and complexity. Prejudice is pre-judging. Its assuming that bad stories end badly, but Jesus is in the business of turning bad beginnings into happily ever afters....God cannot give up on you. Its not in His nature. His goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. All you have to do is turn around. All you have to do is crash the party!

The spiritual tipping point is when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change. Sadly, too many of us get comfortable with comfort. We follow Christ to the point of inconvenience, but no further. Thats when we need a prophet to walk into our lives, throw a mantle around our shoulders, and wake us up to a new possibility, a new reality. We need a prophet to boldly confront Plan B and call us back to Plan A.

...if you do the job no one wants, you might eventually get the job everybody wants. But you have to be willing to climb the ladder, starting with the bottom rung.

...opportunities typically come disguised as impossible problems. And while most people run away from their problems, Shamgars run at them with their oxgoads.

Courage doesnt wait until situational factors turn in ones favor. It doesnt wait until a plan is perfectly formed. It doesnt wait until the tide of popular opinion is turned. Courage only waits for one thing: a green light from God. And when God gives the go, its full steam ahead, no questions asked.

When God stirs our spirit or breaks our heart, we cannot sit back. Weve got to step up and step in. Weve got to go all in by going all out. But if we have the courage to make the choice or take the risk, it will become the defining moment of our lives.

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling.But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.

Societys goal is to make us less foolish. From the cradle to grave the pressure is on: Be normal! Our inner fool may be shackled and caged by a world made to suppress it, but Jesus came to free the fool.

Nolan Bushnell, the creator of the Atari video game system, once stated, ‘Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has had an idea, It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it who makes a difference.

Prayer is picking a fight with the Enemy. Its spiritual warfare. Intercession transports us from the sidelines to the front lines without going anywhere. And that is where the battle is won or lost. Prayer is the difference between us fighting for God and God fighting for us. But we cant just hit our knees. We also have to take a step, take a stand. And when we do, we never know what God will do next.

Anytime Im not reading my Bible or praying, I feel like Im wasting my time. [Marks brother-in-law, Matt ________, speaking]

If you are not open to the unprecedented, you will repeat history. If you are open to the unprecedented, you will change history. The difference is prayer.

Imagination is the road less taken, but it is the pathway of prayer.

God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him. God is great because nothing is too small for Him, either.

To the infinite, all finites are equal.

Whether we write lyrics or craft legislation, sell homes or teach classes, design spaces or open franchises, prayer is a critical part of the creative process. Don’t just brainstorm; praystorm.

Each prayer is like a seed that gets planted in the ground. It disappears for a season, but it eventually bears fruit that blesses future generations. In fact, our prayers bear fruit forever.

I have a handful of prayers that I pray all the time... One is that God will put my books into the right hands at the right times. Ive prayed this prayer thousands of times, and God has answered it in dramatic fashion countless times. The right book in the right hands at the right time can save a marriage, avert a mistake, demand a decision, plant a seed, conceive a dream, solve a problem, and prompt a prayer. That is why I write. And thats why, for me, a book sold is not a book sold; a book sold is a prayer answered. I dont know the name and situation of every reader, but God does, and thats all that matters.

Prayer adds an element of surprise to your life that is more fun than a surprise party or surprise gift or surprise romance. In fact, prayer turns life into a party, into a gift, into a romance.