John Baillie
Dear Father, take this day's life into Thine own keeping. Control all my thoughts and feelings. Direct all my energies. Instruct my mind. Sustain my will. Take my hands and make them skilful to serve Thee. Take my feet and make them swift to do Thy bidding. Take my eyes and keep them fixed upon Thine everlasting beauty. Take my mouth and make it eloquent in testimony to Thy love. Make this day a day of obedience, a day of spiritual joy and peace. Make this day's work a little part of the work of the Kingdom of my Lord Christ, in whose name these my prayers are said. Amen.
http://www.baillie.lib.ed.ac.uk/biog/2361.html
William Gurnall
Furnish thyself with arguments from the promises to enforce thy pravers, and make them prevalent with God. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent, and such fervency ever speeds and returns with victory out of the field of prayer...The mightier any is in the Word, the more mighty he will be in prayer.
William Law
Many people not only lose the benefit, but are even the worse for their mortifications [i.e., sacrifices, abstensions],...because they mistake the whole nature and worth of them: they practice them for their own sakes, as things good in themselves, they think them to be real parts of holiness, and so rest in them and look no further, but grow full of a self-esteem and self-admiration for their own progress in them. This makes them self-sufficient, morose, severe judges of all those that fall short of their mortifications. And thus their self-denials do only that for them which indulgences do for other people: they withstand and hinder the operation of God upon their souls, and instead of being really self-denials, they strengthen and keep up the kingdom of self.
Margaret Bottome
There are seasons when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act. Composure is often the highest result of power. To the vilest and most deadly charges Jesus responded with deep, unbroken silence, such as excited the wonder of the judge and the spectators. To the grossest insults, the most violent ill-treatment and mockery that might well bring indignation into the feeblest heart, He responded with voiceless complacent calmness. Those who are unjustly accused, and causelessly ill-treated, know what tremendous strength is necessary to keep silence to God.
http://www.iokds.org/history.html
Tom Marshall
Without the work of the Cross we would be quite helpless. The Cross enables us to come out free from under the heaviest and most powerful mental bondage. Not all the power of Satan, or sin, or habit can hold us captive any longer.
Author Unknown
The way to stimulate and provoke others unto good works is to strive to outrun them in the race. The way to rebuke the cold and indifferent is to be always full of zeal and 'abounding in the work of the Lord' yourself. Men will be much more ready to answer a call to come up to your level, than a command to advance beyond you.
Jim Cymbala
It is not a sign of weakness to look for confirmation. It is often a good idea to get a prayer partner who can validate your sense of God's will.
http://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/
Author Unknown
Flee temptation and don't leave a forwarding address.
Rick Joyner
Threatening our children or employees is evidence of a lack of true authority. The rewards and penalties should already be clear, and if there is disobedience, discipline should be administered the first time, not further threatening. If we have to threaten to compel our children or anyone else that we are in charge of to obey us, then somehow it has already been established that our "yes" did not really mean "yes," and our "no" did not really mean "no."
http://www.morningstarministries.org/
Max Lucado
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
http://www.maxlucado.com/