Richard J. Foster Quotes

Quotes about:

When we genuinely believe that inner transformation is God's work and not ours, we can put to rest our passion to set others straight.

Richard J. Foster

Believe, Passion, Transformation

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.10, Harper Collins

64 Copy quote
Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in "muchness" and "manyness," he will rest satisfied.

Richard J. Foster

Three, Crowds, Noise

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.15, Harper Collins

10 Copy quote
God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us.

Richard J. Foster

Spiritual, Mean, Discipline

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.7, Harper Collins

4 Copy quote
The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find Him at all.

Richard J. Foster

Christian, Lying, Home

10 Copy quote
The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

Richard J. Foster

Intelligent, Numbers, People

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.1, Harper Collins

79 Copy quote
Prayer involves transformed passions. In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God's thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves, to will the things He wills.

Richard J. Foster

Prayer, Real, Passion

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

7 Copy quote
We have real difficulty here because everyone thinks of changing the world, but where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves? People may genuinely want to be good, but seldom are they prepared to do what it takes to produce the inward life of goodness that can form the soul. Personal formation into the likeness of Christ is arduous and lifelong.

Richard J. Foster

Real, Thinking, People

53 Copy quote
Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. We need to be light-hearted in what we do to avoid taking ourselves too seriously. It is a cheerful revolt against self and pride.

Richard J. Foster

Pride, Light, Self

57 Copy quote
Conformity to a sick society is to be sick.

Richard J. Foster

Sick, Conformity, Sick Society

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

4 Copy quote
Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to Him. He grieves that we have forgotten Him. He weeps over our obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.

Richard J. Foster

Distance, Heart, Grieving

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home”, p.1, Harper Collins

37 Copy quote
Prayer frees us to be controlled by God. To pray is to change. There is no greater liberating force in the Christian life than prayer. To enter the gaze of the Holy is never to be the same. To bathe in the Light in quiet wonder and glad surrender is to be slowly, permanently transformed. There is a richer inward orientation, a deep hunger for communion. We feel as if we are being taken over by a new control Center, and so we are.

Richard J. Foster

Christian, Prayer, Taken

7 Copy quote
In the same way that a small child cannot draw a bad picture so a child of God cannot offer a bad prayer.

Richard J. Foster

Prayer, Children, Way

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home”, p.8, Harper Collins

22 Copy quote
One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust.

Richard J. Foster

Silence, Bears, Silent

29 Copy quote
The truth of the matter is, we all come to prayer with a tangled mass of motives altruistic and selfish, merciful and hateful, loving and bitter. Frankly, this side of eternity we will never unravel the good from the bad, the pure from the impure. God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture.

Richard J. Foster

Prayer, Selfish, Tangled

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home”, p.8, Harper Collins

8 Copy quote
Giving with glad and generous hearts has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, does something within us. It destroys the demon greed.

Richard J. Foster

Letting Go, Heart, Giving

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

4 Copy quote
reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.

Richard J. Foster

Addiction, Rejects

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

4 Copy quote
If worship does not change us it has not been worship.

Richard J. Foster

Christian, Doe, Worship

20 Copy quote
Real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth but from falling in love.

Richard J. Foster

Falling In Love, Prayer, Real

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home”, p.3, Harper Collins

9 Copy quote
When we determine to dwell on the good and excellent things in life, we will be so full of those things that they will tend to swallow our problems.

Richard J. Foster

Things In Life, Problem, Excellent

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

14 Copy quote
Owning things is an obsession in our culture. If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we control it, we feel it will give us more pleasure. The idea is an illusion.

Richard J. Foster

Ideas, Giving, Culture

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

6 Copy quote
Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.

Richard J. Foster

Loneliness, Solitude, Emptiness

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

30 Copy quote
Each activity of daily life in which we stretch ourselves on behalf of others is a prayer in action.

Richard J. Foster

Prayer, Action, Daily Life

14 Copy quote
The fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity and compassion for others. There comes a new freedom to be with people. There is new attentiveness to their needs, new responsiveness to their hurts. Thomas Merton observes, 'It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them.... Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.

Richard J. Foster

Hurt, Brother, Compassion

10 Copy quote
To pray is to change. This is a great grace. How good of God to provide a path whereby our lives can be taken over by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.

Richard J. Foster

Kindness, Taken, Self

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home”, p.6, Harper Collins

40 Copy quote
Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things.

Richard J. Foster

Attachment, Insane, Needs

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

26 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Eugene H. Peterson

Brennan Manning

Eberhard Arnold

Brother Lawrence

Richard J. Foster

Follow

Born: May 3, 1942
Occupation: Author
Cite this Page: Citation

Popular Topics