Quotes from John Eldredge

How can a man know he is one when his highest aim is minding his manners?

We have grown dull toward this world in which we live; we have forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word. It is fantastic. It is fairy tale through and through. Really now. Elephants? Caterpillars? Snow? At what point did you lose your wonder at it all?

This is why, if you want to get to know someone, you need to know their story. Their life is a story. It, too, has a past and a future. It, too, unfolds in a series of scenes over the course of time.

They may be misplaced, forgotten, or misdirected, but in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to love.

Effective prayer is often like the felling of a great tree—it takes repeated blows.

We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. (HEBREWS 4:15)

You must understand: the unholy trinity Scripture names as the world, our flesh, and the evil one conspire to undermine your character.

I am careful how I bring my emotion, or my experience, to the need at hand. I don't ignore them; but neither do I let them dictate what I am praying. Our testimonies of previous results are valuable, and they may come into play. But this is a very dynamic story we find ourselves in, and as we mature in prayer, let us be careful not to assume this situation is exactly the same as the one before. You will want to ask God what needs to be prayed.

Many relationships fail for the insistence of treating others as problems to be solved, rather than as hearts to be known and loved.

Now, if I am having a hard time hearing God's voice, or being certain that I have heard, I will sometimes try on one answer, then the other. Still in a posture of quiet listening, I will add to my prayers, Are you saying yes, Jesus? Are you saying you want us to go? Pause. Listen. Or are you saying no—you don't want us to go? Often as we try on one answer or another, our spirit can feel the guidance of the Holy Spirit through a confirmation, or a strong sense of reservation.

When we begin to offer not merely our gifts but our true selves, that is when we become powerful.

Your loyalty is not to a church or a movement, but to Jesus Christ.