Charles Stanley Quotes & Sayings

To have God speak to the heart is a majestic experience, an experience that people may miss if they monopolize the conversation and never pause to hear God's responses. — Charles Stanley

Temptation can be defined as an inducement to do evil. Three powerful forces work together to ruin a believer's character and witness: Satan, the world system, and our own lustful "flesh" tendencies. — Charles Stanley

We're living in a fearful time. Since 9/11 people have become more afraid than before, because of terrorism. There's a lot of confusion about evil, where it's all coming from. — Charles Stanley

Often times God wants us to sit before Him in quietness. He doesn't want us to do all the talking. As Is. 30:15 says "In quiet and confidence will be your strength." — Charles Stanley

Our problems may stay, our circumstances may remain, but we know God is in control. We are focused on His adequacy, not our inadequacy. — Charles Stanley

God wants us to seek Him more than anything else, even more than we seek answers to prayer. When we come to God in prayer, sometimes our hearts are so full of what we want that we leave God out. Our minds become consumed with the gift rather than the giver. — Charles Stanley

You will never go wrong obeying God. — Charles Stanley

God will never reject you. Whether you accept Him is your decision. — Charles Stanley

Focusing on difficulties intensifies and enlarges the problem. When we focus our attention on God, the problem is put into its proper perspective and it no longer overwhelms us. — Charles Stanley

Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. — Charles Stanley

He wants you all to Himself to put His loving, divine arms around you. — Charles Stanley

Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do. — Charles Stanley

The Holy Spirit's power cannot be harnessed. His power cannot be used to accomplish anything other than the Father's will. He is not a candy dispenser. He is not a vending machine. He is not a genie waiting for someone to rub His lamp the right way. He is holy God. — Charles Stanley

Disappointments are inevitable; discouragement is a choice. — Charles Stanley

As God's children, we are not to be observers; we're to participate actively in the Lord's work. Spectators sit and watch, but we are called to use our spiritual gifts and serve continually. — Charles Stanley

God wants to cast out the fear and doubt in your life. Go before Him right now and say, "Lord, this is what I am afraid of ... " — Charles Stanley

We are to forgive so that we may enjoy God's goodness without feeling the weight of anger burning deep within our hearts. Forgiveness does not mean we recant the fact that what happened to us was wrong. Instead, we roll our burdens onto the Lord and allow Him to carry them for us. — Charles Stanley

Stop for a minute and think about how you typically interact with God. If prayer time is dominated by your own talking, some adjustments may be in order. Just as the Lord spoke to David, God also has many things to say to you, if you'll simply let Him speak. — Charles Stanley

In our friendships we have to be wise that we choose godly people to be our friends. Somebody might say, well does that mean that you should never have a lost person as your friend? No, I wouldn't say that. But you can't have the same intimacy with a lost person that you can with a godly person in whom the Holy Spirit is living. — Charles Stanley

Every test, every trial, every heartache that's been significant, I can turn it over and see how God has turned it into good no matter what. — Charles Stanley

Another way Christ affects us is by inspiring our gratitude. He left the glories of heaven in order to become our Savior, and when we recognize that sacrifice, we are filled with thankfulness and praise. — Charles Stanley

It is not the trials in your life that develop or destroy you, but rather your response to those hardships. — Charles Stanley

I think a lot of people, even Christians, are willing to be satisfied with gaining lots and lots of biblical knowledge - and many people go to Bible studies and don't realize it isn't enough to know what's right, it's applying the information and the knowledge that you have. — Charles Stanley

Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we're waiting for. — Charles Stanley

God's voice is still and quiet and easily buried under an avalanche of clamour. — Charles Stanley

As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you. — Charles Stanley

God allows us to dace difficulties so that our faith will be stretched and refined. The trials we face provide an excellent opportunity for us to declare our dependence on God and not on ourselves. The way we win the battle with discouragement is by humbling ourselves before God and telling Him that we need Him. There is only one way to do this, and it is through prayer. — Charles Stanley

Understand that it is often unwise to forgive face to face. This tends to make the other person feel 'put down' and make you look holier-than-thou. — Charles Stanley

When trouble comes, focus on God's ability to care for you. — Charles Stanley

The moment someone chooses to trust in Jesus Christ, his sins are wiped away, and he is adopted into God's family. That individual is set apart as a child of God, with a sacred purpose. — Charles Stanley

Wherever you go, God is with you - watching over you, protecting you, and providing the truth you need for every situation. The question is, will you open your heart to His Word, apply it to your life, and allow God to change you so that He can use you in ways far greater than you can imagine? — Charles Stanley

Since God knows our future, our personalities, and our capacity to listen, He isn't ever going to say more to us than we can deal with at the moment. — Charles Stanley

God will never tell us to do something that gratifies the flesh. — Charles Stanley

The essence of wisdom, from a practical standpoint, is pausing long enough to look at our lives-invitations, opportunities, relationships-from God's perspective. And then acting on it — Charles Stanley

You can't tell a woman who is called by God to teach that she cannot teach the Word of God ... So I think the distinction is that there's a difference between the authority of a pastor and a Bible teacher. — Charles Stanley

Think about the comfortable feeling you have as you open your front door. That's but a hint of what we'll feel some day on arriving at the place our Father has lovingly and personally prepared for us in heaven. We will finally - and permanently - be 'at home' in a way that defies description. — Charles Stanley

Of all the things Christ wants for us, loving Him and focusing our attention on Him are the most important. — Charles Stanley

God blesses us so that we might bless others! — Charles Stanley

On Sunday morning, I'm not nervous ... I can't wait to tell what God wants me to say. — Charles Stanley

With God, there is always a future. — Charles Stanley

Each of us will eventually give away all our earthly possessions. How we choose to do so, however, is a reflection of our commitment to the kingdom of God. — Charles Stanley

Thank the Lord for using each person as a tool in your life to deepen your insight into His grace and conforming you to the image of His Son. — Charles Stanley

Adversity is always unexpected and unwelcomed. It is an intruder and a thief. But in the hands of God, adversity becomes the means through which HIS Supernatural Power is demonstrated. — Charles Stanley

The main thing to avoid being a casualty is simply this: to have a kind of intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ whereby you're able to hear God speak to your heart, you're sensitive to what He's saying to you to do, and that you're willing to be obedient to Him. — Charles Stanley

If we have built on the fragile cornerstones of human wisdom, pride, and conditional love, things may look good for a while, but a weak foundation causes collapse when storms hit. — Charles Stanley

The gate is small because truth guards the entrance. The way is narrow because the Lord protects us with wise boundaries. — Charles Stanley

The Bible tells us that God will meet all our needs. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass with the splendor of lilies. How much more, then, will He care for us, who are made in His image? Our only concern is to obey the heavenly Father and leave the consequences to Him. — Charles Stanley

Believing you can achieve a goal is vital to reaching a goal. — Charles Stanley

When you become an instrument in God's hands as He transfers someone from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of His Son, you make a difference in the person's eternal destiny. Not only that, but Satan also receives a devastating blow. — Charles Stanley

God has ways of shaking the world when He is at work. He literally caused the ground to quake when Jesus died on the cross. — Charles Stanley

Kindness is not something that we put on for certain occasions, like a piece of jewelry; rather, it is an attribute of God's that He desires to reproduce in us. — Charles Stanley

The difficulties we face originate from one of three sources. Some are sent to us by the Lord to test our faith, others are the result of Satan's attacks, and still others are due to our own sinful choices. — Charles Stanley

If God has positioned us in a certain place, we must leave all the details to Him. — Charles Stanley

God takes full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to Him. — Charles Stanley

The best way in the world to deceive believers is to cloak a message in religious language and declare that it conveys some new insight from God. — Charles Stanley

The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us. — Charles Stanley

His voice leads us not into timid discipleship but into bold witness. — Charles Stanley

You may have the gift of giving. — Charles Stanley

No one enjoys feeling weak, whether it is emotionally, spiritually or physically. There is something within the human spirit that wants to resist the thought of weakness. Many times this is nothing more than our human pride at work. Just as weakness carries a great potential for strength, pride carries an equally great potential for defeat. — Charles Stanley

The reason so many of us struggle so intensely with adversity is that we have yet to adopt God's perspective and priorities. — Charles Stanley

The amount of time we spend with Jesus - meditating on His Word and His majesty, seeking His face - establishes our fruitfulness in the kingdom. — Charles Stanley

The task of the Church after Jesus' resurrection and ascension was to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to all nations. — Charles Stanley

I certainly respect other people's opinions, but I would not vote for a woman to be the pastor of a church. — Charles Stanley

God is responsible for the consequences of our obedience, WE are responsible for the consequences of our disobedience — Charles Stanley

People don't like the idea of consequences. They want to be able to live their life freely and do what they want to do without any consequences. And we know that's just not the way life is. — Charles Stanley

If you have an anxiety lay it down before The Lord — Charles Stanley

Romantic love reaches out in little ways, showing attention and admiration. Romantic love remembers what pleases a woman, what excites her, and what surprises her. Its actions whisper; you are the most special person in my life. — Charles Stanley

Life Lessons 6:12 - Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Jesus spent all night in prayer immediately before He chose the twelve disciples who would accompany Him everywhere. Whenever we make any decision - major or minor - we should follow His example and wholeheartedly seek His counsel. — Charles Stanley

The bottom line in the Christian life is obedience and most people don't even like the word. — Charles Stanley

God is honored by large, difficult, and impossible requests when we ask, seek, knock, and trust our loving Father always to answer for our good. — Charles Stanley

Perhaps you have been ensnared by a sinful habit that you will not abandon, and your guilt is so overwhelming you are ashamed to approach Christ. Whatever the reason for your broken intimacy with God, there is good news. Jesus waits to embrace you now in the arms of unconditional, divine love. — Charles Stanley

(Discouragement) Can be temporary-or it can destroy our life. The choice is ours. If we refuse to deal with discouragement head-on, we are opening the door for it to completely dominate our life. — Charles Stanley

Disappointments will come and go, but discouragement is a choice that you make. — Charles Stanley

Yieldedness is vital in listening to what He has to say. — Charles Stanley

The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth — Charles Stanley

Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing for us what we need to survive. He does not change our painful circumstances. He sustains us through them. — Charles Stanley

Brokenness is God's requirement for maximum usefulness. — Charles Stanley

Prayer is an act of faith. Just by praying to God, you are declaring our trust in someone other than yourself. Your faith is increased as you pray and watch how God answers your prayers. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. God is awesome in power and there is never a time when He is not beside you. He is faithful and holy. — Charles Stanley

Suffering prepares you by training you to trust God and know that He is always at work in your life. — Charles Stanley

Nobody else can make us discouraged; it is a choice that we alone make when facing disappointments. — Charles Stanley

When we take our eyes off the whirl of day-to-day activity and concentrate on honoring Him and following in His way, we find a consistent peace that carries us through both plenty and poverty. — Charles Stanley

A Christian has no right being in a fight unless it's a spiritual fight. — Charles Stanley

Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there's a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to himself to trust him. Therefore, my discouragement is from Satan. As you go through the emotions that we have, hostility is not from God, bitterness, unforgiveness, all of these are attacks from Satan. — Charles Stanley

I'm convinced that the man who has learned to meditate upon the Lord will be able to run on his feet and walk in his spirit. Although he may be hurried by his vocation, that's not the issue. The issue is how fast his spirit is going. To slow it down takes a period of time. — Charles Stanley

The Bible reveals the Father's overall plan for the world and provides general guidelines for life. But how can we know His specific plans for us? Listening to God is essential to walking with God. — Charles Stanley

Regardless of the source of our pain, we must accept that God knows, God loves, and God is at work. — Charles Stanley

If we walk in the Spirit daily, surrendered to His power, we have the right to expect anything we need to hear from God. The Holy Spirit living within us and speaking to us ought to be the natural, normal lifestyle of believers. — Charles Stanley

I hear people all the time say, well I read through the Bible last year. Well, so what? I'm all for reading through the Bible. But how much of that got on the inside, or did they just cover three more chapters today? I would never discredit reading the Scriptures, but it is important to meditate on it. — Charles Stanley

Take steps each day to be sure your life expresses commitment to Jesus. — Charles Stanley

God's Word is absolutely true. You may not understand how God is going to bring about what He's promised you, but He is keeping every promise that He has ever made. He will never deceive you or disappoint you, and He will never change His mind about what He's told you. — Charles Stanley

When we learn from experience, the scars of sin can lead us to restoration and a renewed intimacy with God. — Charles Stanley

If you tell God no because He won't explain the reason He wants you to do something, you are actually hindering His blessing. But when you say yes to Him, all of heaven opens to pour out His goodness and reward your obedience. What matters more than material blessings are the things He is teaching us in our spirit. — Charles Stanley

An unschooled man who knows how to meditate upon the Lord has learned far more than the man with the highest education who does not know how to meditate. — Charles Stanley

Jesus is our Advocate before God. — Charles Stanley

If where winning spiritually, we're a winner. — Charles Stanley

We must never limit God's ability to turn even the worst, most vile experience in our lives into something productive, beneficial and positive. — Charles Stanley

We must remember that the shortest distance between our problems and their solutions is the distance between our knees and the floor. — Charles Stanley

The person who has the motivational gift of giving has a tremendous opportunity to be a blessing to others in the body of Christ, to encourage others in the proper use of their finances, and to make the extension of the Gospel possible. — Charles Stanley

To become God's mighty servants, we must decide whether we will base our life on His priorities or the world's. The two are incompatible. — Charles Stanley

The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord's promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lord has eternal rewards. — Charles Stanley