Quotes from Billy Graham

What is the most difficult word for young people to pronounce? It's the word no. When we say no [to what is against God], He will help us to stand by it. He will give us courage.

God Himself is the power that makes prayer work.

The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives.

Uncontrolled anger is a devastating sin, and no one is exempt from its havoc. It shatters friendships and destroys marriages; it causes abuse in families and discord in business; it breeds violence in the community and war between nations. Its recoil, like that of a high-powered rifle, often hurts the one who wields it as well as its target. Anger makes us lash out at others, destroying relationships and revealing our true nature.

True conversion will involve the mind, the affection, and the will. There have been thousands of people who have been intellectually converted to Christ . . .but they have never been really converted to Him.

When disappointment or tragedy or suffering strikes, we have a decision to make: Will we turn away from God, or will we turn toward Him? Which road will we take? One road leads to doubt, anger, bitterness, fear, hopelessness, and despair. The other leads to hope, comfort, peace, strength, and joy.

One of the characteristics of some drugs (such as cocaine) is that they make a person feel strong and alert—when in fact the opposite is the case. Don't allow yourself to be deceived.

Our generation has become well versed in Christian terminology but is remiss in the actual practice of Christ's principles and teachings. Hence, our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians.

Before Satan there was no sin, and before sin there was no pain.

Modern war is the most highly developed of all sciences. We have perfected our weapons but failed to perfect the men who use them.

I get many letters every day from people who got married because they wanted their own selfish needs satisfied, and have only later come to realize that this does not work.

God can take anything that happens to us—even bad things—and use it to shape us and make us into a better, more Christlike person—if we will let Him.

I am in favor of hanging the Ten Commandments in every schoolroom in the country so young people can know the difference between right and wrong. They don't know the difference and we're seeing the evidence of that all around us every day.

Can the sin of one or a few cause suffering for many? The answer, of course, is yes, for no sin is isolated in the life of the sinner. It spreads like poison gas into every available crevice.

Jeremiah said centuries ago: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).

The word church as applied to the Christian society was first used by Jesus Himself when He told Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church" [Matthew 16:18]. He is the foundation of all Christian experience.

We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.

All of Christianity is based on a person—Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the embodiment of the Gospel.

Since the Bible is God's Word, we shouldn't be surprised if Satan tries to convince us otherwise.

Longfellow also saw meaning in life's clouds when he said: "Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; behind the clouds is the sun still shining.

The human race is called on throughout the Bible to repent of sin and return to God.

The Charter of the United Nations said in its preamble: "We the people determined to save succeeding generations from war . . ." Can the United Nations save the world from war? The answer is No! It was conceived and created by statesmen who knew little of the significance of the biblical concept of history and the nature of man. When the perspective is wrong, the whole viewpoint will be wrong.

The men upon whose shoulders rested the initial responsibility of Christianizing the world came to Jesus with one supreme request. They did not say, "Lord, teach us to preach"; "Lord, teach us to do miracles"; or "Lord, teach us to be wise" . . . but they said, "Lord, teach us to pray.

I could recall countless illustrations of men and women who have encountered Jesus Christ . . .Their whole lives have been transformed.