[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fp1m15uqWD8FL04ifhKHV92-Vjh9vm7hiFmsiV64_1Vs":3,"$f-Lb2UItzYosW3in7NU8Ey5EKKpE0dlHChKDS6IKC-jE":49},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},177428,"J. C. Ryle","J",471,null,"j-c-ryle",[12,16,20,24,28,31,35,39,43,46],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},326,"men",35,{"tag_id":17,"tag_name":18,"tag_count":19},254,"christian",33,{"tag_id":21,"tag_name":22,"tag_count":23},3176,"prayer",20,{"tag_id":25,"tag_name":26,"tag_count":27},56,"thinking",14,{"tag_id":29,"tag_name":30,"tag_count":27},91,"jesus",{"tag_id":32,"tag_name":33,"tag_count":34},1456,"heart",10,{"tag_id":36,"tag_name":37,"tag_count":38},21426,"firsts",8,{"tag_id":40,"tag_name":41,"tag_count":42},586,"hands",6,{"tag_id":44,"tag_name":45,"tag_count":42},1467,"spiritual",{"tag_id":47,"tag_name":48,"tag_count":42},2955,"believe",{"quotes":50,"pagination":114},[51,59,65,71,77,83,90,96,102,108],{"id":52,"quote_text":53,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":55,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3703697,"The 'means of grace' are such as Bible reading, private prayer, and regularly worshiping God in Church, wherein one hears the Word taught and participates in the Lord's Supper. I lay it down as a simple matter of fact that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},3092286,"It is poor philosophy to say we will believe nothing unless we can understand everything!",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":68,"source":69,"quote_tag":70,"commentary":9},3092285,"The man who has nothing more than a kind of Sunday religion – whose Christianity is like his Sunday clothes put on once a week, and then laid aside – such a man cannot, of course, be expected to care about growth in grace.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":9},3092282,"So that the best believer, if he knows what he says, and says the truth, is but a sinner at the best.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":78,"quote_text":79,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":80,"source":81,"quote_tag":82,"commentary":9},3092280,"If the Bible is not the Word of God and inspired, the whole of Christendom for 1800 years has been under an immense delusion – half the human race has been cheated and deceived, and churches are monuments of folly. If the Bible is the Word of God and inspired, all who refuse to believe it are in fearful danger; they are living on the brink of eternal misery. No man, in his sober senses, can fail to see that the whole subject demands most serious attention.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":84,"quote_text":85,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":86,"source":87,"quote_tag":88,"commentary":89},3092277,"A man’s state before God may always be measured by his prayers.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is from J.C. Ryle, a 19th-century Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his emphasis on practical Christianity and the importance of personal holiness. Ryle lived a life marked by spiritual struggles and introspection, reflecting on his own faith and the state of the Church of England during the Victorian era. His writings often grappled with the tension between theoretical Christianity and lived-out faith.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe counter-intuitive truth in Ryle's statement lies in its focus on prayer as a barometer of one's spiritual state. On the surface, prayer might seem like a passive act, a means of expressing gratitude or seeking guidance. However, Ryle's quote reveals that prayer is, in fact, an active indicator of a person's spiritual vitality, reflecting the sincerity and authenticity of their faith. This nuance highlights the dynamic relationship between a person's inner life and their outward expressions of devotion.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn applying Ryle's insight to modern life, we can ask ourselves: \"What does my prayer life reveal about my priorities and values?\" By examining our prayer habits and content, we can gain a deeper understanding of our spiritual state and identify areas for growth, leading to a more authentic and intentional faith.",{"id":91,"quote_text":92,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":93,"source":94,"quote_tag":95,"commentary":9},3092275,"Worst of all, there are hundreds of young unestablished believers who are so infected with the same love of excitement, that they actually think it a duty to be always seeking it. Insensibly almost to themselves, they take up a kind of hysterical, sensational, sentimental Christianity, until they are never content with the “old paths,” and, like the Athenians, are always running after something new.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":97,"quote_text":98,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":99,"source":100,"quote_tag":101,"commentary":9},3092273,"He and sin must quarrel, if he and God are to be friends.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":103,"quote_text":104,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":105,"source":106,"quote_tag":107,"commentary":9},3092272,"What young men will be, in all probability depends on what they are now, and they seem to forget this. Youth is the planting time of full age, the molding season in the little space of human life, the turning point in the history of man’s mind.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":109,"quote_text":110,"author_id":5,"source_id":42,"has_image":55,"author":111,"source":112,"quote_tag":113,"commentary":9},3092271,"Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification. Sound protestant and evangelical doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse than useless: it does positive harm. It is despised by keen-sighted and shrewd men of the world, as an unreal and hollow thing, and brings religion into contempt.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":115,"totalPages":116,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":34},1,48]