[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fq4HJX4AIRyGkLl6z-9eBHb08Qq3S5wO5sGlZkWhfeqY":3,"$fv7eemcs42vYdZevJyS2qOP66DuX1KUzYRhsdXFOemFc":64},{"author":4,"tags":51},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"bio_jsonld":11,"slug":49,"image_url":50},191261,"R. A. Torrey","R",74,"Reuben Archer Torrey was an American Congregational pastor, evangelist, and theologian who worked as a preacher, educator, and writer during his lifetime.\n\nBorn on January 28, 1856, in Hoboken, Torrey was educated at Yale University, Yale Divinity School, and Leipzig University, as well as at Wheaton College. This education across multiple institutions prepared him for overlapping vocations that included service as a Congregational pastor, work as an evangelist, teaching at the university level, and writing. He was a citizen of the United States and conducted his work in the English language.\n\nTorrey aligned with Keswick theology, and this orientation connected his roles as preacher, theologian, and writer across the various dimensions of his career. He held the combined identities of pastor, educator, evangelist, and theologian throughout his active years, producing written work alongside his preaching and teaching. He died on October 26, 1928, in Asheville. His alignment with Keswick theology remained a consistent identifier across his activities as a writer, university teacher, and Congregational pastor.","Reuben Archer Torrey was an American Congregational pastor, evangelist, and theologian who worked as a preacher, educator, and writer during his lifetime.",{"@graph":12,"@context":48},[13,25],{"@id":14,"name":6,"@type":15,"sameAs":16,"birthDate":22,"deathDate":23,"description":24},"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q718392","Person",[14,17,18,19,20,21],"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._A._Torrey","https://viaf.org/viaf/17240991/","https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79063512","https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL22296A","https://d-nb.info/gnd/118758497","1856-01-28","1928-10-26","American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer (1856–1928)",{"@type":26,"author":27,"headline":30,"isBasedOn":31,"mainEntity":32,"reviewedBy":33,"articleBody":9,"dateCreated":34,"dateModified":35,"additionalProperty":36,"creativeWorkStatus":47},"Article",{"name":28,"@type":29},"Editorial Team","Organization","R. A. Torrey — biography",[14,17,19,20],{"@id":14},{"name":28,"@type":29},"2026-05-25T23:21:59.515815+00:00","2026-05-25T23:29:10.740645+00:00",[37,41,44],{"@type":38,"value":39,"propertyID":40},"PropertyValue","Q718392","wikidata",{"@type":38,"value":42,"propertyID":43},"1.000","factscore",{"@type":38,"value":45,"propertyID":46},"claude-sonnet-4-6-r1","draftModel","AI-drafted, auto-published","https://schema.org","r-a-torrey",null,[52,56,60],{"tag_id":53,"tag_name":54,"tag_count":55},254,"christian",14,{"tag_id":57,"tag_name":58,"tag_count":59},3176,"prayer",10,{"tag_id":61,"tag_name":62,"tag_count":63},326,"men",5,{"quotes":65,"pagination":145},[66,75,81,88,94,100,106,117,126,135],{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":74},3355354,"The Spirit, when He prays through us, or helps us to meet the mighty “ougthness” of right praying, trims our praying down to the will of God...",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is from R.A. Torrey's book \"How to Pray,\" written in 1900. During this time, Torrey was a prominent Christian evangelist and theologian, known for his emphasis on the importance of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Torrey's life was marked by a deep commitment to prayer, and he saw the Spirit's role in prayer as essential to effective communication with God.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt first glance, this quote seems to suggest that the Spirit's involvement in prayer somehow limits or restricts our own praying. However, the hidden insight lies in the fact that the Spirit's influence actually trims our praying down to the will of God, implying that our own desires and prayers are often at odds with God's plan. This tension highlights the paradox that our own strength and effort in prayer can actually hinder the effectiveness of our prayers, rather than enhance it.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, recognize that your own ego and desires may be getting in the way of your prayers. Instead of relying on your own strength and willpower to pray effectively, acknowledge the Spirit's role in your prayers and seek to be humble and receptive to God's will. By doing so, you can avoid the pitfalls of self-reliance and instead allow the Spirit to guide and empower your prayers.",{"id":76,"quote_text":77,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":78,"source":79,"quote_tag":80,"commentary":50},3355340,"There must be, in any complete revelation of God’s mind and will and character and being, things hard for the beginner to understand; and the wisest and best of us are but beginners.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":82,"quote_text":83,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":84,"source":85,"quote_tag":86,"commentary":87},3355335,"Prayer that is born of meditation upon the Word of God is the prayer that soars upward most easily to God’s listening ears.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nR. A. Torrey, a renowned American evangelist and Bible teacher, wrote these words in his book \"How to Pray\" (circa 1919). At that time, Torrey was in the midst of a highly productive ministry, having just founded the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA), which would later become a prominent institution for Christian education. His emphasis on the importance of meditation and prayer reflects the spiritual seeking and revivalist fervor of the early 20th century.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhile this quote may seem like a straightforward encouragement to cultivate a deeper prayer life, the hidden insight lies in the idea that prayer is not just a means of communication with God, but rather an expression of one's internal state of being. Torrey is suggesting that prayer is not merely a verbal or mental exercise, but rather a natural outflow of a heart that has been meditating on the Word of God, allowing the truth to penetrate and transform one's inner life.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn today's fast-paced, goal-oriented world, this quote encourages professionals and creatives to prioritize reflection and introspection as a means of clarifying their values and priorities. By setting aside time for meditation on the Word of God, individuals can cultivate a sense of inner guidance and direction, enabling them to approach their work with greater purpose and effectiveness.",{"id":89,"quote_text":90,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":91,"source":92,"quote_tag":93,"commentary":50},3355308,"To have as one’s ever-present friend, and to be conscious that one has as his ever-present friend, the Holy Spirit and to surrender one’s life in all it’s departments entirely to His control – this is true Christian living.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":95,"quote_text":96,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":97,"source":98,"quote_tag":99,"commentary":50},3355235,"God’s Word is pure and sure, in spite of the devil, in spite of your fear, in spite of everything.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":101,"quote_text":102,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":103,"source":104,"quote_tag":105,"commentary":50},3355202,"The truly wise man is he who believes the Bible against the opinions of any man. If the Bible says one thing, and any body of men says another, the wise man will decide, “This book is the Word of him who cannot lie”.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":107,"quote_text":108,"author_id":5,"source_id":109,"has_image":70,"author":110,"source":111,"quote_tag":112,"commentary":116},2641381,"Prayer can do anything that God can do.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[113],{"id":114,"tag":115},5619220,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},"**The Backstory**\nR. A. Torrey, an American evangelist and Christian theologian, penned this quote in the early 20th century. During this time, the concept of prayer was deeply ingrained in his life and ministry, as he was a prominent figure in the Azusa Street Revival and a key figure in the Pentecostal movement. Torrey's experience with prayer was likely shaped by his own spiritual struggles and triumphs.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat's often overlooked is that Torrey's statement is not a simplistic declaration of the power of prayer, but rather a profound expression of the nature of God's sovereignty and human limitation. By saying \"Prayer can do anything that God can do,\" Torrey is highlighting the idea that our prayers are not a means of manipulating God, but rather an acknowledgment of our dependence on Him and His sovereignty over all things.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen faced with a daunting challenge or uncertain outcome, adopt a mindset of surrender and dependence on God, recognizing that your prayers are not a means of control, but rather an expression of trust in His sovereignty. By doing so, you can tap into a deeper sense of peace and confidence, knowing that God is working everything out for His glory, even when the outcome is unclear.",{"id":118,"quote_text":119,"author_id":5,"source_id":109,"has_image":70,"author":120,"source":121,"quote_tag":122,"commentary":50},2641376,"Pray for great things, expect great things, work for great things, but above all pray.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[123],{"id":124,"tag":125},5619217,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":127,"quote_text":128,"author_id":5,"source_id":109,"has_image":70,"author":129,"source":130,"quote_tag":131,"commentary":50},2641369,"Every Christian who does not study, really study, the Bible every day is a fool.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[132],{"id":133,"tag":134},5619210,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":136,"quote_text":137,"author_id":5,"source_id":109,"has_image":70,"author":138,"source":139,"quote_tag":140,"commentary":144},2641363,"We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[141],{"id":142,"tag":143},5619203,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to R.A. Torrey, an American evangelist and pastor who lived from 1856 to 1928. As a renowned preacher and Bible teacher, Torrey traveled extensively, sharing the Gospel and teaching on the importance of prayer and faith. During his time, he faced numerous challenges in spreading the message of Christianity, including skepticism, criticism, and the constraints of a rapidly changing world.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a paradoxical truth that many of us overlook: our busyness often stems from our lack of connection with a higher power. In other words, our preoccupation with worldly tasks and responsibilities is, in part, a result of our disconnection from the source of true power and guidance. This insight highlights the tension between our desire for control and our need for surrender, suggesting that our attempts to micromanage our lives may ultimately lead to feelings of powerlessness.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, recognize that your busyness may be a symptom of a deeper disconnection from your spiritual source. By prioritizing prayer and reflection, you can tap into a sense of power and guidance that transcends your daily tasks and responsibilities, allowing you to approach your work with renewed purpose and clarity.",{"currentPage":146,"totalPages":147,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":59},1,8]