John Owen (1616-1683) was known as one of the greatest Puritan theologians of his day. He was born in the historic city of Oxford, England, which was renowned for its world-famous university. His father was a Puritan pastor and John Owen followed in his father’s footsteps. After he graduated from Oxford University, he went on to become an English pastor, chaplain, an adviser to Oliver Cromwell, and vice-chancellor of Oxford University. John Owen authored many books on faith during his lifetime. He also ministered to and advocated for those who had been imprisoned for their faith, including John Bunyan.
Concerning prayer, he wrote,
“If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation.” #JohnOwen
It never ceases to amaze me how Puritan theologians were able to articulate biblical truth so clearly. In the above quote, perhaps he was referring to this Bible verse:
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
In short, human nature naturally draws us into temptation and away from Christ, whereas prayer is the greatest privilege that a believer can exercise in communion with God. It is in our prayers, through Christ, that He draws and shapes us toward His will for our life. And, being in God’s will is always the safest and the best place to be.
So,
Pray about everything.
Pray often.
Pray.
#SaturdaySayings
September 5, 2026
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In John Owen’s work, A Discourse Concerning the Holy Spirit, he writes,
“To those to whom Christ is the hope of future glory, he is also the life of present grace.”
I believe this quote closely reflects Colossians 1:27,
“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
And 2 Corinthians 9:8,
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
In short, no matter what’s going on in today’s world, believers in Christ can look forward to being with Christ one day in the future as His grace helps us get through life here and now.
#SaturdaySayings
September 12, 2026
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In John Owen’s book, The Mortification of Sin, he wrote, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” This quote is an exposition of Romans 8:13, which warns,
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
John Owen’s book lists several practical steps to help us fight our sinful desires and to put them to death:
- Diagnose and understand the severity of sin.
- Grasp the serious and profound consequences of sin.
- Be both convinced and convicted of the guilt of your own sin.
- Have an earnest desire to be delivered from your sin.
- Consider the relationship between your sins and your natural temperament or bent in life.
- Recognize and avoid occasions and locations that incite sin in you.
- Acknowledge and identify sin in your life at the first signs of it.
- Meditate on the glory of God and His will for your life.
- Don’t rush to congratulate and comfort yourself or falsely assume that sin can be treated lightly in anyway.
- Know that the power to kill sin comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is there we can “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:16) And remember, effort on our part is necessary; however, as John Owen put it, “Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of grace. Of ourselves we cannot do it.”
#SaturdaySayings
September 19, 2026
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In John Owen’s book, Communion with God, he wrote,
“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay upon the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe that He loves you.”
Jesus’ birth and death are both widely accepted as historical fact worldwide. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, attest that after Jesus was crucified on the cross, He was buried and that He rose from the dead three days later. Even Non-Christian sources of old corroborate that a man named Jesus was executed by crucifixion during this period in time. The Bible has also been proven to be historically factual concerning the archeological evidence that’s presented in it.
Yet, today we have non-believers, such as the actress, Jennifer Aniston, who recently and very publicly voiced her opinion that faith (actually “religion” as she called it) is essentially fiction, based on nothing factual, and she doesn’t “do it.”
How convenient to discount Jesus as a myth so you can be your own god, as if that somehow will exclude you from giving an account before God at the judgment seat of Christ. If I could talk with Jennifer Anniston, for just a moment, I would, with the love of Jesus in my heart, tell her that the Bible is true. Most importantly, that God loves you so much that he sent His only Son to take the penalty for your sin. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ today.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
#SaturdaySayings
September 26, 2026
