I heard long ago that you are not ready to live until you know what you want written on your tombstone. This thought can prompt all of us to identify and embrace practical and succinct truths that will shape our daily lives.

With that in mind, I have latched on to a variety of one-liners that have been of great help to my life and ministry. My parishioners and partners in ministry began to identify these as “Danielisms.” My children began to humor me about the cost of this massive tombstone. Maybe I can settle for a “QR Code” on my gravestone instead.

In any case, here is a short and simple dose of inspiration for your soul today. Some of these are definitely original. Others I may have said so many times that I am not sure. Either way, I will claim them as my own. I hope you will be encouraged today as you read.

ON PRAYER:

• Prayerlessness is my declaration of independence from God.
• The only enduring motive for prayer is that God is worthy to be sought.
• He is worthy! We are needy!
• We are transformed through Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayer.
• If all you ever do is seek God’s hand, you may miss His face. But if you seek His face, He will gladly open His hand.

If all you ever do is seek God’s hand, you may miss His face. But if you seek His face, He will gladly open His hand.

• While we are all praying for the fruits of supernatural gospel impact, we must develop the roots of supernatural gospel impact. You don’t have the fruits without the roots.
• We must work diligently to mobilize praying Christians who support praying pastors who lead praying churches for supernatural gospel impact – across the street and throughout the world.
• The prayer level of a church will never rise any higher than the personal example and passion of the senior leadership.
• The only way people learn to pray is by praying with others who know how to pray.
• Pastors cannot point the way in prayer, they must lead the way in prayer.

Pastors cannot point the way in prayer, they must lead the way in prayer.

• Acts 6:3 ministry + Acts 6:4 leadership = Acts 6:7 impact. (Look it up and you will understand.)
• Don’t just do something – sit there. Prayer must be our first resolve, not our last resort.
• Prayer is not the only thing we do, just the first thing we do.
• When we pray together, specificity breeds authenticity.
• When we seldom pray, we seldom see God at work and seldom give thanks. When we often pray, we often see God at work and often give thanks.

ON SPIRITUAL EXCELLENCE:

• The hardest thing about the Christian life is that it is so daily.
• The comfort zone is the danger zone.
• The devil does not have to destroy church leaders – he only needs to distract them.
• The devil is always launching weapons of mass distraction on us.
• The devil doesn’t care what we depend on as long it isn’t the Holy Spirit.

The devil doesn’t care what we depend on as long as it isn’t the Holy Spirit.

• It’s not how long you’ve been in the boat but how consistently you’ve been paddling.
• The power of “no” is in a stronger “yes.”
• The heart cannot taste what the eyes have not seen. (A Brazilian proverb.)
• The key to daily impact is to find “kairos” in the chaos of your “chronos.”
• Nothing is dynamic until it is specific.

ON PERSEVERANCE:

• Discouragement is a temporary loss of perspective.
• God has tailor-made grace for everything you face.
• The worst of times are often the best of times. It just doesn’t feel like it at the time.

The worst of times are often the best of times. It just doesn’t feel like it at the time.

• One of the keys to knowing God’s will is to learn to trust your great moments.
• The scoreboard is in heaven.
• The primary performance that counts is the last one.
• In times of difficulty we must choose what we believe – what we see with our eyes, what we feel with our emotions, or what we know to be true with our mind and soul.

ON PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL HEALTH:

• Discipline is regulating one’s conduct by principle – not emotion, ease, or impulse.
• The world is run by people who “don’t feel like it.”
• You can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.
• Sentimentality is the enemy of simplicity.

Sentimentality is the enemy of simplicity.

• Self-pity is not a strategy for self-improvement.
• When we buy things we get maintenance. When we buy experiences we get memories.
• In the absence of communication, we tend to assume the worst.
• When iron sharpens iron you can expect sparks to fly.

When iron sharpens iron you can expect sparks to fly.

• Comparison is an ugly game that no one ever wins.

Copyright © 2019 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.