100 quotes from Billy Graham

In honor of his 100th birthday on November 7, read these timeless Billy Graham quotes.

Download 100 quotes from Billy Graham

You can be born in a garage, but that doesn’t make you an automobile. You can be born in a Christian home, but that doesn’t make you a Christian.
—CLEVELAND, OHIO, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1994

In the Bible God speaks to us; in prayer we speak to God. Both are essential.
—THE JOURNEY

People put a person who is publicized a little bit on a pedestal. I don’t belong there. I belong in the gutter with all the sinners that have been saved by grace. I’m a sinner saved by the grace of God.
—CLEVELAND, OHIO, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1994

Living the Christian life means striving for holiness.
—STORM WARNING

I can’t live the Christian life alone. I’m a failure. Billy Graham cannot live the Christian life. I’ve tried. I can’t do it. But with the help of the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit, I can live the Christian life. But He lives it through me.
—PORTLAND, ORE., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1993

We aren’t only called to become Christians; we are called to be Christians.
—THE JOURNEY

You don’t have to know much when you come to Christ. You don’t have to know the whole Gospel. You don’t have to know the Bible. You just come like you are.
—PITTSBURGH, PENN., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1993

The Christian’s journey through life isn’t a sprint but a marathon.
—THE JOURNEY

The regeneration of the individual is much more needed than the revolution of society.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 2, 1955

Every time I read the Bible, any part of the Bible—I don’t care where I open up—it speaks to me. It’s a living book.
—SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1985

Time is the dressing room of eternity. In the few fleeting days of life on this planet we are given the opportunity to prepare for eternity.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 2, 1955

The Bible is not an option; it is a necessity. You cannot grow spiritually strong without it.
—DECISION MAGAZINE, JULY/AUGUST 2006

The transformed man loves when others hate. He is just when others are prejudiced. He is understanding when others misunderstand and he is poised when others are frantic.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 30, 1966

God has promised to supply all of our needs, but He’s never promised to supply all of our greeds.
—PITTSBURGH, PENN., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1993

Christianity is not a white man’s religion. And don’t ever let anybody tell you that it’s white or black. Christ belongs to all people! He belongs to the whole world!
—JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1973

If I didn’t believe that the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ held the answer to this world’s baffling problems, I would go back to the farm and the rural life that I love and spend my days in peaceful solitude.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 9, 1955

We cannot walk as we ought to walk; we cannot rise to our intended stature under God until we receive divine pardon and forgiveness.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 9, 1955

The whole Bible is a love story. It’s a love story between God and man. God loves you!
—DALLAS, TEXAS, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1971

An atheist only sees a hopeless end to life. But the Christian sees an endless hope.
—FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1985

The marvel is not so much that Christians are happy, but that they are not happier. We need to awaken to a new consciousness of our divine origin. Born of God—what a heritage!
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 9, 1966

If Christianity is important at all, it is all important. If it is anything at all, it is everything. It is either the most vital thing in your life, or it isn’t worth bothering with.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 23, 1966

We are looking for a universal solution to our problems, but the cross presents itself in the midst of our dilemma as our only hope. Here we find the justice of God in perfect satisfaction—the mercy of God extended to the sinner, the love of God covering every need, the power of God for every emergency, the glory of God for every occasion. Here is power enough to change the world.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, APRIL 3, 1966

The Holy Spirit can rejuvenate a tired Christian, captivate an indifferent believer, and empower a dry church.
—HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN

The way we live is often more convincing than the words we say.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

We have a tremendous amount of knowledge. We have universities by the scores and hundreds and thousands throughout the world. But we’ve lost wisdom, in the midst of all of our knowledge.
—PORTLAND, ORE., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1992

What is your story? Be ready to share it when the Lord gives you the opportunity.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

Salvation is an act of God. It is initiated by God, wrought by God, and sustained by God.
—WORLD AFLAME

All you need is God. If you’re totally surrendered and totally dedicated and say, “Lord, here’s my hand with all I’ve got,” God has a place for you. He can use you.
—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1975

When I stepped on this platform last night—I’d never been on this platform before—I didn’t get down and examine it to see if it would hold me up. I accepted by faith that the carpenters that built it, built it to hold a man. And by faith you receive Christ in the same way. You totally commit yourself. You say, “Lord, I’m not trusting anything else to save my soul except Jesus.”
—PORTLAND, ORE., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1992

To suffer for the faith is not a penalty; it is a privilege.
—TILL ARMAGEDDON

Earth’s troubles fade in the light of heaven’s hope.
—THE JOURNEY

God’s business now is to mold you into the image of Christ so that you will love like He loves, have peace like He has, joy like He has, gentleness like He has.
—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1975

Don’t take the holiness of God lightly, for it is the very essence of His character.
—THE JOURNEY

In this age with all the emptiness, the loneliness, the anguish, the guilt and the bereavement and the suffering in the world, it is a thrilling thing to know that God is for every person everywhere as individuals.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, DEC. 20, 1970

As Christians, we have only one authority, one compass: the Word of God.
—THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

In Him and Him alone can we find the strength, the stability, and certainty for tomorrow. Christ alone can bring truth to the mind, cleansing to the heart, and power to the will.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JAN. 5, 1964

When our minds are on Christ, Satan has little room to maneuver.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

My wife has said that a bitter, sour Christian is one of Satan’s greatest trophies—and she’s right.
—THE JOURNEY

When people walk by here and see the name Billy Graham and some kid yells out, “Who in the world was Billy Graham? What rock group did he play for?” They’ll be answered with, “No, he was a preacher of the Gospel.” And they might explain the Gospel to them and many people may find Christ in that.
—HOLLYWOOD, CALIF., HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME CEREMONY, 1989

Now the Gospel of Christ has no meaning unless it is applied to our fellow man who hurts and is in need.
—TACOMA, WASH., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1983

Faith points us beyond our problems to the hope we have in Christ.
—THE JOURNEY

When you come to Jesus Christ, you don’t commit intellectual suicide. You come to Christ with your mind.
—SEATTLE, WASH., BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1991

And how many of you are trying to put the puzzles of life together in your life, in your marriage, in your business, in your school, in your work, with your friends? Life is a big puzzle, and you haven’t found a way to put it all together yet. Jesus Christ can do it for you, if you’ll let Him.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, AUG. 19, 1990

The secret strength of a nation is found in the faith that abides in the hearts and homes of the country.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

Let us pause during the next few days this Thanksgiving season and give thanks to God for all that He had done for us as Americans. From Maine to California, from Minnesota to Mississippi, let us honor, glorify, and give thanks to God for His manifold blessings.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, NOV. 18, 1956

The Bible is the only book in the world that predicts the future. The Bible is more modern than tomorrow morning’s newspaper.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

God never leads us to do anything that is contrary to the Bible.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

Each of us has our reference point and as a Christian the reference point by which I measure my life and thought is the Bible.
—BILLY GRAHAM: GOD’S AMBASSADOR

The Christian is to take his place in society with moral courage to stand up for that which is right, just, and honorable.
—PEACE WITH GOD

Becoming a Christian is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime.
—THE JOURNEY

I’m not afraid to die, for I know the joys of heaven are waiting. … Will you be making the journey with me?
—FACING DEATH AND THE LIFE AFTER

God doesn’t comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.
—FACING DEATH AND THE LIFE AFTER

Look up on a starry night, and you will see the majesty and power of an infinite Creator.
—THE JOURNEY

The cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

Once you have been to the cross, you will never be the same.
—WISDOM FOR EACH DAY

Every manifestation of evil is the result of basic sin—sin that has remained unchanged since the moment it first entered the human race.
—PEACE WITH GOD

When we all reach the end of our earthly journey, we will have just begun.
—BILLY GRAHAM LIBRARY, AUDIO RECORDING

Life and death is not a do-it-yourself project.
—FACING DEATH AND THE LIFE AFTER

Death is not the end of life; it is only the gateway to eternity.
—THE JOURNEY

Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! I shall be more alive then than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.
—BILLY GRAHAM: GOD’S AMBASSADOR

I have read the last page of the Bible. It is all going to turn out all right.
—FROM PRESS CONFERENCE IN POLAND, OCT. 16, 1978; AUDIO RECORDING

Heaven is real and hell is real, and eternity is but a breath away.
—FACING DEATH AND THE LIFE AFTER

Evil is real—but so is God’s power and love.
—THE JOURNEY

Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan’s device to thwart the work of God in your life.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

Christians who are strong in the faith grow as they accept whatever God allows to enter their lives.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

Without the “fuel” of the Bible, prayer, and Christian fellowship, our faith grows cold.
—THE JOURNEY

Some shy away from Christianity because they know they cannot live perfect lives. But according to the Bible, the Christian life is not for perfect people. It’s for people who are imperfect, like you and me. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” A Christian is not one who is sinless, but one who has had sin forgiven.
—THE HOUR OF DECISION, JUNE 5, 1977

In one bold stroke, forgiveness obliterates the past and permits us to enter the land of new beginnings.
—THE BILLY GRAHAM CHRISTIAN WORKER’S HANDBOOK

When God forgives us and purifies us of our sin, He also forgets it. Forgiveness results in God dropping the charges against us.
—THE BILLY GRAHAM CHRISTIAN WORKER’S HANDBOOK

When one bears suffering faithfully, God is glorified and honored.
—STORM WARNING

Prayer serves a dual purpose: the blessing of man and the glory of God.
—MY DAILY PRAYER JOURNAL

Our voices, our service, and our abilities are to be employed, primarily, for the glory of God.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

Nothing in our lives takes God by surprise.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

If you have been trying to limit God—stop it! Don’t try to confine Him or His works to any single place or sphere. You wouldn’t try to limit the ocean.
—PEACE WITH GOD

When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.
—TILL ARMAGEDDON

You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.
—THE JOURNEY

The will of God will never take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.
—TILL ARMAGEDDON

I know where I’ve come from. I know why I’m here. I know where I’m going and I don’t have any doubts about it. You can have that same peace, that same assurance, that same joy by putting your confidence and your faith in Jesus Christ.
—LUBBOCK, TEXAS, BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE, 1975

Envy and greed starve on a steady diet of thanksgiving.
—THE JOURNEY

The heart of man … is big enough for Christ to live in, if man will only make room for Him.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

Only in heaven will we know exactly what heaven is like.
—THE JOURNEY

The most thrilling thing about heaven is that Jesus Christ will be there. I will see Him face to face. Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of life’s journey.
—WORLD AFLAME

My hope does not rest in the affairs of this world. It rests in Christ who is coming again.
—THE JESUS GENERATION

Don’t waste your life, and don’t be satisfied with anything less than God’s plan.
—THE JOURNEY

With Christ as your Savior and constant Companion, you, although alone, need never be lonely.
—ALONE WITH THE SAVIOR

I am convinced that the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God’s love for them in Christ.
—BILLY GRAHAM: GOD’S AMBASSADOR

God’s love is unchangeable; He knows exactly what we are and loves us anyway.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

There is one thing God’s love cannot do. It cannot forgive the unrepentant sinner.
—TILL ARMAGEDDON

The Internal Revenue Service wants a record of how you spend your money, but that is nothing compared to the books God is keeping.
—DAY BY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM

I have never known a man who received Christ and ever regretted it.
—BILLY GRAHAM LIBRARY, AUDIO RECORDING

The Bible clearly says that faithfulness and persecution often go hand in hand.
—STORM WARNING

No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

Prayer should not be merely an act, but an attitude of life.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

If we are to depend on prayer during tough times, we should be people of prayer before the crisis hits.
—HOPE FOR THE TROUBLED HEART

Long after you and I are gone, God will still be at work—and many of the things we prayed for will finally come to pass.
—MY DAILY PRAYER JOURNAL

God welcomes our prayers. He is much more concerned about our hearts than our eloquence.
—THE JOURNEY

The most important events in human history were the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
—WORLD AFLAME

A suffering person does not need a lecture—he needs a listener.
—TILL ARMAGEDDON

Be grateful and you won’t grumble. Grumble and you won’t be grateful.
—STORM WARNING

The Spirit of God takes the Word of God and makes the child of God.
—THE HOLY SPIRIT

>> See photos from some of Billy Graham’s most memorable birthday celebrations