Prayer Quotes

Happiness is activity of soul. ~ Aristotle.

May the Lord grant you great grace, great strength and great wisdom. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

The prayers of God's saints strengthen the unborn generation against the desolating waves of sin and evil. ~ Edward McKendree Bounds

prayer based upon FAITH always works. ~ Napoleon Hill

I have stayed these years in my hovel because of you. I have taught myself languages because of you. I have made my body strong because I thought you might be pleased by a strong body. I have lived my life with only the prayer that some sudden dawn you might glance in my direction. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids. ~ William Goldman

This truth may be handled either sinfully or profitably; sinfully as when it is treated on only to satisfy curiosity, and to keep up a mere barren speculative dispute ... This point of election ... is not to be agitated in a verbal and contentious way, but in a saving way, to make us tremble and to set us upon a more diligent and close striving with God in prayer, and all other duties. ~ Anthony Burgess

The angel said, I like black-and-white films more than color because they're more artificial. You have to work harder to overcome your disbelief. It's sort of like prayer. ~ Jonathan Carroll

Dear Night! this world's defeat; The stop to busy fools; care's check and curb; The day of spirits; my soul's calm retreat Which none disturb! Christ's progress, and His prayer-time; The hours to which high Heaven cloth chime. ~ Henry Vaughan

We should go into His presence as a child goes to his father. We do it with reverence and godly fear, of course, but we should go with a childlike confidence and simplicity. ~ David Lloyd-Jones

Just one word, infused with naked desperation; half prayer, half enchantment. It felt like a freezing charm on her soul making her his prisoner, yet setting her free all at once. ~ Genevieve Dewey

This Sabbath day has been designated as a day of thanksgiving, a day of gratitude-even a day of prayer. We pause, we ponder, we reflect on the blessings an all-wise Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us, His children, by bringing peace to the battlefield of war and comfort to the hearts of so many in this wonderful world where we live and which we call home ~ Thomas S. Monson

Prayer, like radium, is a luminous and self-generating form of energy. ~ Alexis Carrel

Let us beware of the prayer for forgiveness becoming a formality: only what is really confessed is really forgiven. Let us in faith accept the forgiveness as promised: as a spiritual reality, an actual transaction between God and us, it is the entrance into all the Father's love and all the privileges of children. Such forgiveness, as a living experience, is impossible without a forgiving spirit to others: as forgiven expresses the heavenward, so forgiving the earthward, relation of God's child. In each prayer to the Father I must be able to say that I know of no one whom I do not heartily love. 'And ~ Andrew Murray

Love's Prayer If Heaven would hear my prayer, My dearest wish would be, Thy sorrows not to share But take them all on me; If Heaven would hear my prayer. I'd beg with prayers and sighs That never a tear might flow From out thy lovely eyes, If Heaven might grant it so; Mine be the tears and sighs. No cloud thy brow should cover, But smiles each other chase From lips to eyes all over Thy sweet and sunny face; The clouds my heart should cover. That all thy path be light Let darkness fall on me; If all thy days be bright, Mine black as night could be; My love would light my night. For thou art more than life, And if our fate should set Life and my love at strife, How could I then forget I love thee more than life? ~ John Hay

If we are to pray aright, perhaps it is quite necessary that we pray contrary to our own heart. Not what we want to pray is important, but what God wants us to pray. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

But prayer and meditation aren't only in the realm of religion. I'd say neither is God, for that matter, brother Matt. What it's about is finding a peaceful center, even when we think that life is totally whack! ~ Daniel D. Maurer

Your prayers are your light;
Your devotion is your strength;
Sleep is the enemy of both.
Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you.
If you ignore it, if you waste it,
You will only turn to dust. ~ Rabia Basri

I have always been edified by Hebrew prayers. ~ Moses Hess

My prayer today is that God would make me an extraordinary Christian. ~ George Whitefield

All prayer is responding to God. In all cases God is the initiator - "hearing" always precedes asking. God comes to us first or we would never reach out to him.92 Yet all prayers are not alike or equally effective in relating to God. The clearer our understanding of who God is, the better our prayers. Instinctive prayer is like an emergency flare in reaction to a general sense of God's reality. Prayer as a spiritual gift is a genuine, personal conversation in reply to God's specific, verbal revelation. ~ Timothy J. Keller

Fear drives the wretched to prayer ~ Seneca The Younger

Outpouring of affection for God, of resting in his presence, of good feelings towards everyone and sentiments and prayers like theseare suspect if they do not express themselves in practical love which has real effects. ~ St. Vincent

Scream silently in your prayer; remember the pain of others. ~ Megan McKenna

Scientific research is based on the idea that everything that takes place is determined by laws of nature, and therefore this holds for the action of people. For this reason, a research scientist will hardly be inclined to believe that events could be influenced by a prayer, i.e. by a wish addressed to a Supernatural Being.
- Albert Einstein, 1936, responding to a child who wrote and asked if scientists pray; quoted in: Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas & Banesh Hoffmann ~ Albert Einstein

O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved spot on earth. ~ Andy Murray

Think of God; attachments will gradually drop away. If you wait till all desires disappear before starting your devotion and prayer, you will have to wait for a very long time indeed. ~ Ramana Maharshi

May your God
Extend to you
The same Love
And Compassion
You have Provided
To Others. ~ Kent Forrest

Lord deliver mankind from darkness into light ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

I then greet and cordially thank you all, dear friends belonging to other religious traditions; first of all the Muslims, who worship the one God, living and merciful, and call upon Him in prayer, and all of you. I really appreciate your presence: in it I see a tangible sign of the will to grow in mutual esteem and cooperation for the common good of humanity. ~ Pope Francis

Wake Up At The Most Silent Time And Read The BIBLE. ~ Cyc Jouzy

I know I'm not the only one whose life is a conditional clause

hanging from something to do with spring and one tall room
and the tremble of my phone.

I'm not the only one that love makes feel like a dozen

flapping bedsheets being ripped to prayer flags by the wind. ~ Noah Warren

No prayer is complete without presence. ~ Rumi

A certain pride, a certain awe, withheld him from offering to God even one prayer at night, though he knew it was in God's power to take away his life while he slept and hurl his soul hellward ere he could beg for mercy. ~ James Joyce

We can reach our world, if we will. The greatest lack today is not people or funds. The greatest need is prayer. ~ Wesley Duewel

By the time we were knit in our mothers' wombs, our lives were like open books before Him
every sentence read, every paragraph indented, every chapter titled, every page numbered. He knew it all in advance
all the sin, all the selfishness, every weakness. Yet He chose to love us
lavishly. ~ Beth Moore

Who knows what will happen or where I will be sent, yet already I have given a great many things away, expecting to be told to pack nothing, except the prayers which, with this thirst, I am slowly learning. ~ Mary Oliver

The power of God has not in the least bit been diminished over the past 2000 years. Our Lord still sits on His great throne and His train still fills the temple. He still walks on the wings of the wind, He still rides on the backs of the mighty cherubim, and He still is the Triumphant Champion from Calvary. All hell still bends to His will, and sin and death have lost their hold on all who rest in the shadow of His presence. And the God who calmed storms, raised up dead men to life, and multiplied fishes and loaves to feed thousands is the same God we have today. ~ Eric Ludy

Writing about prayer to a secular audience is tap-dancing on the radio. I want to say, 'Gee whiz, isn't this great,' and have everyone's head cocked like the RCA dog. ~ Mary Karr

Each and every prayer is a tiny piece of a great cosmic puzzle, which when fitted together will allow for the completion of the grand picture of the Almighty Lord's plan for humanity and the universe. ~ Jason Mandryk

It has been said by many great Christians that prayer is our secret weapon. If we desire to be free from every enemy stronghold over our lives and fully fortified to live the superhuman existences God intended us to live, then we must learn how to pray. ~ Leslie Ludy

I am overflowing with love, peace, joy, happiness and abundance." Let this be your morning prayer. ~ Debasish Mridha

The goodness of God is the highest object of prayer and it reaches down to our lowest need. ~ Julian Of Norwich

We worship the form, and seek the formless. The Nameless is sought by reciting names. With closed hands, closed minds, we seek Him. ~ Meeta Ahluwalia

The prayer of the church determines the history and the fate of its people as well as the whole earth ~ Sunday Adelaja

The other cops were almost evenly divided between being scared by what they'd seen and being so impressed that it was almost worse, because I wasn't sure what they'd expect me to be able to do next time. Aimes hadn't been the only one who saw the white-shadowed outline of wings. I told them it was an answer to prayer, not me personally. I finally told one overly solicitous uniform, 'Trust me, I'm no angel.'
Nicky started laughing and couldn't seem to stop.
'Yuk it up, lion boy.'
That made him laugh harder, until he had to lean against the wall with tears trailing down from his eye. At least his laughing stopped any more weird theological questions; they just couldn't seem to talk about angels with this big, muscled bad-ass guy laughing his ass off beside me. ~ Laurell K. Hamilton

Be specific in your prayer requests of GOD. ~ Benny Hinn

I don't pray because it makes sense to pray. I pray because my life doesn't make sense without prayer. ~ Noah Benshea

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. ~ David A. Bednar

For a few moments, raising his arms desperately, the Reverend Mouret implored Heaven. His shoulder-blades cracked, with such fantastic force did he pray. But soon enough his arms fell to his sides, his hopes abashed. From heaven came one of those silences utterly void of hope known to the devout. ~ Emile Zola

That prayer which does not succeed in moderating our wishes
in changing the passionate desire into still submission, the anxious, tumultuous expectation into silent surrender
is no true prayer, and proves that we have not the spirit of true prayer. ~ Frederick William Robertson

True prayer is pleading with God for that which He wants to do anyway. ~ Todd Stocker

The Hindus are busy letting themselves be seen riding in Cadillacs instead of smearing themselves with sandalwood paste and bowing in front of Ganpati. The Moslems would rather miss evening prayer than the new Disney movie. The Buddhists think it's more important to take over in the name of Stalin and Progress than to meditate on the four basic sorrows. And we don't even have to mention Christianity or Judaism. ~ Paul Bowles

When I marched with Martin Luther King in Selma, I felt my legs were praying. ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

Speaking uses us up, speeds us up. Without prayer, that act of confession for merely existing, one might live forever and not know it. ~ Gregory Maguire

Dear Father, take my heart on a prayer journey today to erase the distance between those I love and me. Amen. ~ Karen Barber

We have an unwritten rule now, Him and me. He lets me live my life as I see fit and in return I say the odd quiet prayer in my head. Our gentleman's agreement works. ~ Anne Griffin

I am walking proof of the power of prayer. ~ Fabrice Muamba

We pray to obey God, not to 'play God'. We pray, not to change God's mind, but to change our own; not to command God, but to let God command us. We pray to 'let God be God'. Prayer is our obedience to God even when it asks God for things, for God has commanded us to ask (Mt. 7:7). ~ Peter Kreeft

Prayer is the opening of the heart so we can receive all these good things that God has for us every day. It's like sitting down at a table that God has prepared for us. He says, 'I have everything you need today - all the grace, all the wisdom, all the provision that you need - but sit down at the table and eat. Don't be so rushed and so busy and try to live without My supply.' ~ Jim Cymbala

We do not drift into spiritual life or disciplined prayer. We will not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. ~ D. A. Carson

Some parts of your vision are meant to be shared, in confidence, only with a trusted mentor, friend, or family member. And some aspects of your vision honestly don't need to go beyond your prayer time with God. ~ Steve Harvey

When we pray for guidance in a group, we create a positive force field and align our personal energies towards a single direction. ~ Catherine Carrigan

Christ sometimes delays His help so He may test our faith and energize our prayers. Our boat may be tossed by the waves while he continues to sleep, but He will awake before it sinks. ~ Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

When you are angry, do not speak, but close your eyes. You can regain your inner peace with a word of prayer. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Our forgiving love toward men is the evidence of God's forgiving love in us. It is a necessary condition of the prayer of faith. ~ Andrew Murray

I've only read a few chapters of this book, Trumpet Blast Warning but it's amazing. All of his statements are backed up by original quotes & references from top politicians, the media, etc, so you can check for yourselves & discover this is not a conspiracy theory about world government, it's all backed by facts! All Christians, especially pastors & prayer groups really should read this book. Many thanks to Jason Carter for sending me a copy! ~ Jason Carter

None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience. ~ Martin Luther

The miracle of the moment! ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

For the first time in my life, I fully realized that I was not in charge. I knew that I needed to submit to Heavenly Father's will. I couldn't have what I wanted when and how I wanted it just because I was keeping the commandments. The purpose of prayer was not to tell Heavenly Father what to do, rather to find out what He would have me do and learn. I needed to align my will with His ... Prayer is less about changing our circumstances and more about changing us. It is about seeking His will and asking for His help to do what we need to do."
June 2013 Ensign, "Improving Your Personal Prayers ~ Kevin W. Pearson

For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. ~ Teresa Of Avila

A primary goal of the spiritual life is to learn to quiet the mind through prayer and meditation, through spiritual practice, so that we can hear what in both Judaism and Christianity, is called the small, still voice within. ~ Marianne Williamson

The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me. ~ Martin Luther

I will now teach my son Increase (and others of my children) the way of raising a lesson out of every verse in his reading of the Bible; and of turning it into a Prayer; and engage him (and them) unto a daily Course in reading the Bible in such a way ~ Cotton Mather

God of the green pastures and the still waters, please don't help me. I want to do it by myself so that You'll know I've found something I can do for You ... I am David. Amen. ~ Anne Holm

One way to be sure you are not making the wrong decision, is to look
vertically upwards ~ Oche Otorkpa

The doctrine of the material efficacy of prayer reduces the Creator to a cosmic bellhop of a not very bright or reliable kind. ~ Herbert Muller

I've heard it said that prayer is the act of talking to God, while meditation is the act of listening. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Dear Lord, I thank You that You listen to my prayers and that You answer, not according to my own goodness, but according to Yours. Help me to not let anything discourage me from coming to You in prayer - especially not my own sense that I am undeserving of Your attention and blessing. I come entirely because You are full of grace and mercy. ~ Stormie O'martian

From the beginning, mankind has been divided into three parts, among men of prayer, men of toil, and men of war. Gerard, Bishop of Cambrai (1012-1051) ~ John Paul Davis

To him who prays, and as he prays, the hour is sacred because it is God's hour ~ E. M. Bounds

Prayer and helplessness are inseparable. Only he who is helpless can truly pray. Your helplessness is your best. prayer. ~ Ole Hallesby

Prayer is the disciplined refusal to act before God acts. ~ Eugene H. Peterson

Most prayers are not really questions ... and if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer ... We pray because we are here - not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves ... that the world is changed. ~ Douglas Wood

He did not hope that God heard his prayers; he knew it. ~ Eric Metaxas

I would like you to accept only one prayer, and that is laughter, because when you are totally laughing you are in the present. You cannot laugh in the future and you cannot laugh in the past. All those people who have created this retarded humanity have taken away all juice, all laughter, all smiles, and dragged everybody into being inauthentic. And if you are inauthentic, insincere, you can never grow the seed that has been given to you by this great compassionate universe. ~ Rajneesh

Prayer is to religion what thinking is to philosophy. To pray is to make religion. ~ Novalis

Play may not have so high a place in the divine economy, but is has as legitimate a place as prayer. ~ J.G. Holland

A low standard of prayer means a low standard of character and a low standard of service. Those alone labor effectively among men who impetuously fling themselves upward towards God. ~ Charles Brent

Spare neither labor in the study, prayer in the closet, nor zeal in the pulpit. If men do not judge their souls to be worth a thought, compel them to see that their minister is of a vex], different opinion. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Prayer is essentially a process by which ideals are enabled to become operative in our lives. It may be more than this, but it is at least this. ~ Georgia Harkness

I have been challenged by the concept of meditation ... I decided recently to accept the invitation of a friend to experience the sheer silence of meditation-undirected prayer ... I had before only sensed intellectually ... But by going deep into prayer I could almost feel it. ~ Laurie Beth Jones

The answer to the prayer of a rich man is in the hands of the poor. ~ Felix Wantang

The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers ~ Max Lucado

Prayer unaccompanied by perseverance leads to no result. ~ John Calvin

If I can bring Him nothing but my tears, He will put them with His own tears in His own bottle for He once wept; if I can bring Christ nothing but my groans and sighs, He will accept these as an acceptable sacrifice, for He once was broken in heart, and sighed heavily in spirit. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Shakespeare will not allow Falstaff to die upon stage. We see and hear the deaths of Hamlet, Cleopatra, Antony, Othello, and Lear. Iago is led away to die silently under torture. Macbeth dies offstage but he goes down fighting. Falstaff dies singing the Twenty-third Psalm, smiling upon his fingertips, playing with flowers, and crying aloud to God three or four times. That sounds more like pain than prayer.
We do not want Sir John Falstaff to die. And of course he does not. He is life itself. ~ Harold Bloom

You can set up an altar to God in your minds by means of prayer. And so it is fitting to pray at your trade, on a journey, standing at a counter or sitting at your handicraft. ~ Saint John Chrysostom

Prayer is easier than we think. we want to think it is too hard or too high and holy for us, because that gives us an excuse for not doing it. This is false humility. We can all do it, even the most sinful, shallow, silly, and stupid of us. ~ Peter Kreeft

I had heard the same carols all my life, seen the same little play, with the same mistakes in grammar. The minister had offered the same prayer as always, Christmas or Sunday. The same people wore the same old clothes and sat in the same places. Next year it would be the same, and the year after that, the same again. Vivian said things were changing. But where were they changing? ~ Ernest J. Gaines

The Church's roots are in the teaching of the apostles, the authentic witnesses of Christ, but she looks to the future, she has the firm consciousness of being sent - sent by Jesus - of being missionary, bearing the name of Jesus by her prayer, proclaiming it and testifying to it. A Church that is closed in on herself and in the past, a Church that only sees the little rules of behavior, of attitude, is a Church that betrays her own identity; a closed Church betrays her own identity! Then, let us rediscover today all the beauty and responsibility of being the Church apostolic! And remember this: the Church is apostolic because we pray - our first duty - and because we proclaim the Gospel by our life and by our words. ~ Pope Francis