Prayer is a passport to heaven. Your communication with God.
—Indian Proverb
Father in Heaven! When the thought of thee wakes in our hearts let it not awaken like a frightened bird that flies about in dismay, but like a child waking from its sleep with a heavenly smile.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
It is only when we pray for something according to the will of God that we have the promise of being heard and answered.
—Ole Hallesby (1879–1961) Norwegian Lutheran Theologian
There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.
—John Wooden (1910–2010) American Sportsperson
Prayer is a cry of distress, a demand for help, a hymn of love.
—Alexis Carrel (1873–1944) American Surgeon, Biologist
God answers sharp and sudden on some prayers, And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face. A gauntlet with a gift in’t.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Prayer is a condition of mind, an attitude of heart, which God recognizes as prayer whether it manifests itself in quiet thinking, in sighing or in audible words.
—Ole Hallesby (1879–1961) Norwegian Lutheran Theologian
A little lifting of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless acceptable to God.
—Brother Lawrence (1614–91) French Carmelite Monk, Writer
Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
She heard the snuffle of hypocrisy in her prayer. She had to cease to pray.
—George Meredith (1828–1909) British Novelist, Poet, Critic
Why is it when we talk to God, we’re praying, but when God talks to us, we’re schizophrenic?
—Lily Tomlin (b.1939) American Comedy Actress
Pray. To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Prayer is of transcendent importance. Prayer is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Praying hearts and hands only can do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all else fails.
—Edward McKendree Bounds (1835–1913) American Methodist Clergyman, Author, Lawyer
The spirit of prayer is the fruit and token of the Spirit of adoption.
—John Newton (1725–1807) English Clergyman, Writer
More than once I had seen a noble who had gotten his enemy at a disadvantage stop to pray before cutting his throat.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Prayer gives a man the opportunity of getting to know a gentleman he hardly ever meets. I do not mean his maker, but himself.
—William Motter Inge (1913–73) American Playwright, Novelist
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and a happy life.
—William Law (1686–1761) English Clergyman
He offered a prayer so deeply devout that he seemed kneeling and praying at the bottom of the sea.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
Prayer begins where human capacity ends.
—Marian Anderson (1897–1993) American Singer
I know no blessing so small as to be reasonably expected without prayer, nor any so great but may be attained by it.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
I always love to begin a journey on Sundays, because I shall have the prayers of the church to preserve all that travel by land, or by water.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
To avail yourself of His certain wisdom, ask of Him whatever questions you have. But do not entreat Him, for that will never be necessary.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
Be not hot in prayer and cold in praise.
—Unknown
Our thanks to God should always precede our requests.
—Anonymous
The richest blessing that prayer can bring—is to bring us into closer communion and agreement with the all-holy and the all-loving God. The very first essential to all right prayer—is unconditional submissiveness to God’s will.
—Theodore L. Cuyler (1822–1909) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Writer
God denies a Christian nothing but with a design to give him something better.
—Richard Cecil
In certain trying circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Everybody prays whether you think of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very good or very bad. The ah-h-h-h! that sometimes floats up out of you as out of a Fourth of July crowd when the sky-rocket bursts over the water. The stammer of pain at somebody else’s pain. The stammer of joy at somebody else’s joy. Whatever words or sounds you use for sighing with over your own life. These are all prayers in their way. These are all spoken not just to yourself but to something even more familiar than yourself and even more strange than the world.
—Frederick Buechner (b.1926) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Theologian