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“A true prayer and religious reconciling of ourselves to Almighty God cannot enter into an impure soul, subject at the very time to the dominion of Satan. He who calls God to his assistance whilst in a course of vice, does as if a cut-purse should call a magistrate to help him, or like those who introduce the name of God to the attestation of a lie.”
Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) said by 1592 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ch. 56 (tr. Cotton, rev. W. Carew Hazlitt, 1877)
“In the faith which is "God's marriage to the soul", you are one in God, and God is wholly in you, just as, for you, He is wholly in all you meet. With this faith, in prayer you descend into yourself to meet the Other.”
Dag Hammarskjöld (1905–1961) first seen 1958 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 10 April 1958
“It is of primary importance to attune with God through prayer, worship and the chanting of God's holy names … Then God Himself will give you good guidance.”
Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Christ’s prayer is fulfilled in those united to God in this threefold manner. With God they will ebb and flow, and will always be in repose, Iin possessing and enjoying (Him). They will go out and in and find nourishment both within and without. They are drunk with love And have passed away into God in a dark luminosity.”
John Ruysbroeck (1293–1381) said by 1381 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You have made me so rich, oh God, please let me share Your beauty with open hands. My life has become an uninterrupted dialogue with You, oh God, one great dialogue. At night, when I lie in my bed and rest in You, oh God, tears of gratitude run down my face, and that is my prayer.”
Etty Hillesum (1914–1943) first seen 1943 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 18 August 1943, p. 640
“Only with God and in God can man hope to fulfil himself. The study and knowledge of God are the burning embers that (together with worship and prayer) fuel the flame of our hope.”
Battista Mondin (1926–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer become manifest in action, and action has to be backed up by prayer. Only then can we elicit a response from the Buddhist deities and all Buddhism. Those who pray and take action for kosen-rufu are the Buddha's emissaries. They cannot fail to realize lives in which all desires are fulfilled.”
Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“At the dawn I seek Thee, Refuge, Rock sublime; Set my prayer before thee in the morning, And my prayer at eventime.”
Nina Salaman (1877–1925) said by 1925 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All Christ's public acts were consecrated by prayer, — His baptism, His transfiguration, His miracles, His agony, His death. He breathed away His spirit in prayer. " His last breath," says Philip Henry, "was praying breath.”
John Ross Macduff (1818–1895) said by 1895 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Bring the little ones to Christ. Lord Jesus, we bring them to-day, the children of our Sunday-schools, of our churches, of the streets. Here they are; they wait Thy benediction. The prayer of Jacob for his sons shall be my prayer while I live, and when I die: " The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads.”
Thomas De Witt Talmage (1832–1902) first seen 1895 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 571.
“The greatest prayer motivator in existence is answered prayer.”
Bill Hybels (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer busters (causes of unanswered prayer) are prayerlessness, unconfessed sin, unresolved relational conflict, selfishness, uncaring attitudes, and inadequate faith.”
Bill Hybels (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The time of day we choose for prayer doesn't matter, so long as we keep it faithfully. Prayer must be part of the rhythm of our daily lives.”
Bill Hybels (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My prayer is to linger with you At the end of the day in a dream that's divine; My prayer is a rapture in blue With the world far away and your lips close to mine.”
Jimmy Kennedy (1902–1984) said by 1984 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our family members are believers in Islam. We observe Islamic proprieties and behave in good faith. Believing in Allah, cultivating our minds and disposition, we aim to be good human beings. In particular, it is important to be respectful in the implemation of our prayer and our family members ought to observe the rules of prayer.”
Ma Fuxiang (1876–1932) said by 1932 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.”
J. C. Ryle (1816–1900) said by 1900 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer must never be answered: if it is, it ceases to be prayer and becomes correspondence.”
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) said by 1900 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Epigrams of Oscar Wilde, edited by Alvin Redman (1952)
“If blasted hopes and ruin'd name, And all the venom Love lends Shame — The violent death, and rabble eye, To look upon its agony ; If these are not enough to win A pardon for Earth's deadliest sin, Words will not, cannot! — never dare Tell me it may be won by prayer ! The coward prayer, the coward tear, Not from remorse wrung, but from fear!”
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) said by 1838 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Abu Qatada al-Harith ibn Rib'i reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I stand in prayer and would like to make it long but I hear the crying of a child and shorten my prayer not wanting to make things difficult for its mother.”
Muhammad (571–632) said by 632 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Prophet, said, "Whenever I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's passions.”
Muhammad (571–632) said by 632 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer is the pillar of your religion and one who intentionally forsakes his prayer has destroyed his religion. And one who does not guard the times of the prayers, shall be made to enter ‘Wayl’, which is a valley in Hell, as Allah, the Exalted, has said: "So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayers.”
Muhammad (571–632) said by 632 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Senate opens its meetings with a prayer. The House of Representatives opens its meetings with a prayer. Nobody doubts that they both need it.”
George H. W. Bush (1924–2018) first seen 1992 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the Knights of Columbus (5 August 1992)
“I think that the court has misapplied a great constitutional principle. I cannot see how 'official religion' is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think that to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of the nation.”
Potter Stewart (1915–1985) first seen 1962 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dissenting, Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962).
“I believe that our Tibetan ability to combine spiritual qualities with a realistic and practical attitude enables us to make a special contribution, in however modest a way. This is my hope and prayer. In conclusion, let me share with you a short prayer which gives me great inspiration and determination:”
Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama (born 1935) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He played with sacred formulae, such as the call to prayer: "Come to prayer!" is rendered, in one profane turn, "Come to sleep-together!”
Abu Nuwas (756–814) said by 814 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Philip F. Kennedy, Abu Nuwas: A Genius of Poetry (2005)
“Pray without forming images in your mind. Don’t try to imagine Christ. The Fathers emphasized the need for prayer to be free of images. With an image, the focus of prayer is easily lost, because one image can easily be displaced by another. And the evil one may intrude images and we lose the grace.”
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia (1906–1991) said by 1991 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered.”
George Meredith (1828–1909) said by 1909 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My brothers and my sisters, do always persevere in true and earnest prayer, and the Lord will hear you. Believe that the highest revelations of science are conformable to the doctrine of the efficacy of prayer; that in this doctrine the highest philosophy harmonizes with the purest devotion.”
Keshub Chunder Sen (1838–1884) first seen 1870 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sermon at Hackney Unitarian Church, London, on 24th April 1870.
“We hear from the saints who experienced prayer power that prayer gives wings to humans lifting them up so they can fly.”
Matta El Meskeen (1919–2006) said by 2006 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I used to think that prayer should have the first place and teaching the second. I now feel that it would be truer to give prayer the first, second and third place, and teaching the fourth.”
James O. Fraser (1886–1938) first seen 1922 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 1922 Source: Geraldine Taylor. Behind the Ranges: The Life-changing Story of J.O. Fraser. Singapore: OMF International (IHQ) Ltd., 1998, 269.
“We propose to entirely exclude prayer and every form of ritual. Thus shall we avoid even the appearance of interfering with those to whom prayer and ritual, as a mode of expressing religious sentiment, are dear. And on the other hand we shall be just to those who have ceased to regard them as satisfactory and dispensed with them in their own persons.”
Felix Adler (1851–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our Sages refer to Prayer as "Service of the Heart". But the heart cannot work properly unless the brain functions to stimulate and control its operation. In the physiology of Prayer, too, the mind plays as vital a role as the heart.”
Immanuel Jakobovits (1921–1999) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Foreword, p. ix to "Following the Synagogue Service" by Jeffrey Cohen, Gnesia Publications, 1997, .
“My love for you is a prayer, she thought. Love is the only prayer I know. She thought she had never loved him so much as at this moment, when she heard the convent door close, hard and final, and felt the wall shutting her in. (Gwenhwyfar).”
Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999) said by 1999 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“153. When you give yourself to prayer, rise above every other joy — then you will find true prayer.”
Evagrius Ponticus (345–399) said by 399 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It seems to me that we do not pay enough attention to prayer, for unless it arises from the heart which ought to be its centre, it is no more than a fruitless dream. Prayer ought to carry over into our thoughts, our words and our actions.”
Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620–1700) said by 1700 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Whoever gets involved in this field becomes spiritual because the music itself is purely spiritual. The music is a prayer, a rare kind of prayer. Music is created by the Supreme entity (‘Brahma’) so that we can get an understanding or a view (‘Darshan’) of that entity.”
Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1938) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Henry Rios] I said a prayer, always the same prayer. Two words. Help us.”
Michael Nava (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We can understand Greek religion because, it operates on the same internal dynamic that fuels all (or certainly almost all) religion. The aboriginal Christian prayer Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) is a Greek prayer far more ancient than Christianity.”
Thomas Cahill (1940–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Language has not yet been invented to tell all the wonders that we have found since we began opening our minds to the Spirit in prayer. We have discovered enough to convince us that the body can be so charged with spiritual life through prayer that it will overcome death, as promised by Jesus Christ.”
Charles Fillmore (1854–1948) said by 1948 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer offered up at night possesses a great power, more than the prayer of the day-time. Therefore all the righteous prayed during the night, while combatting the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep and repelling corporeal nature.”
Isaac of Nineveh (640–700) said by 700 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prayer, however, is lower in rank than being stirred in spirit: on this there is no dispute, for prayer is inferior to this mystery.”
Isaac of Nineveh (640–700) said by 700 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I so detached my heart from the world and cut short my hopes that for thirty years now I have performed each prayer as though it were my last and I were praying the prayer of farewell.”
Rabia of Basra (710–801) said by 801 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: as quoted in Early Islamic Mysticism (New York: Paulist Press: 1996), p. 165
“The Messenger of Allah said: If the people knew what there is in the Isha prayer and Fajr prayer, they would come even if they had to crawl.”
Aisha (614–678) said by 678 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Prophet said: Prayer in congregation is twenty-five levels better than a prayer offered on one’s own.”
Aisha (614–678) said by 678 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Also quoted by: Al-Nasa'i
“I am sure that both realities, prayer and medical professionalism, achieve a wonderful result. The confluence of both actions, prayer and medical care, indicates the need to consider the human person in all his dimensions: physical, psychic and spiritual. This unity needs to be healed. And this is what I live in this place of silence, meditation and rest.”
Edmundo Valenzuela (born 1944) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Paraguay – The experience of Msgr. Valenzuela, SDB, with Covid-19: "a magnificent opportunity to accept God's will" (16 October 2020)
“Prayer is an initiation to Divine life; prayer brings bliss.”
Peter Deunov (1864–1944) said by 1944 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We and our language are alive. We who have arisen from the ashes, and the language that waited in the shrouds of Torah scrolls and between the pages of the prayerbooks, are alive. The language that was whispered in prayer only, that was read only in synagogues, that was sung only in liturgy, that was shrieked in the gas chambers -- in the prayer "Shma Yisrael" -- has been revived.”
Ezer Weizman (1924–2005) said by 2005 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As we live at a hectic pace and often our prayer time takes a back seat, I took the initiative to call on the Brazilian people to unite in prayer.”
Chris Tonietto (born 1991) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Brazil congresswoman launches rosary campaign (19 July 2023) Catholic News Agency
“For a nation is like a mighty cathedral, it is not raised overnight, but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand.”
Godswill Akpabio (born 1962) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As a child, the person of Jesus Christ was really really present to me. I wasn't a particularly pious child but I knew that Jesus was real in my life, I knew that he was with me, and again my prayer as a kid wouldn't have been a pious type of prayer. It would have just been a conversation with a friend and sometimes as curt and straight forward as a conversation with a friend.”
Terence Patrick Drainey (born 1949) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bishop of Middlesbrough Shares Personal Account of Faith (5 November 2012) Bishops' Conference of England and Wales