Prayer is the sum of our relationship with God. We are what we pray. The degree of our faith is the degree of our prayer. The strength of our hope is the strength of our prayer. The warmth of our charity is the warmth of our prayer. No more, no less.
–Carlo Carretto (1910-1988)
Prayer is an encounter and a relationship, a relationship which is deep, and this relationship cannot be forced either on us or on God. The fact that God can make Himself present or can leave us with the sense of His absence is part of this live and real relationship
–Anthony Bloom (1914-2003)
Private prayer is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire it makes a lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them, and you get a mighty fire, rising like a column into the sky; public prayer is like that.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)
The discussion of prayer is so great that it requires the Father to reveal it, His firstborn Word to teach it, and the Spirit to enable us to think and speak rightly of so great a subject.
–Origen (c. 184-254)
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.
–Saint John Damascene (c. 676-750)
Prayer is not about changing God, but being willing to let God change us.
–Richard Rohr (1943-
