--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am as certain as I am standing here…" description: "\"I am as certain as I am standing here, that the secret of much mischief to our own souls, and to the souls of others, lies in the way that we stint, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/alexander-whyte-26758_certain_i-am-as-certain-as-i-am-standing-here-th_1116949.png" --- # I am as certain as I am standing here, that the secret of… ![“I am as certain as I am standing here, that the secret of much mischief to our own souls, and to the souls of others, lies in the way that we stint, and starve, and scamp our prayers, by hurrying over them.” quote by Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/alexander-whyte-26758_certain_i-am-as-certain-as-i-am-standing-here-th_1116949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/alexander-whyte-26758_certain_i-am-as-certain-as-i-am-standing-here-th_1116949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/alexander-whyte-26758_certain_i-am-as-certain-as-i-am-standing-here-th_1116949.png) > “I am as certain as I am standing here, that the secret of much mischief to our own souls, and to the souls of others, lies in the way that we stint, and starve, and scamp our prayers, by hurrying over them.” [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We harm ourselves and others by rushing through prayer, depriving it of depth and sincerity. **In simple terms:** Rushed prayer weakens its power. Key Takeaway Pause and engage fully in prayer. Themes spirituality mindfulness communication Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal meditation - group worship - conflict resolution - stressful moments Key Concepts prayer intentionality self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - How does haste affect your inner peace? - Can you find stillness amid urgency? A Different Perspective Rushing can be necessary in emergencies, limiting contemplation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Hurrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurrying/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Mischief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mischief/) [Mischief Souls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mischief-souls-3003493/) [Our prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-prayers/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayers Hurrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayers-hurrying-3003492/) [Scamp Prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scamp-prayers-3003495/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Mischief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-mischief-3003494/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Souls Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souls-lies-3003496/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [We're going to have to let truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/we-re-going-to-have-to-let-truth-scream-louder-to-our-souls-than-the/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [Anyone who is outside this Church ... is walking a path not to Heaven but to Hell. He is not getting closer to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulgentius-of-cartagena/anyone-who-is-outside-this-church-is-walking-a-path-not-to-heaven-but/) [Fulgentius of Cartagena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulgentius-of-cartagena/) > [When autumn shadows throw their patterns across the land, they are not the images of fragile, dying leaves, not the bared arms of lofty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/when-autumn-shadows-throw-their-patterns-across-the-land-they-are-not/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [With smoking axle hot with speed, with steeds of fire and steam, Wide-waked To-day leaves Yesterday behind him like a dream. Still, from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/with-smoking-axle-hot-with-speed-with-steeds-of-fire-and-steam-wide/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [People are amazed to realize they can enjoy the moment rather than be stressed by it when hurrying to an appointment. You can enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/people-are-amazed-to-realize-they-can-enjoy-the-moment-rather-than-be/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Towns are after all excrescences, grey fluxions, where men, hurrying to find one another, have lost themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/towns-are-after-all-excrescences-grey-fluxions-where-men-hurrying-to/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [If, while hurrying ostensibly to the temple of truth, we hand the reins over to our personal interests which look aside at very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/if-while-hurrying-ostensibly-to-the-temple-of-truth-we-hand-the-reins/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Finding the real joy of # Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/finding-the-real-joy-of-christmas-comes-not-in-the-hurrying-and-the/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“We’re always pushing through, hurrying on our long way, trying to get to some other place instead of enjoying the place we’d already got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-earhart/we-re-always-pushing-through-hurrying-on-our-long-way-trying-to-get/) [Amelia Earhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-earhart/) > [There is only as much space, only as much time, only as much desire, only as many words, only as many pages, only as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/there-is-only-as-much-space-only-as-much-time-only-as-much-desire/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [In the opening to the Mary Tyler Moore Show Mary's in the supermarket, hurrying through the aisles. She pauses at the meat case, picks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/in-the-opening-to-the-mary-tyler-moore-show-mary-s-in-the-supermarket/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Whither, O god of wine, art thou hurrying me, whilst under thy all-powerful influence?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/whither-o-god-of-wine-art-thou-hurrying-me-whilst-under-thy-all/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Fast takes longer when you hurry. Keep calm and saunter on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dooley/fast-takes-longer-when-you-hurry-keep-calm-and-saunter-on/) [Mike Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dooley/) > [Indeed it is better to postpone, lest either we complete too little by hurrying, or wander too long in completing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/indeed-it-is-better-to-postpone-lest-either-we-complete-too-little-by/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/i-found-myself-back-in-the-sepulchral-city-resenting-the-sight-of/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) ## More by Alexander Whyte > [No prayer!--No faith!--No Christ in the heart. Little prayer!--Little faith!--Little Christ in the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/no-prayer-no-faith-no-christ-in-the-heart-little-prayer-little-faith/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [But grace has only one direction that it can take. Grace always flows down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/but-grace-has-only-one-direction-that-it-can-take-grace-always-flows/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [It is the holiness of our Lord's heart that fills the New Testament full and makes it the unparalleled and unapproachable Book that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/it-is-the-holiness-of-our-lord-s-heart-that-fills-the-new-testament/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [No man's prayer is acceptable with God whose life is not well pleasing before God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/no-man-s-prayer-is-acceptable-with-god-whose-life-is-not-well/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [Every kind of prayer, not intercessory prayer only, which is the highest kind of prayer, but all prayer, from the lowest kind to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/every-kind-of-prayer-not-intercessory-prayer-only-which-is-the/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [Prayer is a rising up and a drawing near to God in mind and in heart, and in spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/prayer-is-a-rising-up-and-a-drawing-near-to-god-in-mind-and-in-heart/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [And then, what is grace? 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And it is well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/you-do-not-really-care-for-god-s-mercy-or-his-comfort-either-so-long/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [“Show me a believing man, and I will show you a justified man, and, withal, a man who is never out of his Bible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/show-me-a-believing-man-and-i-will-show-you-a-justified-man-and/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [You’re not likely to err by practicing too much of the cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/you-re-not-likely-to-err-by-practicing-too-much-of-the-cross/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [The greatest and best talent that God gives to any man or woman in this world is the talent of prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/the-greatest-and-best-talent-that-god-gives-to-any-man-or-woman-in/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [There are two ways to read Scripture - the way a lawyer reads a will and the way an heir reads a will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/there-are-two-ways-to-read-scripture-the-way-a-lawyer-reads-a-will/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [Grace, then, is grace,--that is to say, it is sovereign, it is free, it is sure, it is unconditional, and it is everlasting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/grace-then-is-grace-that-is-to-say-it-is-sovereign-it-is-free-it-is/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [If you would move me with your preaching, or with your praying, or with your singing, first be moved yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/if-you-would-move-me-with-your-preaching-or-with-your-praying-or-with/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) [Explore all 21 Alexander Whyte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. 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