---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God, I felt certain, did not mind that I…"
description: "\"God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my hands together to pray. I was casual, but I was sincere. I knew that God existed as the Correc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg"
---

#  God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my…

![“God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my hands together to pray. I was casual, but I was sincere. I knew that God existed as the Correct Answer inside my chest.” quote by Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg)

> “God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my hands together to pray. I was casual, but I was sincere. I knew that God existed as the Correct Answer inside my chest.”

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sincere belief can be informal; authenticity matters more than ritual form.

**In simple terms:** Faith can be genuine even without formal prayer.

Key Takeaway

Embrace sincere belief in your own way.

Themes

faith authenticity spirituality

Mood

introspective spiritual

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- daily meditation
- personal crisis
- grief coping
- creative writing

Key Concepts

existentialism personal truth

Questions to Reflect On

- What does sincerity look like for you?
- How do you express belief without ceremony?

A Different Perspective

Informal practice may be dismissed by traditionalists.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Casual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casual/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Existed Correct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existed-correct-3638791/) [Felt Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-certain-1039191/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Existed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-existed-254890/) [God Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-felt-573024/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-together/) [Knew God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-god/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Sincere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincere/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/)

## Related quotes

> [I always had a really natural faith as a kid. Where I knew God existed and it felt very free and pretty wild and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/i-always-had-a-really-natural-faith-as-a-kid-where-i-knew-god-existed/)

[Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/)

> [When I was born, God existed. But I never knew Him. I just never knew Him until Guru Maharaj Ji came into my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prem-rawat/when-i-was-born-god-existed-but-i-never-knew-him-i-just-never-knew/)

[Prem Rawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prem-rawat/)

> [“William looked up... through his tears... past the catwalk and lights... past the sky... through the dark and clouds and stars and into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-vander-ark/william-looked-up-through-his-tears-past-the-catwalk-and-lights-past/)

[Jake Vander Ark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-vander-ark/)

> [If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adoniram-judson/if-i-had-not-felt-certain-that-every-additional-trial-was-ordered-by/)

[Adoniram Judson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adoniram-judson/)

> [“I felt certain something was going to kill me, and of course I was right: Something is going to kill you, someday, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-felt-certain-something-was-going-to-kill-me-and-of-course-i-was/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [We've kind of always felt a certain illegitimacy about what we've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-ve-kind-of-always-felt-a-certain-illegitimacy-about-what-we-ve-done/)

[Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/)

> [As a TV actor, I was making money and spending it and always felt a certain void in terms of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/as-a-tv-actor-i-was-making-money-and-spending-it-and-always-felt-a/)

[Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/)

> [“Morse found it nerve-wracking to cross the St. Jude grounds just as school was being dismissed, because he felt that if he smiled at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/morse-found-it-nerve-wracking-to-cross-the-st-jude-grounds-just-as/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Others would say to me, 'It is only temporary, it will pass, you will get over it,' but of course they had no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/others-would-say-to-me-it-is-only-temporary-it-will-pass-you-will-get/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Not the shadow of a doubt crossed my mind of the purpose for which the Count had left the theatre. His escape from us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/not-the-shadow-of-a-doubt-crossed-my-mind-of-the-purpose-for-which/)

[Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/)

> [“It was the first time Junko felt a certain "something" as she watched the flames of a bonfire: "something" deep down, a "wad" of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-was-the-first-time-junko-felt-a-certain-something-as-she-watched/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [I just felt all along that if I could get a certain amount of years in the league, have great years and still have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-johnson/i-just-felt-all-along-that-if-i-could-get-a-certain-amount-of-years/)

[Kevin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-johnson/)

> [My hopes were high, and I looked every day for some change to take place. What it was to be I knew not, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/my-hopes-were-high-and-i-looked-every-day-for-some-change-to-take/)

[Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/)

> [I feel very similarly. I didn't have necessarily the same exact kind of dynamic, but that means a lot when people are like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-feel-very-similarly-i-didn-t-have-necessarily-the-same-exact-kind/)

[Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/)

> [When I saw 'Badhaai Ho,' I felt I could have done certain scenes better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-malhotra/when-i-saw-badhaai-ho-i-felt-i-could-have-done-certain-scenes-better/)

[Sanya Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-malhotra/)

## More by Augusten Burroughs

> [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“We were alone together, we were an us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/we-were-alone-together-we-were-an-us/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [Like every child, I adored her. Until I formed a brain and got to know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/like-every-child-i-adored-her-until-i-formed-a-brain-and-got-to-know/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“You must hang onto the scraps of the bucking moment as if your sanity and life depended on it - because actually they do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/you-must-hang-onto-the-scraps-of-the-bucking-moment-as-if-your-sanity/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [Real optimism is not the pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/real-optimism-is-not-the-pep-talk-you-give-yourself-it-is-earned/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [If you hate your life, you haven't' seen enough of it. If you hate your life, it's because your life is too small and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/if-you-hate-your-life-you-haven-t-seen-enough-of-it-if-you-hate-your/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I think writers tend to be experience junkies, and I think they also tend to want to be on the outside looking in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-writers-tend-to-be-experience-junkies-and-i-think-they-also/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I think part of the reason I'm attracted to Foster is because he's such a mess. I mean, the people I have loved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-part-of-the-reason-i-m-attracted-to-foster-is-because-he-s/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“On typical days, (dust) is simply irritating. On Roid Rage days, it made me want to stomp down to the highway, pull drivers out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/on-typical-days-dust-is-simply-irritating-on-roid-rage-days-it-made/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I'm like the guy who prepares your taxes or a dentist. I'm very conservative and boring in a lot of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-m-like-the-guy-who-prepares-your-taxes-or-a-dentist-i-m-very/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“Nothing surprises me now," I tell him. I am stoic. I am Joan of Arc, with liver damage and an unused penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/nothing-surprises-me-now-i-tell-him-i-am-stoic-i-am-joan-of-arc-with/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“It's not that I was an outright nitwit of a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-not-that-i-was-an-outright-nitwit-of-a-child/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“My worth depended on where exactly the decimal was placed among the zeroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-worth-depended-on-where-exactly-the-decimal-was-placed-among-the/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“Bookman isn't a stable man. He has a lot of problems that run very, very deep." But he was really good at giving head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/bookman-isn-t-a-stable-man-he-has-a-lot-of-problems-that-run-very/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

[Explore all 448 Augusten Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

[Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my hands together to pray. I was casual, but I was sincere. I knew that God existed as the Correct Answer inside my chest.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Augusten Burroughs"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-didn-t-press-my-hands-together/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-didn-t-press-my-hands-together/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/augusten-burroughs-603_answers_god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-d_2017830.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“God, I felt certain, did not mind that I didn’t press my hands together to pray. I was casual, but I was…” — Augusten Burroughs",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Augusten Burroughs",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "God, I felt certain, did not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-didn-t-press-my-hands-together/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/god-i-felt-certain-did-not-mind-that-i-didn-t-press-my-hands-together/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
