--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we pray, we must begin by conceiving…" description: "\"When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of them and to adhere nakedl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/austin-farrer-36521_acknowledge_when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving_22366.png" --- # When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and… ![“When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of them and to adhere nakedly to the imageless truth of God.” quote by Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/austin-farrer-36521_acknowledge_when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving_22366.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/austin-farrer-36521_acknowledge_when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving_22366.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/austin-farrer-36521_acknowledge_when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving_22366.png) > “When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of them and to adhere nakedly to the imageless truth of God.” [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer starts with vivid, powerful images of God, then moves to recognize their limits and embrace the ineffable reality beyond concepts. **In simple terms:** From images to the forable truth. Key Takeaway Balance imagination with humility. Themes spirituality theology humility imagery faith epistemology Mood reverent reflective awe-inspiring Type theological contemplative instructional When to use this quote - personal meditation - liturgical worship - interfaith dialogue - spiritual counseling - theological education Key Concepts concept of God prayer practice imageless truth human limitation Practical Applications - guiding contemplative prayer - informing religious education Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging the limits of our images affect our relationship with the divine? - What practices help us move from conceptualizing God to experiencing the ineffable? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inadequacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inadequacy/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-of-god/) ## Related quotes > [Conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to solicit his assistance for obtaining it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/conceiving-god-to-be-the-fountain-of-wisdom-i-thought-it-right-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Yet the most pervasive error one encounters in contemporary arguments about belief in God-especially, but not exclusively, on the atheist side-is the habit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/yet-the-most-pervasive-error-one-encounters-in-contemporary-arguments/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [Uncertainty as to our relationship with God is one of the most enfeebling and dispiriting of things. 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