--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The very thing that most qualifies us to…" description: "\"The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our helplessness.\" — David Jeremiah" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png" --- # The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our… ![“The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our helplessness.” quote by David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png) > “The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our helplessness.” [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our helplessness makes us need prayer, showing our dependence on a higher power. **In simple terms:** Helplessness leads us to pray. Key Takeaway Embrace humility and seek help. Themes faith humility dependence Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational theological When to use this quote - personal crisis - health challenges - loss - loneliness Key Concepts spirituality prayer human frailty Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing helplessness change your view of prayer? - What can you do when you feel powerless? A Different Perspective Helplessness can also cause despair if not paired with hope. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Helplessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helplessness/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Pray Helplessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-helplessness-2311659/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Qualifies Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualifies-pray-2311660/) [Thing Qualifies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-qualifies-2311661/) ## Related quotes > [Prayer and helplessness are inseparable. Only he who is helpless can truly pray. Your helplessness is your best. prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/prayer-and-helplessness-are-inseparable-only-he-who-is-helpless-can/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [The two things you cannot do effectively on stage are pray and copulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/the-two-things-you-cannot-do-effectively-on-stage-are-pray-and/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-and-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Pray to Saint Philomena, What ever you ask from her, She will obtain for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-xvi/pray-to-saint-philomena-what-ever-you-ask-from-her-she-will-obtain/) [Pope Gregory XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-xvi/) > [As the Quakers say, "When you pray, move your feet."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/as-the-quakers-say-when-you-pray-move-your-feet/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [I shall pray God to send charity into this hideous world, and sympathy for the weak, and love for the unhappy and unfortunate. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wyndham/i-shall-pray-god-to-send-charity-into-this-hideous-world-and-sympathy/) [John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wyndham/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [The only people without problems are in cemeteries. If you don't have problems, get on your knees and pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-only-people-without-problems-are-in-cemeteries-if-you-don-t-have/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Anything you pray for, you need to prepare for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-franklin/anything-you-pray-for-you-need-to-prepare-for/) [DeVon Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-franklin/) > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## More by David Jeremiah > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/all-the-christmas-presents-in-the-world-are-worth-nothing-without-the/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“Love is not about what we feel for others— it’s about what we do for others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/love-is-not-about-what-we-feel-for-others-it-s-about-what-we-do-for/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [Don't let obstacles along the road to eternity shake your confidence in God's promise. The Holy Spirit is God's seal that you will arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/don-t-let-obstacles-along-the-road-to-eternity-shake-your-confidence/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [Trust God for the impossible-miracles are His department. Our job is to do our best, letting the Lord do the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/trust-god-for-the-impossible-miracles-are-his-department-our-job-is/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you already have the Holy Spirit living within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/if-you-know-jesus-christ-as-your-lord-and-savior-you-already-have-the/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“When you find yourself in need of courage, remember that it is your faith, not your spine, that needs strengthening! And your faith will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/when-you-find-yourself-in-need-of-courage-remember-that-it-is-your/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“PROVE RBS 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/prove-rbs-1-7-the-fear-of-the-lord-is-the-beginning-of-knowledge-but/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [God is no further from you on your worst day than He is on your best day. Just open your heart to receive Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/god-is-no-further-from-you-on-your-worst-day-than-he-is-on-your-best/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [No circumstance, person, or difficulty can stop the plans and the promises of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/no-circumstance-person-or-difficulty-can-stop-the-plans-and-the/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“A baby is a small member of the home that makes love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, the bank roll smaller, the home happier,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/a-baby-is-a-small-member-of-the-home-that-makes-love-stronger-days/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“God’s past faithfulness and compassion toward us is a heritage upon which we build our faith in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/god-s-past-faithfulness-and-compassion-toward-us-is-a-heritage-upon/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“My study of prophecy convinces me that God intends knowledge of future events to help us "occupy" with a sense of urgency until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/my-study-of-prophecy-convinces-me-that-god-intends-knowledge-of/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [Trust is an act of the mind, while obedience is an act of the hands and feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/trust-is-an-act-of-the-mind-while-obedience-is-an-act-of-the-hands/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [It's also important to develop a burden for the lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/it-s-also-important-to-develop-a-burden-for-the-lost/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) [Explore all 311 David Jeremiah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) ## More Helplessness quotes > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“You don’t know what it’s like to worry you’ll start to despise the people who help you, the ones you should love, because they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-guzeman/you-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-worry-you-ll-start-to-despise-the/) [Tracy Guzeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-guzeman/) > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [O.K., helplessness is repugnant to me, as a father, as a piece of protoplasm. My parents were activists. I don't believe you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-brickman/o-k-helplessness-is-repugnant-to-me-as-a-father-as-a-piece-of/) [Marshall Brickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-brickman/) > [“The world was full of forces you couldn't fight against which suddenly loomed up and aimed a crushing blow at you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarjei-vesaas/the-world-was-full-of-forces-you-couldn-t-fight-against-which/) [Tarjei Vesaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarjei-vesaas/) > [“If you become so frightened of realities that are not your own, if you take upon yourselves tragedies that do not exist in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/if-you-become-so-frightened-of-realities-that-are-not-your-own-if-you/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/perhaps-everything-that-frightens-us-is-in-its-deepest-essence/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“Power is fortified not just by what it destroys, but also by what it creates. Not just by what it takes, but also by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/power-is-fortified-not-just-by-what-it-destroys-but-also-by-what-it/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Most of those who think their strength is gone and ask for help from others do not know that the strength that seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/most-of-those-who-think-their-strength-is-gone-and-ask-for-help-from/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“There was no way out; not, at least, in this direction. I was like a hamster that had climbed to the top of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/there-was-no-way-out-not-at-least-in-this-direction-i-was-like-a/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [“Well, on some level, it’s similar to the psychological phenomenon of helplessness, where the will to try is lost. You get to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-love/well-on-some-level-it-s-similar-to-the-psychological-phenomenon-of/) [Zack Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-love/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“What would any man do with a soggy girl who can't assert herself, who has a weak voice, and whose main personality component is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/what-would-any-man-do-with-a-soggy-girl-who-can-t-assert-herself-who/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The utter helplessness of a conquered people is perhaps the most tragic feature of a civil war or any other sort of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-latimer-felton/the-utter-helplessness-of-a-conquered-people-is-perhaps-the-most/) [Rebecca Latimer Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-latimer-felton/) [Browse all 316 Helplessness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helplessness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our helplessness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Jeremiah" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to-pray-is-our-helplessness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Helplessness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to-pray-is-our-helplessness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-jeremiah-990_helplessness_the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to_227534.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The very thing that most qualifies us to pray is our helplessness.” — David Jeremiah", "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": "David Jeremiah", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The very thing that most qualifies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to-pray-is-our-helplessness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/the-very-thing-that-most-qualifies-us-to-pray-is-our-helplessness/#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 } } ] } ```