--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God's willingness to answer our prayers…" description: "\"God's willingness to answer our prayers exceeds our willingness to give good and necessary things to our children, just as far as God's ability, goodne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_ability_god-s-willingness-to-answer-our-prayers_815703.png" --- # God's willingness to answer our prayers exceeds our… ![“God's willingness to answer our prayers exceeds our willingness to give good and necessary things to our children, just as far as God's ability, goodness and perfection exceed our infirmities and evil.” quote by Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_ability_god-s-willingness-to-answer-our-prayers_815703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_ability_god-s-willingness-to-answer-our-prayers_815703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_ability_god-s-willingness-to-answer-our-prayers_815703.png) > “God's willingness to answer our prayers exceeds our willingness to give good and necessary things to our children, just as far as God's ability, goodness and perfection exceed our infirmities and evil.” [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God’s capacity to answer prayers surpasses our willingness to provide essential blessings to our children, reflecting divine superiority over human limitations. **In simple terms:** God can give more than we can give. Key Takeaway Trust in divine generosity beyond human effort. Themes faith divine providence parenting Mood reflective inspirational Type spiritual theological When to use this quote - family guidance - spiritual counseling - personal reflection Key Concepts prayer spirituality human limitation Questions to Reflect On - How can we align our actions with divine will? - What does “good and necessary things” mean to you? A Different Perspective Human effort may be insufficient without divine aid. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Infirmity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infirmity/) [Necessary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-things/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [The only limits to prayer are the promises of God and His ability to fulfill those promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-only-limits-to-prayer-are-the-promises-of-god-and-his-ability-to/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [“God’s relationship with us and with our world is just that: a relationship. As with every relationship, there’s a certain amount of unpredictability, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/god-s-relationship-with-us-and-with-our-world-is-just-that-a/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God's willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/the-answer-to-any-challenge-you-are-having-has-nothing-to-do-with-god/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of God’s willingness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-is-not-overcoming-god-s-reluctance-but-laying-hold-of-god-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God-given prayer and praise have as their essence a waiting on God, a willingness to be wrought upon by the hammer and the fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-john-miller/god-given-prayer-and-praise-have-as-their-essence-a-waiting-on-god-a/) C. John Miller > [Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven, but getting God's will done on earth. It is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-chenevix-trench/prayer-is-not-getting-man-s-will-done-in-heaven-but-getting-god-s/) [Richard Chenevix Trench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-chenevix-trench/) > [Faith is your reaction to God's ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/faith-is-your-reaction-to-god-s-ability/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [When trouble comes, focus on God's ability to care for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/when-trouble-comes-focus-on-god-s-ability-to-care-for-you/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart" "It is not my ability,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/forgiveness-is-an-act-of-the-will-and-the-will-can-function/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [We must never limit God's ability to turn even the worst, most vile experience in our lives into something productive, beneficial and positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/we-must-never-limit-god-s-ability-to-turn-even-the-worst-most-vile/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [God often works more by the life of the illiterate seeking the things that are God's, than by the ability of the learned seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-often-works-more-by-the-life-of-the-illiterate-seeking-the-things/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [“The Word of God has the ability to create supernatural results for those who make it practical in their lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/the-word-of-god-has-the-ability-to-create-supernatural-results-for/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/it-is-not-my-ability-but-my-response-to-god-s-ability-that-counts/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [When you rely on yourself, you do something with your ability. When you rely on God, you do something beyond your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-rely-on-yourself-you-do-something-with-your-ability-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God made the ability to feel pain. He didn’t have to, you know. He made the ability to feel pain and He also made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-henderson/god-made-the-ability-to-feel-pain-he-didn-t-have-to-you-know-he-made/) [Dee Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-henderson/) ## More by Edward McKendree Bounds > [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 pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-pride-of-learning-is-against-the-dependent-humility-of-prayer/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Men who pray are, in reality, the only religious men, and it takes a full-measured man to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/men-who-pray-are-in-reality-the-only-religious-men-and-it-takes-a/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-god-is-not-first-in-our-thoughts-and-efforts-in-the-morning-he/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Prayer is a specific divine appointment, an ordinance of Heaven, whereby God purposes to carry out His gracious designs on earth and to execute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-is-a-specific-divine-appointment-an-ordinance-of-heaven/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [It is necessary to iterate and reiterate that prayer, as a mere habit, as a performance gone through by routine or in a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/it-is-necessary-to-iterate-and-reiterate-that-prayer-as-a-mere-habit/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [There is power through prayer. For many Christians, prayer is nothing special, just something we're supposed to do - go to church, tithe, read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/there-is-power-through-prayer-for-many-christians-prayer-is-nothing/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [The most important lesson we can learn is how to pray. Prayers do not die, prayers live before God, and God's heart is set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-most-important-lesson-we-can-learn-is-how-to-pray-prayers-do-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [If we would have God in the closet, God must have us out of the closet. There is no way of praying to God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-we-would-have-god-in-the-closet-god-must-have-us-out-of-the-closet/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [They are not leaders because of brilliancy. ...but because, by the power of prayer, they could command the power of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/they-are-not-leaders-because-of-brilliancy-but-because-by-the-power/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [God's Word does not say, "Call unto me, and you will thereby be trained into the happy art of knowing how to be denied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/god-s-word-does-not-say-call-unto-me-and-you-will-thereby-be-trained/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [The resurrection of Jesus Christ was necessary to establish the truth of his mission and put the stamp of all-conquering power on his gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-was-necessary-to-establish-the-truth/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element of prayer. Men must be in earnest when they kneel at God's footstool. Too often we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/jesus-taught-that-perseverance-is-the-essential-element-of-prayer-men/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him "the mind of Christ," the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-makes-a-godly-man-and-puts-within-him-the-mind-of-christ-the/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Prayer, like faith, obtains promises, enlarges their operation, and adds to the measure of their results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-like-faith-obtains-promises-enlarges-their-operation-and-adds/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) [Explore all 195 Edward McKendree Bounds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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