---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because your soul must be lonely. That…"
description: "\"“Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard, when you tried to pray—that’s the sound of God listening.”\" — Emma Donoghue"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png"
---

#  Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard…

![“Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard, when you tried to pray—that’s the sound of God listening.” quote by Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png)

> ““Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard, when you tried to pray—that’s the sound of God listening.””

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

## About This Quote

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

Loneliness of the soul is heard as silence; that silence is God listening.

**In simple terms:** Soul's loneliness is heard as divine listening.

Key Takeaway

Embrace quiet moments.

Themes

spirituality loneliness faith

Mood

contemplative hopeful

Type

spiritual poetic

When to use this quote

- personal prayer
- meditation
- grief counseling
- spiritual retreats

Key Concepts

Theology inner listening

Questions to Reflect On

- How does silence feel to you?
- What does listening mean in your life?

A Different Perspective

Silence may be misinterpreted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“Well, bless my soul You're a lonely soul Cause you won't let go Of anything you hold Well, all I need Is the air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tedder/well-bless-my-soul-you-re-a-lonely-soul-cause-you-won-t-let-go-of/)

[Ryan Tedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tedder/)

> [“My soul is so lonely, but I'm unwilling to describe that sort of loneliness for you, because I can't divulge the depth of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-soul-is-so-lonely-but-i-m-unwilling-to-describe-that-sort-of/)

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

> [In the American soul there is a lonely individual standing in a vast landscape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/in-the-american-soul-there-is-a-lonely-individual-standing-in-a-vast/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“the human soul is a lonely thing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/the-human-soul-is-a-lonely-thing/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [There were dark nights of the soul. Lonely drive home, at 3 A.M., after a wedding. Someone you know has had success. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ryder/there-were-dark-nights-of-the-soul-lonely-drive-home-at-3-a-m-after-a/)

[Sam Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ryder/)

> [“It is not speaking that breaks our silence, but the anxiety to be heard. The words of the proud man impose silence on all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-not-speaking-that-breaks-our-silence-but-the-anxiety-to-be/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [In the silence I heard Bastet, who had retreated under the bed, carrying on a mumbling, profane monologue. (If you ask how I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-silence-i-heard-bastet-who-had-retreated-under-the-bed/)

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

> [“We stood in silence, and yet I heard a familiar voice saying, Listen here, child, that’s God’s little girl, baggage and all, so don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-martin/we-stood-in-silence-and-yet-i-heard-a-familiar-voice-saying-listen/)

[Charles Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-martin/)

> [“The record changer clicked; another record dropped down. In the sudden, brief silence, she heard something within her turn over. Perhaps only her soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-record-changer-clicked-another-record-dropped-down-in-the-sudden/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Love needs not words, but silence, so it could be heard using the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-needs-not-words-but-silence-so-it-could-be-heard-using-the-heart/)

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

> [Silence can be heard the loudest, while standing all alone in a crowded room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-dawn/silence-can-be-heard-the-loudest-while-standing-all-alone-in-a/)

[Anne Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-dawn/)

> [“It was the most eloquent silence I ever heard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/it-was-the-most-eloquent-silence-i-ever-heard/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [It was a silence that heard itself, awful and beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/it-was-a-silence-that-heard-itself-awful-and-beautiful/)

[Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/)

> [Communication with God is vital to a vibrant relationship with him. We will never really know God in an intimate, personal relationship if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/communication-with-god-is-vital-to-a-vibrant-relationship-with-him-we/)

[Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/)

> [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/)

[Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/)

## More by Emma Donoghue

> [Before I had kids, I thought you should never lie to a kid. But now I've had them, I realize you almost lie to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/before-i-had-kids-i-thought-you-should-never-lie-to-a-kid-but-now-i/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [People don't always want to be with people. It gets tiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/people-don-t-always-want-to-be-with-people-it-gets-tiring/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [What writing ROOM taught me was that I know exactly how to be the perfect mother, but I'm not willing to do it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/what-writing-room-taught-me-was-that-i-know-exactly-how-to-be-the/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [With my first book, I was hired to write a draft of the script. I was so young and less confident. They put me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/with-my-first-book-i-was-hired-to-write-a-draft-of-the-script-i-was/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“Who knows what we all are before anything happens?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/who-knows-what-we-all-are-before-anything-happens/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [...real loneliness is having no one to miss. Think yourself lucky you've known something worth missing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/real-loneliness-is-having-no-one-to-miss-think-yourself-lucky-you-ve/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“It's you that matters though, just you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/it-s-you-that-matters-though-just-you/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [At the door, there was one of those moment when two people realize that they like each other more than they know each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/at-the-door-there-was-one-of-those-moment-when-two-people-realize/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“When I was as young as you are now I learned how to save my own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/when-i-was-as-young-as-you-are-now-i-learned-how-to-save-my-own-life/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“In Room me and Ma had time for everything. I guess the time gets spread very thin like butter all over the world, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/in-room-me-and-ma-had-time-for-everything-i-guess-the-time-gets/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [I am clumsy, a late and nervous driver, and despise all sports except a little gentle dancing or yoga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/i-am-clumsy-a-late-and-nervous-driver-and-despise-all-sports-except-a/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“I looked in my mirror and saw, not myself, but every place I'd never been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/i-looked-in-my-mirror-and-saw-not-myself-but-every-place-i-d-never/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [“I tell you frankly, Mrs. Damer, the more I see of different nations, the less sure I feel about the pre-eminence of my own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/i-tell-you-frankly-mrs-damer-the-more-i-see-of-different-nations-the/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [Actually,the nightmarish thought occurred to me that with electronic delivery of books becoming a norm, soon writers may be expected to provide several versions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/actually-the-nightmarish-thought-occurred-to-me-that-with-electronic/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [Writing is nearly always a matter of finding whatever your brain needs to trick it into being creative, and in my case, a tiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/writing-is-nearly-always-a-matter-of-finding-whatever-your-brain/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

[Explore all 232 Emma Donoghue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

## More God Listening quotes

> [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/)

[Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/)

> [Communication with God is vital to a vibrant relationship with him. We will never really know God in an intimate, personal relationship if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/communication-with-god-is-vital-to-a-vibrant-relationship-with-him-we/)

[Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/)

> [I don't understand why people wait for 11:11 when God is listening 24/7.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-understand-why-people-wait-for-11-11-when-god-is-listening-24/)

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

> [Obeying God is listening to God, having an open heart to follow the path that God points out to us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/obeying-god-is-listening-to-god-having-an-open-heart-to-follow-the/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [“First off, don’t swear to God around me. He’s not listening when I’m in the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-ritchie/first-off-don-t-swear-to-god-around-me-he-s-not-listening-when-i-m-in/)

[Krista Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-ritchie/)

> [“there is a vast difference between talking about God and listening to a God who talks to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-bevere/there-is-a-vast-difference-between-talking-about-god-and-listening-to/)

[Lisa Bevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-bevere/)

> [“At any moment of the day, some desire is in the process of coming true. Old seeds we planted (and perhaps forgot about) are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/at-any-moment-of-the-day-some-desire-is-in-the-process-of-coming-true/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Live among others as if God beheld you; speak to God as if others were listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/live-among-others-as-if-god-beheld-you-speak-to-god-as-if-others-were/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [“Our voices matter. God is listening to hear your voice. Your voice sounds different than all 8 billion other citizens in the world. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-e-jackson/our-voices-matter-god-is-listening-to-hear-your-voice-your-voice/)

Sandra E. Jackson

> [Never say you are alone and have no one to talk to because God is always listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-say-you-are-alone-and-have-no-one-to-talk-to-because-god-is/)

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

> [Like a baby learning language, we learn how to communicate with God by listening to His words first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/like-a-baby-learning-language-we-learn-how-to-communicate-with-god-by/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [I thing that god is always listening to all my prayers.and i have so many dreams in my life.thats why I'm always praying that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-thing-that-god-is-always-listening-to-all-my-prayers-and-i-have-so/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [Just remaining quietly in the presence of God, listening to Him, being attentive to Him, requires a lot of courage and know-how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/just-remaining-quietly-in-the-presence-of-god-listening-to-him-being/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Prayer that is born of meditation upon the Word of God is the prayer that soars upward most easily to God's listening ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-torrey/prayer-that-is-born-of-meditation-upon-the-word-of-god-is-the-prayer/)

[R. A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/)

> [I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of Jesus and their idea of God. I think, if you don't even know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailey-baldwin/i-know-a-lot-of-people-struggle-with-the-idea-of-jesus-and-their-idea/)

[Hailey Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hailey-baldwin/)

Browse all 24 God Listening quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard, when you tried to pray—that’s the sound of God listening.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emma Donoghue"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-silence-you-heard-when-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "God Listening"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-silence-you-heard-when-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/emma-donoghue-1499_god-listening_because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-si_2525511.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Because your soul must be lonely. That silence you heard, when you tried to pray—that’s the sound of God…” — Emma Donoghue",
                "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": "Emma Donoghue",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Because your soul must be lonely....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-silence-you-heard-when-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/because-your-soul-must-be-lonely-that-silence-you-heard-when-you/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
