--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: O Lord! take my heart, for I cannot give…" description: "\"O Lord! take my heart, for I cannot give it; and when Thou hast it, O! keep it, for I cannot keep it for Thee; and save me in spite of myself, for Jesu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/francois-fenelon-2077_christ_o-lord-take-my-heart-for-i-cannot-give-i_1976778.jpg" --- # O Lord! take my heart, for I cannot give it; and when Thou… ![“O Lord! take my heart, for I cannot give it; and when Thou hast it, O! keep it, for I cannot keep it for Thee; and save me in spite of myself, for Jesus Christ's sake.” quote by Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/francois-fenelon-2077_christ_o-lord-take-my-heart-for-i-cannot-give-i_1976778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/francois-fenelon-2077_christ_o-lord-take-my-heart-for-i-cannot-give-i_1976778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/francois-fenelon-2077_christ_o-lord-take-my-heart-for-i-cannot-give-i_1976778.jpg) > “O Lord! take my heart, for I cannot give it; and when Thou hast it, O! keep it, for I cannot keep it for Thee; and save me in spite of myself, for Jesus Christ's sake.” [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A plea for divine guidance, acknowledging human weakness and seeking salvation. **In simple terms:** Seek God's help despite flaws. Key Takeaway Trust in divine mercy. Themes faith humility spirituality Mood contemplative devotional Type religious poetic When to use this quote - Personal prayer - confession - spiritual counseling Key Concepts Theology self‑sacrifice Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance faith and action? - What does surrender mean to you? A Different Perspective Human effort also required for redemption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-sake-455508/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-thou-865083/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Jesus christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus-christ/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Lord Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord-heart-1112914/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sake/) [Save me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-me/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [Spite Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite-jesus-3351112/) [Thee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thee/) [Thou Hast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-hast/) ## Related quotes > [“Who am I? I am that which thou hast searched for since thy baby eyes gazed wonderingly upon the world, whose horizon hides this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/who-am-i-i-am-that-which-thou-hast-searched-for-since-thy-baby-eyes/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/be-still-my-heart-thou-hast-known-worse-than-this/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/thou-hast-made-us-for-thyself-o-lord-and-our-heart-is-restless-until/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [Clean your freakin' fryer. 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We have to at least pretend to know better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hobbes/this-isn-t-ps-147-we-re-adults-now-she-s-married-for-christ-sake-we/) [Miranda Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hobbes/) > [Thou art as tyrannous, so as thou art, As those whose beauties proudly make them cruel; For well thou know'st to my dear doting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-art-as-tyrannous-so-as-thou-art-as-those-whose-beauties-proudly/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [... only the good deed done for Christ's sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. All that is not done for Christ's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seraphim-of-sarov/only-the-good-deed-done-for-christ-s-sake-brings-us-the-fruits-of-the/) [Seraphim of Sarov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seraphim-of-sarov/) > [“Help us for Christ’s sake to have our eyes open to sin, so that we shall always know when we are not pleasing Thee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-livingston-hill/help-us-for-christ-s-sake-to-have-our-eyes-open-to-sin-so-that-we/) [Grace Livingston Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-livingston-hill/) > [Follow Christ for His own sake, if you follow Him at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/follow-christ-for-his-own-sake-if-you-follow-him-at-all/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Heart, fear nothing, for, heart, thou shalt find her- Next time, herself!-not the trouble behind her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/heart-fear-nothing-for-heart-thou-shalt-find-her-next-time-herself/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [Don't clap I'm not a jazz band for Christ's sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/don-t-clap-i-m-not-a-jazz-band-for-christ-s-sake/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [“Will you let me go for Christ's sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/will-you-let-me-go-for-christ-s-sake-will-you-take-that-phony-dream/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“I love you more than myself,” I told her, “more than my own family, for Christ’s sake. I don’t want to take another step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-douglas/i-love-you-more-than-myself-i-told-her-more-than-my-own-family-for/) [Penelope Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-douglas/) ## More by Francois Fenelon > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [“If the riches of the Indies, or the crowns of all the kingdom of Europe, were laid at my feet in exchange for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/if-the-riches-of-the-indies-or-the-crowns-of-all-the-kingdom-of/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [That love of self, which the world advocates, is a thousand times more dangerous than any poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/that-love-of-self-which-the-world-advocates-is-a-thousand-times-more/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [There were some who said that a man at the point of death was more free than all others, because death breaks every bond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-were-some-who-said-that-a-man-at-the-point-of-death-was-more/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Pity enlarges the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/pity-enlarges-the-heart/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [A general rule for the good use of time is to accustom oneself to live in a continual dependence on the Spirit of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/a-general-rule-for-the-good-use-of-time-is-to-accustom-oneself-to/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Nothing is more despicable than a professional talker who uses his words as a quack uses his remedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/nothing-is-more-despicable-than-a-professional-talker-who-uses-his/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Prayer is so necessary, and the source of so many blessings, that he who has discovered the treasure cannot be prevented from having recourse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/prayer-is-so-necessary-and-the-source-of-so-many-blessings-that-he/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [There is no true and constant gentleness without humility. While we are so fond of ourselves, we are easily offended with others. Let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-true-and-constant-gentleness-without-humility-while-we/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Let me follow in Thy footsteps, O Jesus ! I would imitate Thee, but cannot without the aid of Thy grace! O humble and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/let-me-follow-in-thy-footsteps-o-jesus-i-would-imitate-thee-but/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [O Lord, I do most cheerfully commit all unto Thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/o-lord-i-do-most-cheerfully-commit-all-unto-thee/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Our piety must be weak and imperfect if it do not conquer our fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/our-piety-must-be-weak-and-imperfect-if-it-do-not-conquer-our-fear-of/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Nothing is so costly as the pursuit of a cure for imaginary ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/nothing-is-so-costly-as-the-pursuit-of-a-cure-for-imaginary-ills/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [I love my country better than my family; but I love humanity better than my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/i-love-my-country-better-than-my-family-but-i-love-humanity-better/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Crosses are of no use to us but inasmuch as we yield ourselves up to them and forget ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/crosses-are-of-no-use-to-us-but-inasmuch-as-we-yield-ourselves-up-to/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) [Explore all 187 Francois Fenelon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. 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