--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody prays whether [you think] of it…" description: "\"Everybody prays whether [you think] of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg" --- # Everybody prays whether \[you think\] of it as praying or… ![“Everybody prays whether [you think] of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very good or very bad. The ah-h-h-h! that sometimes floats up out of you as out of a Fourth of July crowd when the sky-rocket bursts over the water…” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg) > “Everybody prays whether \[you think\] of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very good or very bad. The ah-h-h-h! that sometimes floats up out of you as out of a Fourth of July crowd when the sky-rocket bursts over the water. The stammer of pain at somebody else s pain. The stammer of joy at somebody else's joy. Whatever words or sounds you use for sighing with over your own life. These are all prayers in their way.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human experience of awe, pain, joy, and sorrow often manifests as silent or vocal prayers, regardless of religious framing. **In simple terms:** Feelings become prayers in their own way. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor these moments. Themes spirituality emotion humanity Mood contemplative reverent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - witnessing beauty - comforting grief - celebrating joy - personal reflection Key Concepts existential reflection shared consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your own silent prayers? - Can non‑religious moments be as sacred as formal worship? A Different Perspective Not all cultures label these experiences as prayer. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Crowds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowds/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Floats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floats/) [Fourth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourth/) [Fourth Of July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourth-of-july/) [Happenings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happenings/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/july/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Odd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd/) [Over you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over-you/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayers/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Prays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prays/) [Prays Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prays-think-6115877/) [Rockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rockets/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Th Of July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/th-of-july/) [Think Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-praying-1131742/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Very beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-beautiful/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Some folks think praying happens only when you’re in church or are actually talking to God. But I’m not so sure. I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-phillips/some-folks-think-praying-happens-only-when-you-re-in-church-or-are/) [Michael R. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-phillips/) > [I think praying is very important. I'm not going to say that I'm very religious and I don't go to church as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-think-praying-is-very-important-i-m-not-going-to-say-that-i-m-very/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [“I've prayed night and day for God to lead me, guide me, to make me stronger and prepare me. Yet, I am tormented with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronie-kendig/i-ve-prayed-night-and-day-for-god-to-lead-me-guide-me-to-make-me/) [Ronie Kendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronie-kendig/) > [“OCD focuses on the negative. I didn't think to myself, My praying will save my grandma. Instead, I thought, If I don't pray, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-keeler/ocd-focuses-on-the-negative-i-didn-t-think-to-myself-my-praying-will/) [J.J. Keeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-keeler/) > [I'm a fan of Oliver Stone. I like his movies, I like his excess, and I think he has a great capacity for empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/i-m-a-fan-of-oliver-stone-i-like-his-movies-i-like-his-excess-and-i/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) > [The Fourth of July concert is invigorating in so many ways, in terms of what it feels like to be an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/the-fourth-of-july-concert-is-invigorating-in-so-many-ways-in-terms/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [“To be set free by you, Jesus, is to be free indeed (John 8:36). I will certainly enjoy the pageantry, food, and fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/to-be-set-free-by-you-jesus-is-to-be-free-indeed-john-8-36-i-will/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [...there was the annual Fourth of July picketing at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. ...I thought it was ridiculous to have to go there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-shelley/there-was-the-annual-fourth-of-july-picketing-at-independence-hall-in/) [Martha Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-shelley/) > [I'd like to go out on top, preferably breaking a new world record on the Fourth of July.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-chestnut/i-d-like-to-go-out-on-top-preferably-breaking-a-new-world-record-on/) [Joey Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-chestnut/) > [“And if we succeed... If we somehow accomplish this thing that seems so impossible, it will be the most glorious victory imaginable. The Fourth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-devlin/and-if-we-succeed-if-we-somehow-accomplish-this-thing-that-seems-so/) [Dean Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-devlin/) > [Bastille Day is just like the Fourth of July except it takes place in France and we don't care about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bastille-day-is-just-like-the-fourth-of-july-except-it-takes-place-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we were the political slaves of King George, and wanted to be free, we called the maxim that "all men are created equal"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/when-we-were-the-political-slaves-of-king-george-and-wanted-to-be/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [A sucker punch came flying from somewhere in the back. As soon as we can see clearly with our big black eye, we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/a-sucker-punch-came-flying-from-somewhere-in-the-back-as-soon-as-we/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-m-talking-about-is-more-than-recompense-for-past-injustices/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Our opponents see an America in which every day is April 15, tax day. Well, we see an America in which every day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-opponents-see-an-america-in-which-every-day-is-april-15-tax-day/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it didfor millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-is-impossible-to-conceive-how-different-things-would-have-turned/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [At least to look back over their own lives, as I have looked back over mine, for certain themes and patterns and signals that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/at-least-to-look-back-over-their-own-lives-as-i-have-looked-back-over/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/even-the-saddest-things-can-become-once-we-have-made-peace-with-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“The things that the world fills time with are enough to turn the heart to stone, but the goodness of time itself is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-things-that-the-world-fills-time-with-are-enough-to-turn-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-pride-that-keeps-us-from-forgiving-is-the-same-pride-which-keeps/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but a the same time you carry them with you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-kiss-your-family-and-friends-good-bye-and-put-miles-between/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“How Adewen stuffed her braid in her mouth at that! Or she'd cover her mirth with her hands and shake till you'd think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/how-adewen-stuffed-her-braid-in-her-mouth-at-that-or-she-d-cover-her/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/resurrection-means-that-the-worst-thing-is-never-the-last-thing/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) [Explore all 339 Frederick Buechner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody prays whether [you think] of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very good or very bad. The ah-h-h-h! that sometimes floats up out of you as out of a Fourth of July crowd when the sky-rocket bursts over the water. The stammer of pain at somebody else s pain. The stammer of joy at somebody else's joy. Whatever words or sounds you use for sighing with over your own life. These are all prayers in their way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Buechner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it-as-praying-or-not-the-odd/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beautiful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it-as-praying-or-not-the-odd/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/frederick-buechner-883_beautiful_everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it_2419045.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody prays whether [you think] of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something…” — Frederick Buechner", "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": "Frederick Buechner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody prays whether [you think] of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it-as-praying-or-not-the-odd/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/everybody-prays-whether-you-think-of-it-as-praying-or-not-the-odd/#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 } } ] } ```