--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mother Teresa said that she couldn't…" description: "\"“Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her work for more than thirty minutes without prayer. Do you and I have work that we can't imagine ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg" --- # Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her… ![“Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her work for more than thirty minutes without prayer. Do you and I have work that we can't imagine doing for thirty minutes without prayer?” quote by Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg) > ““Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her work for more than thirty minutes without prayer. Do you and I have work that we can't imagine doing for thirty minutes without prayer?”” [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even dedicated workers may feel the need for prayer after short periods; the speaker asks if others share this need. **In simple terms:** People often need spiritual support even for brief tasks. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor personal spiritual needs. Themes faith work prayer Mood contemplative hopeful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - humanitarian missions - social work - healthcare shifts - volunteer projects Key Concepts spiritual resilience human limits ethical service Questions to Reflect On - How does prayer affect your work? - What alternatives exist for non‑believers? A Different Perspective Not all share the same spiritual perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Minutes Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes-prayer-928936/) [Mother teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-teresa/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayer Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer-work-1579512/) [Teresa Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teresa-said-805831/) [Work Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-thirty-3378326/) ## Related quotes > [“Mother Teresa said: Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.2”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/mother-teresa-said-today-it-is-very-fashionable-to-talk-about-the/) [Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/) > [I feel strongly that Mother Teresa’s life has a great message for young people. We so often feel powerless to do anything about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kielburger/i-feel-strongly-that-mother-teresa-s-life-has-a-great-message-for/) [Craig Kielburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kielburger/) > [“Mother Teresa said, “If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inc-barbour-publishing/mother-teresa-said-if-we-really-want-to-love-we-must-learn-how-to/) [Inc. Barbour Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inc-barbour-publishing/) > [“Mother Teresa said: "The dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted, the unloved - they are JESUS IN DISGUISE...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-davis/mother-teresa-said-the-dying-the-crippled-the-mentally-ill-the/) [Tom Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-davis/) > [“Mother Teresa who said, “We can do no great things, only small things, with great love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-muller/mother-teresa-who-said-we-can-do-no-great-things-only-small-things/) [Wayne Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-muller/) > [“Great Drew, you're sitting here about to beg Daisy's forgiveness & you wont even give your own father the time of day. Mother Teresa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-samson/great-drew-you-re-sitting-here-about-to-beg-daisy-s-forgiveness-you/) [Lisa Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-samson/) > [I have succeeded in getting my actual work down to thirty minutes a day. That leaves me eighteen hours for engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-proteus-steinmetz/i-have-succeeded-in-getting-my-actual-work-down-to-thirty-minutes-a/) [Charles Proteus Steinmetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-proteus-steinmetz/) > [It is not particularly difficult to find thousands who will spend two or three hours a day in exercising, but if you ask them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/it-is-not-particularly-difficult-to-find-thousands-who-will-spend-two/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Consider yourself not ready to start the day, ill equipped, unprepared to mix with your fellows, until you have spent at least fifteen minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-lester/consider-yourself-not-ready-to-start-the-day-ill-equipped-unprepared/) [Muriel Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-lester/) > [“Still, my argument was that if she was going to work for the next thirty years, what difference does going "back" four years really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/still-my-argument-was-that-if-she-was-going-to-work-for-the-next/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Even St. Teresa said, "I can pray better when I'm comfortable," and she refused to wear her haircloth shirt or starve herself. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/even-st-teresa-said-i-can-pray-better-when-i-m-comfortable-and-she/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [Men of prayer, before anything else, are indispensable to the furtherance of the kingdom of God on earth. No other sort will fit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/men-of-prayer-before-anything-else-are-indispensable-to-the/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [“True Prayer is the work of relationship, where He moves them from mere information about Him to a one-on-one experience with Him, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/true-prayer-is-the-work-of-relationship-where-he-moves-them-from-mere/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“It had been a constant journey of battles and wars with the beast that is Ezra, and I was sure there would be more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-belvin/it-had-been-a-constant-journey-of-battles-and-wars-with-the-beast/) [Love Belvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-belvin/) > [Work is prayer. Work is also stink. Therefore stink is prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/work-is-prayer-work-is-also-stink-therefore-stink-is-prayer/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Gary Haugen > [Victims of oppression & injustice don't need our spasm of passion…they need our legs & lungs of endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/victims-of-oppression-injustice-don-t-need-our-spasm-of-passion-they/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [The fact is, when people choose to be brave instead of smart, their courage is generally so threatening to those who are smart rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/the-fact-is-when-people-choose-to-be-brave-instead-of-smart-their/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [When our grandchildren ask us where we were when the voiceless and the vulnerable in our era needed leaders of compassion and purpose, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/when-our-grandchildren-ask-us-where-we-were-when-the-voiceless-and/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [God does His miracles of transformation through miraculously transformed people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/god-does-his-miracles-of-transformation-through-miraculously/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [Jesus beckons me to follow him to that place of weakness where I risk the vulnerability of a child so that I might know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/jesus-beckons-me-to-follow-him-to-that-place-of-weakness-where-i-risk/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [Decide justice is worthy and refuse to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/decide-justice-is-worthy-and-refuse-to-go-away/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [God has a plan to help bring justice to the world - and his plan is us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/god-has-a-plan-to-help-bring-justice-to-the-world-and-his-plan-is-us/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [We must start talking differently about poverty--and start doing something differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/we-must-start-talking-differently-about-poverty-and-start-doing/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [And here is one choice that our Father wants us to understand as Christians – and I believe this is the choice of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/and-here-is-one-choice-that-our-father-wants-us-to-understand-as/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [One of the biggest regrets of life, I think, is a sense of having gone on the trip but missed the adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/one-of-the-biggest-regrets-of-life-i-think-is-a-sense-of-having-gone/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [Leaders lead out of who they are on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/leaders-lead-out-of-who-they-are-on-the-inside/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [Let us start with the biggest no brainer of injustice in the world and that is slavery,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/let-us-start-with-the-biggest-no-brainer-of-injustice-in-the-world/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [The victims of injustice in our world do not need our spasms of passion; they need our long obedience in the same direction -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/the-victims-of-injustice-in-our-world-do-not-need-our-spasms-of/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [There is an awesome God of justice who is ready to move in power if you move in obedience,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/there-is-an-awesome-god-of-justice-who-is-ready-to-move-in-power-if/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [Deep within all of us there is a yearning to be brave. And like all of our deepest, truest and best yearning, it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/deep-within-all-of-us-there-is-a-yearning-to-be-brave-and-like-all-of/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) [Explore all 23 Gary Haugen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) ## More Mother teresa quotes > [“Nudge is a great kid, but that motormouth of hers could have turned Mother Teresa into an ax murderer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nudge-is-a-great-kid-but-that-motormouth-of-hers-could-have-turned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mother Teresa I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mother-teresa-i-am-not-sure-exactly-what-heaven-will-be-like-but-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Mother Teresa used the analogy of electricity: “The wire is you and me; the current is God,” she said. “We have the power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/mother-teresa-used-the-analogy-of-electricity-the-wire-is-you-and-me/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [ Everything everyone thinks they know about \[Mother Teresa\] is false. It must be the single most successful emotional con job of the twentieth century. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/everything-everyone-thinks-they-know-about-mother-teresa-is-false-it/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [For every Mother Teresa, there's a Jeffrey Dahmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantegna/for-every-mother-teresa-there-s-a-jeffrey-dahmer/) [Joe Mantegna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantegna/) > [The picture of Mother Teresa that I remember from my childhood is of a short, sari-wearing woman scurrying down a red gravel path between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bharati-mukherjee/the-picture-of-mother-teresa-that-i-remember-from-my-childhood-is-of/) [Bharati Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bharati-mukherjee/) > [I'm not Mother Teresa, but I'm not Charles Manson, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-m-not-mother-teresa-but-i-m-not-charles-manson-either/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [One need not be a Mother Teresa, but being kind and well-behaved with those around us can win people's hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-lekshmi/one-need-not-be-a-mother-teresa-but-being-kind-and-well-behaved-with/) [Aishwarya Lekshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-lekshmi/) > [I feel strongly that Mother Teresa’s life has a great message for young people. We so often feel powerless to do anything about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kielburger/i-feel-strongly-that-mother-teresa-s-life-has-a-great-message-for/) [Craig Kielburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kielburger/) > [Confession is something we will never outgrow, even if we become the saints God made us to be. Pope John Paul II and Mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-wuerl/confession-is-something-we-will-never-outgrow-even-if-we-become-the/) [Donald Wuerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-wuerl/) > [“I knocked on the gates of heaven and saint peter said,"we are not ready for you, Mother Teresa.You are needed in the slums.There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-raphael/i-knocked-on-the-gates-of-heaven-and-saint-peter-said-we-are-not/) [Maryanne Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-raphael/) > [“You see, women have been essential to every great move of God. Yes, Moses led the Isaelites out of Egypt, but only after his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stasi-eldredge/you-see-women-have-been-essential-to-every-great-move-of-god-yes/) [Stasi Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stasi-eldredge/) > [Human beings have an infinite capacity for two things: giving and love. Do you think Mother Teresa ever ran out of love and care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-white/human-beings-have-an-infinite-capacity-for-two-things-giving-and-love/) [Robert White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-white/) > [Many bad habits act like they're Mother Teresa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efiosiugbore/many-bad-habits-act-like-they-re-mother-teresa/) [@efiosiugbore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efiosiugbore/) [Browse all 109 Mother teresa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-teresa/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her work for more than thirty minutes without prayer. Do you and I have work that we can't imagine doing for thirty minutes without prayer?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Haugen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-imagine-doing-her-work-for-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mother teresa" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-imagine-doing-her-work-for-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/gary-haugen-25567_mother-teresa_mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-ima_1437736.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mother Teresa said that she couldn't imagine doing her work for more than thirty minutes without prayer. Do…” — Gary Haugen", "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": "Gary Haugen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mother Teresa said that she couldn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-imagine-doing-her-work-for-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/mother-teresa-said-that-she-couldn-t-imagine-doing-her-work-for-more/#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 } } ] } ```