--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form…" description: "\"Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement.\" — Jacques Ellul" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg" --- # Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life… ![“Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement.” quote by Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg) > “Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement.” [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer is a lived experience with God, not just spoken words. **In simple terms:** Prayer is living, not merely spoken. Key Takeaway Engage in spiritual practice beyond words. Themes spirituality practice faith Mood contemplative serene Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - daily rituals - personal meditation Key Concepts lived experience relationship with divine Questions to Reflect On - How does lived prayer differ from recitation? - What practices embody this view? A Different Perspective Spiritual practices vary widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answered prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answered-prayers/) [Answers to prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers-to-prayer/) [Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse/) [Intercession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intercession/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life With God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-with-god/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayers not being answered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayers-not-being-answered/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Every time you praise something, every time you appreciate something, every time you feel good about something, you are telling the Universe, "More of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-hicks/every-time-you-praise-something-every-time-you-appreciate-something/) [Abraham Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-hicks/) > [“One of the rules says, You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/one-of-the-rules-says-you-can-study-god-through-everything-and/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [Was there ever a more horrible blasphemy than the statement that all the knowledge of God is confined to this or that book? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/was-there-ever-a-more-horrible-blasphemy-than-the-statement-that-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taken-from-the-forty-rules-of-love-by-elif-shafak/you-can-study-god-through-everything-and-everyone-in-the-universe/) [Taken from The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taken-from-the-forty-rules-of-love-by-elif-shafak/) > [You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-study-god-through-everything-and-everyone-in-the-universe-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Living in fear is what every hater, negative person, and the devil wants. Live a righteous life with God and nothing but positivity. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/behdad-sami/living-in-fear-is-what-every-hater-negative-person-and-the-devil/) [Behdad Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/behdad-sami/) > [“The Spirit doesn’t simply make me a singular new creation. He makes me part of God’s new creation people. He inscribes God’s rule on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lawrence/the-spirit-doesn-t-simply-make-me-a-singular-new-creation-he-makes-me/) Michael Lawrence > [DEAR JESUS, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/dear-jesus-i-want-to-know-you-i-want-you-to-come-into-my-life-thank/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“The best place to start doing life with God is in small moments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-best-place-to-start-doing-life-with-god-is-in-small-moments/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“God showed to man that compliance with His dictates would ever mean eternal bliss and joy unspeakable and life and knowledge forevermore, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-showed-to-man-that-compliance-with-his-dictates-would-ever-mean/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [ Tony \[Campolo\] and I might disagree on the details, but I think we are both trying to find an alternative to both traditional Universalism… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/tony-campolo-and-i-might-disagree-on-the-details-but-i-think-we-are/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [Our devotional life with God is more like the planting of a garden. When we arise from sowing into the secret place, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-sorge/our-devotional-life-with-god-is-more-like-the-planting-of-a-garden/) [Bob Sorge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-sorge/) > [Grace saves us from life without God-even more it empowers us for life with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/grace-saves-us-from-life-without-god-even-more-it-empowers-us-for/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [We're not meant to do it on our own. We're meant to do life with God and with each other. I've been fortunate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-clark/we-re-not-meant-to-do-it-on-our-own-we-re-meant-to-do-life-with-god/) [Kelly Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-clark/) > [“Worship isn’t something other, external, compartmentalized, or confined. It is life with God, lived unto God for his glory and our pleasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cosper/worship-isn-t-something-other-external-compartmentalized-or-confined/) [Mike Cosper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cosper/) ## More by Jacques Ellul > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Propaganda begins when dialogue ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/propaganda-begins-when-dialogue-ends/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Christians were never meant to be normal. We’ve always been holy troublemakers, we’ve always been creators of uncertainty, agents of dimension that’s incompatible with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/christians-were-never-meant-to-be-normal-we-ve-always-been-holy/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [It is inconceivable that the God who gives Himself in His Son to save us, should have created some people ordained to evil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/it-is-inconceivable-that-the-god-who-gives-himself-in-his-son-to-save/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Technological society leads to increasing numbers of people who cannot adapt to the inhuman rhythm of modern life with its emphasis on specialization. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/technological-society-leads-to-increasing-numbers-of-people-who/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [It is the multiplication of men who are exluded from working which provokes war. We ought at least to bear this in mind when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/it-is-the-multiplication-of-men-who-are-exluded-from-working-which/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [The orchestration of press, radio and television to create a continuous, lasting and total environment renders the influence of propaganda virtually unnoticed precisely because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-orchestration-of-press-radio-and-television-to-create-a/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [“No society can last in conditions of anarchy. This is self-evident and I am in full agreement. But my aim is not the establishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/no-society-can-last-in-conditions-of-anarchy-this-is-self-evident-and/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [The qualities which technique requires for its advance are precisely those characteristics of a technical order which do not represent indivisual intelligence...The individual, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-qualities-which-technique-requires-for-its-advance-are-precisely/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Education no longer has a humanist end or any value in itself; it has only one goal, to create technicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/education-no-longer-has-a-humanist-end-or-any-value-in-itself-it-has/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [The goal of modern propaganda is no longer to transform opinion but to arouse an active and mythical belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-goal-of-modern-propaganda-is-no-longer-to-transform-opinion-but/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Freedom is completely without meaning unless it is related to necessity, unless it represents victory over necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/freedom-is-completely-without-meaning-unless-it-is-related-to/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [When there is propaganda, we are no longer able to evaluate certain questions, or even to discuss them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/when-there-is-propaganda-we-are-no-longer-able-to-evaluate-certain/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [True technique will know how to maintain the illusion of liberty, choice, and individuality; but these will have been carefully calculated so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/true-technique-will-know-how-to-maintain-the-illusion-of-liberty/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [No one knows where we are going, the aim of life has been forgotten, the end has been left behind. Man has set out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/no-one-knows-where-we-are-going-the-aim-of-life-has-been-forgotten/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) [Explore all 106 Jacques Ellul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) ## More Answered prayers quotes > [“Dear Lord, thank You for answered prayers and humans who do Your work here on earth. Please send Your comfort to all the animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guideposts/dear-lord-thank-you-for-answered-prayers-and-humans-who-do-your-work/) Guideposts > [The third petition of the Lord's Prayer is repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone's will be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-third-petition-of-the-lord-s-prayer-is-repeated-daily-by-millions/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Our Lord never referred to unanswered prayer. He taught that prayers are always answered: “Everyone who asks receives”. And He implied that prayers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/our-lord-never-referred-to-unanswered-prayer-he-taught-that-prayers/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Today, Jesus stands ready to hear your cry and to answer prayer for you. He is interested in every detail of your life. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-kuhlman/today-jesus-stands-ready-to-hear-your-cry-and-to-answer-prayer-for/) [Kathryn Kuhlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-kuhlman/) > [Never have false hope for granted wishes, but always have true faith in answered prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-have-false-hope-for-granted-wishes-but-always-have-true-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is a general kind of praying which fails for lack of precision. It is as if a regiment of soldiers should all fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-is-a-general-kind-of-praying-which-fails-for-lack-of-precision/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Delays are as much a part of God plan as answered prayers. God wants you to trust him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/delays-are-as-much-a-part-of-god-plan-as-answered-prayers-god-wants/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [The history of missions is the history of answered prayer. It is the key to the whole mission problem. All human means are secondary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-marinus-zwemer/the-history-of-missions-is-the-history-of-answered-prayer-it-is-the/) [Samuel Marinus Zwemer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-marinus-zwemer/) > [On the ground of our own goodness we cannot expect to have our prayers answered. But Jesus is worthy, and for His sake we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-muller/on-the-ground-of-our-own-goodness-we-cannot-expect-to-have-our/) [George Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-muller/) > [“May God overflow your life with bountiful blessings of grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/may-god-overflow-your-life-with-bountiful-blessings-of-grace/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers, there aren't any that go 'unanswered.' His silence speaks volumes if you're listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-of-god-s-greatest-gifts-are-unanswered-prayers-there-aren-t-any/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude - an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/prayer-is-not-so-much-an-act-as-it-is-an-attitude-an-attitude-of/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-story-of-every-great-christian-achievement-is-the-history-of/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [God has not always answered my prayers. If He had, I would have married the wrong man -- several times!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-graham/god-has-not-always-answered-my-prayers-if-he-had-i-would-have-married/) [Ruth Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-graham/) > [Often a healing takes place in ourselves as we pray for the healing of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-debakey/often-a-healing-takes-place-in-ourselves-as-we-pray-for-the-healing/) [Michael E. DeBakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-debakey/) [Browse all 132 Answered prayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answered-prayers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacques Ellul" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-of-life-the-life-with-god-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answered prayers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-of-life-the-life-with-god-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/jacques-ellul-4407_answered-prayers_prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-o_2730794.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the…” — Jacques Ellul", "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": "Jacques Ellul", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Prayer is not a discourse. It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-of-life-the-life-with-god-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/prayer-is-not-a-discourse-it-is-a-form-of-life-the-life-with-god-that/#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 } } ] } ```