--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pray, that’s what we can do, have done…" description: "\"“Pray, that’s what we can do, have done, are doing, and will do. Out of our hands.”\" — Jan Karon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/jan-karon-2637_doing_pray-that-s-what-we-can-do-have-done-are_1970043.png" --- # Pray, that’s what we can do, have done, are doing, and… ![“Pray, that’s what we can do, have done, are doing, and will do. Out of our hands.” quote by Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/jan-karon-2637_doing_pray-that-s-what-we-can-do-have-done-are_1970043.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/jan-karon-2637_doing_pray-that-s-what-we-can-do-have-done-are_1970043.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/jan-karon-2637_doing_pray-that-s-what-we-can-do-have-done-are_1970043.png) > ““Pray, that’s what we can do, have done, are doing, and will do. Out of our hands.”” [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) ## 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 presented as an ongoing, collective action beyond individual control, emphasizing humility and communal effort. **In simple terms:** Prayer is a shared, continual act. Key Takeaway Engage in collective prayer. Themes faith humility community Mood hopeful reverent Type spiritual community When to use this quote - church services - personal meditation - group retreats - support circles Key Concepts prayer action collective effort spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does shared prayer affect community bonds? - What non‑religious practices serve similar purposes? A Different Perspective May not resonate with non‑religious readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-hands-516992/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Pray Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-doing-2155526/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [I just do what I do & I love doing it. I pray that I am doing my job, what I am here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paritoshik-sharma/i-just-do-what-i-do-i-love-doing-it-i-pray-that-i-am-doing-my-job/) [Paritoshik Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paritoshik-sharma/) > [In practice, I'm working on doing something with my hands, taking different shots, working on stuff to expand my game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-g-anunoby/in-practice-i-m-working-on-doing-something-with-my-hands-taking/) [O. G. Anunoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-g-anunoby/) > [From the very beginning I started with a beer and a cigarette because I couldn't figure out what to do with my hands. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/from-the-very-beginning-i-started-with-a-beer-and-a-cigarette-because/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [Pray when you feel like it, pray when you don't feel like it, pray until you do feel like it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-graham-scroggie/pray-when-you-feel-like-it-pray-when-you-don-t-feel-like-it-pray/) [W. Graham Scroggie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-graham-scroggie/) > [It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/it-is-in-vain-to-expect-our-prayers-to-be-heard-if-we-do-not-strive/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Don't pray an easy life but pray for your strength in difficulties...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/don-t-pray-an-easy-life-but-pray-for-your-strength-in-difficulties/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-and-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [As the Quakers say, "When you pray, move your feet."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/as-the-quakers-say-when-you-pray-move-your-feet/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Anything you pray for, you need to prepare for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-franklin/anything-you-pray-for-you-need-to-prepare-for/) [DeVon Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-franklin/) > [You should never stress and worry when you can always pray and have Faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-should-never-stress-and-worry-when-you-can-always-pray-and-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) ## More by Jan Karon > [“In every way, un-forgiveness makes us the victim—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/in-every-way-un-forgiveness-makes-us-the-victim/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [In Ireland there’s no such thing as bad weather ~~~ only the wrong clothes. 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I'm not smart enough to write for everybody, but it's the love in these books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/this-is-a-gift-that-god-has-given-me-i-m-not-smart-enough-to-write/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [The firefly only shines when on the wing, So it is with us--when we stop, we darken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/the-firefly-only-shines-when-on-the-wing-so-it-is-with-us-when-we/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“Thank you, God, for second chances,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/thank-you-god-for-second-chances/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“Fear is one of the Enemy’s deadliest strategies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/fear-is-one-of-the-enemy-s-deadliest-strategies/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“For one thing, telling a lie is like eating peanuts. One leads to another. In no time at all, you’ve gone through a bagful.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/for-one-thing-telling-a-lie-is-like-eating-peanuts-one-leads-to/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“And so I enjoyed the warm feelings, the stuff of the heart, when it was present between us, as it sometimes was, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/and-so-i-enjoyed-the-warm-feelings-the-stuff-of-the-heart-when-it-was/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“One of the things that makes a dead leaf fall to the ground is the bud of the new leaf that pushes it off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/one-of-the-things-that-makes-a-dead-leaf-fall-to-the-ground-is-the/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“He’d been amped for a long time; actually, everybody he knew was amped. He would like to spend the rest of his life de-amping.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/he-d-been-amped-for-a-long-time-actually-everybody-he-knew-was-amped/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“All people are children when they sleep. There’s no war in them then . . . They . . . open their hands halfway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/all-people-are-children-when-they-sleep-there-s-no-war-in-them-then/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) [Explore all 156 Jan Karon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. 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