--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: prayer can be an easy substitute for real…" description: "\"prayer can be an easy substitute for real spirituality. It would be impossible to have spirituality without prayer, of course, but it is certainly poss..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_prayer-can-be-an-easy-substitute-for-rea_578887.png" --- # prayer can be an easy substitute for real spirituality. It… ![“prayer can be an easy substitute for real spirituality. It would be impossible to have spirituality without prayer, of course, but it is certainly possible to pray without having a spirituality at all. How do you know? 'Am I becoming kinder?' is a good place to start.” quote by Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_prayer-can-be-an-easy-substitute-for-rea_578887.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_prayer-can-be-an-easy-substitute-for-rea_578887.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_prayer-can-be-an-easy-substitute-for-rea_578887.png) > “prayer can be an easy substitute for real spirituality. It would be impossible to have spirituality without prayer, of course, but it is certainly possible to pray without having a spirituality at all. How do you know? 'Am I becoming kinder?' is a good place to start.” [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer may be a ritual without depth; genuine spirituality requires inner transformation, not just external practice. **In simple terms:** Prayer alone isn’t enough for true spirituality. Key Takeaway Seek inner growth beyond ritual. Themes spirituality authenticity practice Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal prayer - therapy - community service - self‑assessment Key Concepts Existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure inner change? - What practices nurture authentic spirituality? A Different Perspective Ritual can become empty if not paired with inner work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [I think there are strands in all of our lives that can be seen if we step back to recognize them. 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The man who tries to pray quickly discovers just where he stands in God’s sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknown-christian/there-is-no-greater-test-of-spirituality-than-prayer-the-man-who/) Unknown Christian > [Spirituality - prayer - is a big part of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hasselhoff/spirituality-prayer-is-a-big-part-of-my-life/) [David Hasselhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hasselhoff/) > [Spirituality without a prayer life is no spirituality at all, and it will not last beyond the first defeats. Prayer is an opening of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/spirituality-without-a-prayer-life-is-no-spirituality-at-all-and-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ever since I was young, I was always interested in exploring spirituality. I know that there are many paths to God, there is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyan-douglas/ever-since-i-was-young-i-was-always-interested-in-exploring/) [Kyan Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyan-douglas/) > [“As one man said, "I got a pretty good education. It took me years to get over it." That's what spirituality is all about,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-one-man-said-i-got-a-pretty-good-education-it-took-me-years-to-get/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality is not about what you know. It is about growing, deepening, evolving and becoming a living reflection of your spiritual identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/spirituality-is-not-about-what-you-know-it-is-about-growing-deepening/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [Let us look at our own faults, and not other people's. We ought not to insist on everyone following in our footsteps, nor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/let-us-look-at-our-own-faults-and-not-other-people-s-we-ought-not-to/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [What I would argue is that real spirituality is the ability to keep encountering two opposite thoughts at the same time and still maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/what-i-would-argue-is-that-real-spirituality-is-the-ability-to-keep/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [Real spirituality is going through fire. Real spirituality is rebellion against all that is rotten, against all that is past, against all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/real-spirituality-is-going-through-fire-real-spirituality-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Real spirituality and love is always manifest. It always goes to those who are with us and around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/real-spirituality-and-love-is-always-manifest-it-always-goes-to-those/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Serving the Truth becomes our life instead of just an isolated event. It takes the abstractness out of spirituality. That's the opportunity of real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/serving-the-truth-becomes-our-life-instead-of-just-an-isolated-event/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [It matters not how spiritual a church may profess to be, if souls are not saved, something is radically wrong, and the professed spirituality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-j-smith/it-matters-not-how-spiritual-a-church-may-profess-to-be-if-souls-are/) [Oswald J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-j-smith/) > [“Real spirituality is about getting the bullshit out of your life and getting real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/real-spirituality-is-about-getting-the-bullshit-out-of-your-life-and/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) ## More by Joan D. Chittister > [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [To be enlightened is to know that heaven is not "coming." Heaven is here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/to-be-enlightened-is-to-know-that-heaven-is-not-coming-heaven-is-here/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [We don't change as we get older - we just get to be more of what we've always been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-more-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [We may well be the ones Proverbs warns when it reminds us: "Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-may-well-be-the-ones-proverbs-warns-when-it-reminds-us-kings-take/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Today we live in a world that judges its achievements by speed and busyness. Â… We are so busy making things happen that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/today-we-live-in-a-world-that-judges-its-achievements-by-speed-and/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [My limitations make space for the gifts of other people. Without the grace of our limitations we would be isolated, dry, and insufferable creatures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/my-limitations-make-space-for-the-gifts-of-other-people-without-the/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Humility is authenticity. It comes from the Latin word humus, meaning "earth." As the church has taught, we're made of dust, and unto dust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/humility-is-authenticity-it-comes-from-the-latin-word-humus-meaning/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Compassion makes no distinction between friends and enemies, neighbors and outsiders, compatriots and foreigners. Compassion is the gate to human community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/compassion-makes-no-distinction-between-friends-and-enemies-neighbors/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Prophets are so dangerous because they cry in season and out of season, politely and impolitely, loud and long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/prophets-are-so-dangerous-because-they-cry-in-season-and-out-of/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“We don't change as we get older - we just get to be ore of what we've always been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-ore-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“What happens to the spiritual life of a young girl who is made to understand, consciously or subconsciously, that she has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/what-happens-to-the-spiritual-life-of-a-young-girl-who-is-made-to/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Old age tells us that we ourselves have failed often, have never really done anything completely right, have never truly been perfect - anad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/old-age-tells-us-that-we-ourselves-have-failed-often-have-never/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [But we are here to depart from this world as finished as we can possibly become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/but-we-are-here-to-depart-from-this-world-as-finished-as-we-can/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“Whatever happens to the body, what toll age takes on the physical, the spirit does not grow old. In our dreams, in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/whatever-happens-to-the-body-what-toll-age-takes-on-the-physical-the/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Two ideas militate against our consciously contributing to a better world. The idea that we can do everything or the conclusion that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/two-ideas-militate-against-our-consciously-contributing-to-a-better/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) [Explore all 156 Joan D. Chittister quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) ## More Becoming quotes > [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/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. 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It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. 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