--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It can happen that when we are at prayer…" description: "\"It can happen that when we are at prayer some brothers come to see us. Then we have to choose either to interrupt our prayer or to sadden our brother b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/john-climacus-11711_answers_it-can-happen-that-when-we-are-at-prayer_297359.jpg" --- # It can happen that when we are at prayer some brothers… ![“It can happen that when we are at prayer some brothers come to see us. Then we have to choose either to interrupt our prayer or to sadden our brother by refusing to answer him. But love is greater than prayer. Prayer is one virtue among others, whereas love contains them all.” quote by John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/john-climacus-11711_answers_it-can-happen-that-when-we-are-at-prayer_297359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/john-climacus-11711_answers_it-can-happen-that-when-we-are-at-prayer_297359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/john-climacus-11711_answers_it-can-happen-that-when-we-are-at-prayer_297359.jpg) > “It can happen that when we are at prayer some brothers come to see us. Then we have to choose either to interrupt our prayer or to sadden our brother by refusing to answer him. But love is greater than prayer. Prayer is one virtue among others, whereas love contains them all.” [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on the tension between prayer and responding to a brother in need, emphasizing that love supersedes ritual. **In simple terms:** Love is more important than any single virtue like prayer. Key Takeaway Prioritize love over ritual when they conflict. Themes love prayer virtue brotherly care Mood thoughtful compassionate Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - emergency assistance - family support - spiritual counseling Key Concepts ethical hierarchy compassion spiritual practice Questions to Reflect On - When should you interrupt personal practice for others? - What does love mean in your daily actions? A Different Perspective It may simplify complex religious duties into a single hierarchy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [“I may be wrong but I think nothing needs so much effort as prayer to God. If anyone wants to pray, the demons try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedicta-ward/i-may-be-wrong-but-i-think-nothing-needs-so-much-effort-as-prayer-to/) [Benedicta Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedicta-ward/) > [Prayer is a virtue that prevaileth against all temptations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/prayer-is-a-virtue-that-prevaileth-against-all-temptations/) [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/) > [No man - I don't care how colossal his intellect - No man is greater than his prayer life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/no-man-i-don-t-care-how-colossal-his-intellect-no-man-is-greater-than/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [The self-sufficient does not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-self-sufficient-does-not-pray-the-self-satisfied-will-not-pray/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [“I was also told that there is no greater prayer than that of a mother for her children. These are the purest prayers because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-j-eadie/i-was-also-told-that-there-is-no-greater-prayer-than-that-of-a-mother/) Betty J. Eadie > [“Prayer is surrender to the reality that there is wisdom greater than ours. Prayer confronts us with the fact that we are not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/prayer-is-surrender-to-the-reality-that-there-is-wisdom-greater-than/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [No man is greater than his prayer life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/no-man-is-greater-than-his-prayer-life/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [You will learn that at higher levels of energy, our fields of prayer act very quickly to bring us exactly what we expect. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/you-will-learn-that-at-higher-levels-of-energy-our-fields-of-prayer/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Sometimes it is best for men not to attempt to interfere with destiny. Our prayers can be answered in ways which we do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/sometimes-it-is-best-for-men-not-to-attempt-to-interfere-with-destiny/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [Heavenly Father hears your prayers, He loves you. He knows your name. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/heavenly-father-hears-your-prayers-he-loves-you-he-knows-your-name-he/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Daily simple, sincere, and mighty prayers lift our lives to a higher spiritual altitude. In our prayers we praise God, give thanks to Him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/daily-simple-sincere-and-mighty-prayers-lift-our-lives-to-a-higher/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [If you've never had a God-sized dream that scared you half to death, then you haven't really come to life. If you've never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/if-you-ve-never-had-a-god-sized-dream-that-scared-you-half-to-death/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [God wants us to pray, and he wants to hear our prayers-not because we are worthy, but because he is merciful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-wants-us-to-pray-and-he-wants-to-hear-our-prayers-not-because-we/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [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/) ## More by John Climacus > [When people begin to praise us, let us hurry to remember the multitude of ours transgressions, and we will see that we are truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/when-people-begin-to-praise-us-let-us-hurry-to-remember-the-multitude/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [He does not show humility who accuses himself (for who will not accept rebukes from himself?), but he who, being rebuked by another, does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/he-does-not-show-humility-who-accuses-himself-for-who-will-not-accept/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [Pride is the utter poverty of soul disguised as riches, imaginary light where in fact there is darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/pride-is-the-utter-poverty-of-soul-disguised-as-riches-imaginary/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [A discerning man, when he eats grapes, takes only the ripe ones and leaves the sour. 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