--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prayer, meditation, and confession…" description: "\"“Prayer, meditation, and confession actually have the power to rewire the brain in a way that can make us less self-referential and more aware of how G..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/john-ortberg-932_confession_prayer-meditation-and-confession-actuall_1410551.png" --- # Prayer, meditation, and confession actually have the power… ![“Prayer, meditation, and confession actually have the power to rewire the brain in a way that can make us less self-referential and more aware of how God sees us. But these impediments to sin may not come easily.” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/john-ortberg-932_confession_prayer-meditation-and-confession-actuall_1410551.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/john-ortberg-932_confession_prayer-meditation-and-confession-actuall_1410551.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/john-ortberg-932_confession_prayer-meditation-and-confession-actuall_1410551.png) > ““Prayer, meditation, and confession actually have the power to rewire the brain in a way that can make us less self-referential and more aware of how God sees us. But these impediments to sin may not come easily.”” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer, meditation, confession reshape the brain, reducing self‑centeredness and aligning perception with divine view. **In simple terms:** Spiritual practices rewire the mind toward humility. Key Takeaway Engage in spiritual disciplines for growth. Themes spirituality neuroscience humility Mood contemplative hopeful Type theological psychological When to use this quote - daily prayer - meditation retreats - confessional counseling - group worship Key Concepts Neuroplasticity self‑transcendence theology Questions to Reflect On - How do these practices alter self‑perception? - What obstacles arise when seeking humility? 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She would sit on the bus on the way home from her lab creating a long list…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katty-kay/for-years-she-had-a-debilitating-habit-she-would-sit-on-the-bus-on/) [Katty Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katty-kay/) > [Because of the power of neuroplasticity, you can, in fact, reframe your world and rewire your brain so that you are more objective. 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You can rewire your brain for higher consciousness by focusing on love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/neurons-that-fire-together-wire-together-you-can-rewire-your-brain/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Some women will spend thirty minutes to an hour preparing for church externally (putting on special clothes and makeup, etc.). What would happen if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/some-women-will-spend-thirty-minutes-to-an-hour-preparing-for-church/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [Prayer is more than meditation. In meditation the source of strength is one's self. When one prays he goes to a source of strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-is-more-than-meditation-in-meditation-the-source-of-strength/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I begin and end each day with prayer, meditation, and thoughts about what I am grateful for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-east/i-begin-and-end-each-day-with-prayer-meditation-and-thoughts-about/) [Nathan East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-east/) > [Prayer and meditation are my inner secret and my outer secret. My muscles are next to nothing compared to the muscles of the professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/prayer-and-meditation-are-my-inner-secret-and-my-outer-secret-my/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [I deepen my experience of God through prayer, meditation, and forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-deepen-my-experience-of-god-through-prayer-meditation-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“To realize we love another to get love because we do not love our own self is one of our core human wounds. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-aon-prakasha/to-realize-we-love-another-to-get-love-because-we-do-not-love-our-own/) [Padma Aon Prakasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-aon-prakasha/) > [“of our prayer and meditation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-p/of-our-prayer-and-meditation/) [Bill P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-p/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/death-is-the-prerequisite-to-resurrection-the-new-life-god-intends/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Confession quotes > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/) [Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/) > [Boys say its great..boys say its fine... 9 months later boys say its not mine..!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/boys-say-its-great-boys-say-its-fine-9-months-later-boys-say-its-not/) [Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [In Confession, Jesus welcomes us with all our sinfulness, to give us a new heart, capable of loving as he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/in-confession-jesus-welcomes-us-with-all-our-sinfulness-to-give-us-a/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [A man does not have to feel less than human to realize his sin; oppositely, he has to realize that he gets no special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/a-man-does-not-have-to-feel-less-than-human-to-realize-his-sin/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/yelena-you-ve-driven-me-crazy-you-ve-caused-me-considerable-trouble/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [“in other words, his story was part boast, part confession.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mezrich/in-other-words-his-story-was-part-boast-part-confession/) [Ben Mezrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mezrich/) > [“I have a confession to make.121 Almost every time I tune in to religious radio or TV, I want to change my religion. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-have-a-confession-to-make-121-almost-every-time-i-tune-in-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [A catechism is simply a tool for teaching the fundamentals of the faith. Unlike a creed or confession, a catechism uses questions and answers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/a-catechism-is-simply-a-tool-for-teaching-the-fundamentals-of-the/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“I’m beginning to get the feeling that confession is what we need in order to forgive ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-kuhn/i-m-beginning-to-get-the-feeling-that-confession-is-what-we-need-in/) [Shane Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-kuhn/) > [“We need repentance. You see, repentance is not only going to a priest and confessing. We must free ourselves from the obsession of thoughts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elder-thaddeus-of-vitovnica/we-need-repentance-you-see-repentance-is-not-only-going-to-a-priest/) [Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elder-thaddeus-of-vitovnica/) > [You said, I love you. I said it too. The only difference is, I didn't lie to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-said-i-love-you-i-said-it-too-the-only-difference-is-i-didn-t-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 909 Confession quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Prayer, meditation, and confession actually have the power to rewire the brain in a way that can make us less self-referential and more aware of how God sees us. 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