--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The purpose of prayer is emphatically not…" description: "\"The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his.\" — John Stott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png" --- # The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's… ![“The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his.” quote by John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png) > “The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his.” [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer aligns personal will with divine will, not the reverse. **In simple terms:** Align your will with God's. Key Takeaway Seek alignment. Themes spirituality will prayer Mood reflective reverent Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal devotion - group worship - spiritual counseling Key Concepts Theology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you discern divine will? - What practices help align intentions? A Different Perspective Misinterpretation can lead to selfish prayer. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bend God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bend-god-4382218/) [God 's will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-will/) [God Align](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-align-3732194/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayer Emphatically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer-emphatically-4872427/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-prayer-616855/) ## Related quotes > [The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God's will to mine, but to mold my will into His.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-basic-purpose-of-prayer-is-not-to-bend-god-s-will-to-mine-but-to/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [When you love without conditions, you the human and you the God, align with the spirit of life moving through you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/when-you-love-without-conditions-you-the-human-and-you-the-god-align/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [Prayer is not an agency by which my will is to be accomplished upon the earth. The purpose of prayer is to get God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-smith/prayer-is-not-an-agency-by-which-my-will-is-to-be-accomplished-upon/) [Chuck Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-smith/) > [The purpose of all prayer is to find God's will and to make that our prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/the-purpose-of-all-prayer-is-to-find-god-s-will-and-to-make-that-our/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [Our prayers must not be efforts to bend God to our will but to yield ourselves to His.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/our-prayers-must-not-be-efforts-to-bend-god-to-our-will-but-to-yield/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [Prayer doesn't bend God's arm but it's guaranteed to bend our hearts toward His will. Worry less. Pray more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/prayer-doesn-t-bend-god-s-arm-but-it-s-guaranteed-to-bend-our-hearts/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [The purpose of prayer and of God's call in your life isn't to make you number one in the world's eyes but to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/the-purpose-of-prayer-and-of-god-s-call-in-your-life-isn-t-to-make/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [ "Americans do not presume to equate God's purposes with any purpose of our own…"\[Prayer\] teaches us to trust, to accept that God's plan unfolds… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/americans-do-not-presume-to-equate-god-s-purposes-with-any-purpose-of/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [In all of its expressions, whether halting and short or flowing in beautiful, well-structured phrases, prayer is simply a conversation with God. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/in-all-of-its-expressions-whether-halting-and-short-or-flowing-in/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“The purpose of prayer is purification.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-purification/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests. The primary purpose is to praise, to sing, to chant. Because the essence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/the-primary-purpose-of-prayer-is-not-to-make-requests-the-primary/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [“The great purpose of prayer is not getting things from God but getting God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mathis/the-great-purpose-of-prayer-is-not-getting-things-from-god-but/) [David Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mathis/) > [“The purpose of prayer is transformation; we go from a creature that relies on the world to one who depends on G-d.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weiss/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-transformation-we-go-from-a-creature-that/) [Edward Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weiss/) > [The primary purpose of prayer is not to get something, but to know Someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/the-primary-purpose-of-prayer-is-not-to-get-something-but-to-know/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [The purpose of prayer is the alignment of the mind with the thoughts and the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-the-alignment-of-the-mind-with-the-thoughts/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by John Stott > [Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/prayer-is-not-a-convenient-device-for-imposing-our-will-upon-god-or/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [Mission arises from the heart of God Himself and is communicated from His heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/mission-arises-from-the-heart-of-god-himself-and-is-communicated-from/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [ \[Christian rebellion\] arises from the doctrine of mankind made in the image of God, and therefore protests against all forms of dehumanization. It sets… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/christian-rebellion-arises-from-the-doctrine-of-mankind-made-in-the/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousn ess, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/all-of-us-have-inflated-views-of-ourselves-especially-in-self/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [A deaf church is a dead church: that is an unalterable principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/a-deaf-church-is-a-dead-church-that-is-an-unalterable-principle/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [So there is such a thing as perfect hatred, just as there is such a thing as righteous anger. But it is a hatred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/so-there-is-such-a-thing-as-perfect-hatred-just-as-there-is-such-a/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [The reason I am a Christian is not that it is nice, but that it is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-reason-i-am-a-christian-is-not-that-it-is-nice-but-that-it-is-true/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [“Unless some people are commissioned for the task, there will be no gospel preachers; unless the gospel is preached, sinners will not hear Christ’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/unless-some-people-are-commissioned-for-the-task-there-will-be-no/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [“many former sins have become crimes’, so that responsibility for dealing with them has passed from church to state, from priest to policeman (p.50),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/many-former-sins-have-become-crimes-so-that-responsibility-for/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [When we look at the cross we see the justice, love, wisdom and power of God. It is not easy to decide which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/when-we-look-at-the-cross-we-see-the-justice-love-wisdom-and-power-of/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [If God speaks to us about himself and his own glorious greatness, we respond by humbling ourselves before him in worship... If He speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/if-god-speaks-to-us-about-himself-and-his-own-glorious-greatness-we/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/there-is-something-inherently-inappropriate-about-cherishing-small/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [Every powerful movement has had its philosophy which has gripped the mind, fired the imagination and captured the devotion of its adherents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/every-powerful-movement-has-had-its-philosophy-which-has-gripped-the/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [“A guilty conscience is a great blessing, but only if it drives us to come home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/a-guilty-conscience-is-a-great-blessing-but-only-if-it-drives-us-to/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [The concept of substitution lies at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-concept-of-substitution-lies-at-the-heart-of-both-sin-and/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) [Explore all 198 John Stott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) ## More God 's will quotes > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God’s will, even if you have to stand alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulisses-soares/have-the-moral-courage-to-stand-firm-in-obeying-god-s-will-even-if/) [Ulisses Soares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulisses-soares/) > [In many cases, our need to wonder about or be told what God wants in a certain situation is nothing short of a clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/in-many-cases-our-need-to-wonder-about-or-be-told-what-god-wants-in-a/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [They either attach themselves to God's will, which results in their continuous progress, improvement and advancement, or they oppose God's will, are justly subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-palamas/they-either-attach-themselves-to-god-s-will-which-results-in-their/) [Gregory Palamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-palamas/) > [Yet only the atrocities of the conquered are referred to as criminal acts; those of the conqueror are justified as necessary, heroic, and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fergus/yet-only-the-atrocities-of-the-conquered-are-referred-to-as-criminal/) [Jim Fergus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fergus/) > [“The call to “take the land” ...is not a call to a new political, cultural or geographical dominance. It is Kingdom of God territory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-baker/the-call-to-take-the-land-is-not-a-call-to-a-new-political-cultural/) [Ken Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-baker/) > [“Sometimes all of a sudden all the obstacles on your way disappear. You may call this situation as ‘an action of God’ or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-all-of-a-sudden-all-the-obstacles-on-your-way-disappear-you/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I believe that this was God's Will - to send a boy into the Reich, to let him become its Leader, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-believe-that-this-was-god-s-will-to-send-a-boy-into-the-reich-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [We are not accustomed to thinking that God's will for us and our own inner dreams can coincide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/we-are-not-accustomed-to-thinking-that-god-s-will-for-us-and-our-own/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [“God's forgot that ever I lived... He's forgot...and He never cared, nohow…" He smoothed her brown, rough-palmed hand; he held her hands to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-miller/god-s-forgot-that-ever-i-lived-he-s-forgot-and-he-never-cared-nohow/) [Caroline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-miller/) > [If there really is a perfect will of God we are meant to discover, in which we will find tremendous freedom and fulfillment, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/if-there-really-is-a-perfect-will-of-god-we-are-meant-to-discover-in/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [They's a heap more to God's will than death, disapoint-ment, and like thet. Hit's God's will for us to be good and do good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-ann-burns/they-s-a-heap-more-to-god-s-will-than-death-disapoint-ment-and-like/) [Olive Ann Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-ann-burns/) > [His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There's no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/his-majesty-knows-best-what-is-suitable-for-us-there-s-no-need-for-us/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [That in itself is an act of peacemaking, because we're seeking to align our wills with God's will, our dreams with God's dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/that-in-itself-is-an-act-of-peacemaking-because-we-re-seeking-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [I just take one day at a time, pray, and know that whatever happens is God's will, so there's nothing I can do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javon-ringer/i-just-take-one-day-at-a-time-pray-and-know-that-whatever-happens-is/) [Javon Ringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javon-ringer/) [Browse all 443 God 's will quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-will/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Stott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-not-to-bend-god-s-will-to-ours/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God 's will" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-not-to-bend-god-s-will-to-ours/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/john-stott-1926_god-s-will_the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-no_2207141.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his.” — John Stott", "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": "John Stott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The purpose of prayer is emphatically...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-not-to-bend-god-s-will-to-ours/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-emphatically-not-to-bend-god-s-will-to-ours/#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 } } ] } ```