---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to keep our God placated with…"
description: "\"We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even then we are never sure of him-how much higher and finer is the Indian's God...Our illogical God ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png"
---

#  We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even…

![“We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even then we are never sure of him-how much higher and finer is the Indian's God...Our illogical God is all-powerful in name, but impotent in fact; the Great Spirit is not all-powerful, but does the very best he can for his injun and does it free…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png)

> “We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even then we are never sure of him-how much higher and finer is the Indian's God...Our illogical God is all-powerful in name, but impotent in fact; the Great Spirit is not all-powerful, but does the very best he can for his injun and does it free of charge”

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote sat the paradox of humans trying to appease an imagined deity through ritual, while questioning the deity's actual power and relevance.

**In simple terms:** People try to please a god, but doubt its real influence.

Key Takeaway

Question the power you attribute to unseen forces.

Themes

faith skepticism religion human nature

Mood

reflective critical skeptical

Type

philosophical satirical

When to use this quote

- personal prayer
- public worship
- cultural critique
- spiritual seeking

Key Concepts

theology existential doubt ritualism

Questions to Reflect On

- What role does belief play when power is uncertain?
- How does ritual affect personal agency?

A Different Perspective

Even if a deity is powerless, belief can still shape behavior.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/)

## Related quotes

> [“God cautions us in Isaiah 55:9 that his ways are not ours and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts (undoubtedly one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-brackin/god-cautions-us-in-isaiah-55-9-that-his-ways-are-not-ours-and-his/)

[Ron Brackin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-brackin/)

> [Stripping away the irrational, the illogical, and the impossible, I am left with atheism. I can live with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/stripping-away-the-irrational-the-illogical-and-the-impossible-i-am/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“How encouraging to remember that the Spirit of God is more powerful than the spirit of wickedness! As 1 John 4:4 reminds us, “You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/how-encouraging-to-remember-that-the-spirit-of-god-is-more-powerful/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [Our tendency is to be strong, self-sufficient, and dependent on our own willpower, but rather than try harder, we should reach out to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-townsend/our-tendency-is-to-be-strong-self-sufficient-and-dependent-on-our-own/)

[John Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-townsend/)

> [The Word of God is a powerful spirit whether it is spoken or written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-tui/the-word-of-god-is-a-powerful-spirit-whether-it-is-spoken-or-written/)

Nellie Tui

> [“At night, before she went to sleep in her cabin down in the quarters, she remembered Mawu’s story and told herself that she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolen-perkins-valdez/at-night-before-she-went-to-sleep-in-her-cabin-down-in-the-quarters/)

[Dolen Perkins-Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolen-perkins-valdez/)

> [The good news is that while Satan is real, so is God! In fact, God is more powerful than any demonic force in Hell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/creflo-dollar/the-good-news-is-that-while-satan-is-real-so-is-god-in-fact-god-is/)

[Creflo Dollar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/creflo-dollar/)

> [Job's avoidance of rebellion against God has nothing to do with God being good or wise or anything like that; it's strictly because God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-williams/job-s-avoidance-of-rebellion-against-god-has-nothing-to-do-with-god/)

[George C. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-williams/)

> [What is predestination? Answer: God is more powerful and wiser than we are, therefore he deals with us according to his pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/what-is-predestination-answer-god-is-more-powerful-and-wiser-than-we/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“If God is so all-powerful, why does he need angels to do his work?” Abrams smiled. “Because God is a relational Deity. His kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-romang/if-god-is-so-all-powerful-why-does-he-need-angels-to-do-his-work/)

[Mark Romang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-romang/)

> [God is all powerful, He's in control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/god-is-all-powerful-he-s-in-control/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [The god of the world is the gold and the silver. The world worships this god. It is all-powerful to them, though they might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-snow/the-god-of-the-world-is-the-gold-and-the-silver-the-world-worships/)

[Lorenzo Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-snow/)

> [“Don't let the troubles of life bring you down. No matter how big your struggle, God has given you the power to conquer all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ademola-adejumo/don-t-let-the-troubles-of-life-bring-you-down-no-matter-how-big-your/)

[Ademola Adejumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ademola-adejumo/)

> [A friend is the first person to come in when the whole World goes out. But we forget that God is there more powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/a-friend-is-the-first-person-to-come-in-when-the-whole-world-goes-out/)

[Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/)

> [“The one encouragement we can always give our children (and one another) is that God is more powerful than our sin, and He's strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elyse-fitzpatrick/the-one-encouragement-we-can-always-give-our-children-and-one-another/)

[Elyse Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elyse-fitzpatrick/)

## More by Mark Twain

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [There is nothing training can't cannot do. Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. Man gets his through months and months of cruel torture; he will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-higher-animals-get-their-teeth-without-pain-or-inconvenience-man/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“As far as I can see, Italy, for fifteen hundred years, has turned all her energies, all her finances, and all her industry to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/as-far-as-i-can-see-italy-for-fifteen-hundred-years-has-turned-all/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-with-the-determination-to-succeed-and-the-work-is-half-done/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [If we could imagine such a man, that is a man who could invent the fly and send him out on his mission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-we-could-imagine-such-a-man-that-is-a-man-who-could-invent-the-fly/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-perceive-now-that-these-things-are-all-impossible-except-in-a/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/lord-save-us-all-from-a-hope-tree-that-has-lost-the-faculty-of/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

[Explore all 3,277 Mark Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

## More Doe quotes

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/)

[James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/)

[William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/)

[Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/)

Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even then we are never sure of him-how much higher and finer is the Indian's God...Our illogical God is all-powerful in name, but impotent in fact; the Great Spirit is not all-powerful, but does the very best he can for his injun and does it free of charge",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Twain"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-prayer-and-even-then-we-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-prayer-and-even-then-we-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/mark-twain-22_doe_we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-pr_298722.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We have to keep our God placated with prayer, and even then we are never sure of him-how much higher and…” — Mark Twain",
                "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": "Mark Twain",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We have to keep our God...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-prayer-and-even-then-we-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-have-to-keep-our-god-placated-with-prayer-and-even-then-we-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
