--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A poor man found himself in a forest as…" description: "\"“A poor man found himself in a forest as night fell, and he had no prayer book to say his evening prayers. So he said, “God who knows all things, I hav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/neil-gaiman-29_books_a-poor-man-found-himself-in-a-forest-as_2496854.jpg" --- # A poor man found himself in a forest as night fell, and he… ![“A poor man found himself in a forest as night fell, and he had no prayer book to say his evening prayers. So he said, “God who knows all things, I have no prayer book and I do not know any prayers by heart. But you know all the prayers. You are God. So this is what I am going to do. I am going to…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/neil-gaiman-29_books_a-poor-man-found-himself-in-a-forest-as_2496854.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/neil-gaiman-29_books_a-poor-man-found-himself-in-a-forest-as_2496854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/neil-gaiman-29_books_a-poor-man-found-himself-in-a-forest-as_2496854.jpg) > ““A poor man found himself in a forest as night fell, and he had no prayer book to say his evening prayers. So he said, “God who knows all things, I have no prayer book and I do not know any prayers by heart. But you know all the prayers. You are God. So this is what I am going to do. I am going to say the alphabet, and I will let you put the words together.”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When lacking formal prayer, he trusts divine intuition to form prayers from the alphabet. **In simple terms:** Trust intuition when lacking formal guidance. Key Takeaway Trust intuition to create meaning. Themes faith creativity trust Mood contemplative hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative writing - spiritual practice Key Concepts spirituality improvisation faith Questions to Reflect On - Can improvisation replace tradition? - What does this say about faith? A Different Perspective Reliance on intuition may overlook structured tradition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Poor man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-man/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayers/) ## Related quotes > [ \[People\] need to find words that can reconnect them with each other. 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And in Someone's Heart...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-valuable-places-to-be-in-the-world-are-in-someone-s-thoughts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Though we cannot by our prayers give God any information, yet we must by our prayers give him honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/though-we-cannot-by-our-prayers-give-god-any-information-yet-we-must/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Some unanswered prayers are only because God doesn't want to do something for us. He wants to do something through us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/some-unanswered-prayers-are-only-because-god-doesn-t-want-to-do/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [We offer up prayers to god only because we have made him after our own image. We treat him like a pasha, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-offer-up-prayers-to-god-only-because-we-have-made-him-after-our/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Why do so many Christians pray such tiny prayers when their God is so big?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/why-do-so-many-christians-pray-such-tiny-prayers-when-their-god-is-so/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [“Whenever He answers prayers, God usually prioritizes those by people who, instead of their mouths, have prayed with their hands and/or feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/whenever-he-answers-prayers-god-usually-prioritizes-those-by-people/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [If we could all hear one another's prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burdens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/if-we-could-all-hear-one-another-s-prayers-god-might-be-relieved-of/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [If the veil of the world's machinery were lifted off, how much we would find is done in answer to the prayers of God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-murray/if-the-veil-of-the-world-s-machinery-were-lifted-off-how-much-we/) [Robert E. Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-murray/) > [“I once asked a rabbi in a large congregation which prayers he used with the dying. "You mean the Mourner's Kaddish?" he asked, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/i-once-asked-a-rabbi-in-a-large-congregation-which-prayers-he-used/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“he had seen his share of heroes, too. Major Rawls never knew everything that Owen had known; the major knew only that Owen had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-had-seen-his-share-of-heroes-too-major-rawls-never-knew-everything/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Prayers said by good people are always good prayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/prayers-said-by-good-people-are-always-good-prayers/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“I don't want your prayers, he said. What do you want, then? The old answers came easily to mind. Money. Vengeance. Jordie's voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-don-t-want-your-prayers-he-said-what-do-you-want-then-the-old/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. 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They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. 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