--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We lean to our own understanding, or we…" description: "\"We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service and do away with prayer, and consequently by succeeding in the external we fail in the eternal,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg" --- # We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service… ![“We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service and do away with prayer, and consequently by succeeding in the external we fail in the eternal, because in the eternal we succeed only by prevailing prayer.” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg) > “We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service and do away with prayer, and consequently by succeeding in the external we fail in the eternal, because in the eternal we succeed only by prevailing prayer.” [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on self‑service and neglecting prayer leads to external success but eternal failure; prayer is essential for lasting fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Service without prayer harms the soul; prayer is vital. Key Takeaway Prioritize prayer over worldly achievements. Themes faith prayer eternity Mood contemplative serious Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - career ambition - financial planning - personal growth Key Concepts theology spiritual discipline Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate prayer into daily life? - What eternal values guide your actions? 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A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/) > [Prayer is the answer to every problem there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/prayer-is-the-answer-to-every-problem-there-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?... Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/is-the-son-of-god-praying-in-me-or-am-i-dictating-to-him-prayer-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We do not pray at all until we are at our wits' end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-do-not-pray-at-all-until-we-are-at-our-wits-end/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Never make the blunder of trying to forecast the way God is going to answer your prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/never-make-the-blunder-of-trying-to-forecast-the-way-god-is-going-to/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You ask me, How much time? I do not know. I know it means time enough to forget time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mott/you-ask-me-how-much-time-i-do-not-know-i-know-it-means-time-enough-to/) [John Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mott/) > [“When the fallow ground is thoroughly broken up in the hearts of Christians, when they have confessed and made restitution, as I have taught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-finney/when-the-fallow-ground-is-thoroughly-broken-up-in-the-hearts-of/) [Charles Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-finney/) > [Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/whether-we-like-it-or-not-asking-is-the-rule-of-the-kingdom/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Beloved, there are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God that the eagles discerning eye and philosophical thought have never seen...God alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/beloved-there-are-heights-in-experimental-knowledge-of-the-things-of/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-men-who-have-done-the-most-for-god-in-this-world-have-been-early-2/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Prevailing prayer is prayer that pushes right through all difficulties and obstacles, drives back all the opposing forces of Satan, and secures the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-l-duewel/prevailing-prayer-is-prayer-that-pushes-right-through-all/) [Wesley L Duewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-l-duewel/) > [“If we embrace every problem with a prayer, we shall prevail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-we-embrace-every-problem-with-a-prayer-we-shall-prevail/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [It is in the field of prayer that life's critical battles are lost or won. We must conquer all our circumstances there. We must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-jowett/it-is-in-the-field-of-prayer-that-life-s-critical-battles-are-lost-or-2/) [John Henry Jowett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-jowett/) > [It is in the field of prayer that life's critical battles are lost or won...In prayer we bring our spiritual enemies into the Presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-jowett/it-is-in-the-field-of-prayer-that-life-s-critical-battles-are-lost-or/) [John Henry Jowett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-jowett/) > [If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-god-is-not-first-in-our-thoughts-and-efforts-in-the-morning-he/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) ## More by Oswald Chambers > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/realize-that-the-lord-is-here-now-and-the-freedom-you-receive-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/sorrow-burns-up-a-great-amount-of-shallowness/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-in-danger-of-forgetting-that-we-cannot-do-what-god-does-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-a-solemn-thing-and-no-small-scandal-in-the-kingdom-to-see-god-s/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-my-holiness-is-not-drawing-towards-him-it-is-not-holiness-of-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/my-spiritual-history-must-have-as-its-underlying-foundation-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-lasting-value-of-our-public-service-for-god-is-measured-by-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-thing-that-awakens-the-deepest-fountain-of-gratitude-in-a-human/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The secret of the missionary is...I am His, and He is carrying out His work through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-secret-of-the-missionary-is-i-am-his-and-he-is-carrying-out-his/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) [Explore all 922 Oswald Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More Answers to prayer quotes > [The only way to Heaven is prayer; a prayer of the heart, which every one is capable of, and not of reasonings which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/the-only-way-to-heaven-is-prayer-a-prayer-of-the-heart-which-every/) [Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/) > [The third petition of the Lord's Prayer is repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone's will be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-third-petition-of-the-lord-s-prayer-is-repeated-daily-by-millions/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [There is a general kind of praying which fails for lack of precision. It is as if a regiment of soldiers should all fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-is-a-general-kind-of-praying-which-fails-for-lack-of-precision/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [God will do nothing but in answer to prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/god-will-do-nothing-but-in-answer-to-prayer/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answer to our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/by-becoming-the-answer-to-someone-s-prayer-we-often-find-the-answer/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [I believe the old cliché, 'God helps those who help themselves,' is not only misleading but often dead wrong. My most spectacular answers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/i-believe-the-old-clich-god-helps-those-who-help-themselves-is-not/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [The firmament of the Bible is ablaze with answers to prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-l-cuyler/the-firmament-of-the-bible-is-ablaze-with-answers-to-prayer/) [Theodore L. Cuyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-l-cuyler/) > [When a man has found the Lord, he no longer has to use words when he is praying, for the Spirit Himself will intercede…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/when-a-man-has-found-the-lord-he-no-longer-has-to-use-words-when-he/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [I don't know of a single foreign product that enters this country untaxed, except the answer to prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-don-t-know-of-a-single-foreign-product-that-enters-this-country/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude - an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/prayer-is-not-so-much-an-act-as-it-is-an-attitude-an-attitude-of/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [The most glorious works of grace that have ever took place, have been in answer to prayer; and it is in this way, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carey/the-most-glorious-works-of-grace-that-have-ever-took-place-have-been/) [William Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carey/) > [The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-story-of-every-great-christian-achievement-is-the-history-of/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [There is a beauty bestowed in some degree on all God's saints who pray much which is of the same nature and is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stalker/there-is-a-beauty-bestowed-in-some-degree-on-all-god-s-saints-who/) [James Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stalker/) > [I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-have-so-much-to-do-that-i-spend-several-hours-in-prayer-before-i-am/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [You don't know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, 'Lord, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josemaria-escriva/you-don-t-know-how-to-pray-put-yourself-in-the-presence-of-god-and-as/) [Josemaria Escriva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josemaria-escriva/) [Browse all 88 Answers to prayer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers-to-prayer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service and do away with prayer, and consequently by succeeding in the external we fail in the eternal, because in the eternal we succeed only by prevailing prayer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oswald Chambers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-bank-on-service-and-do-away/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers to prayer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-bank-on-service-and-do-away/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/oswald-chambers-205_answers-to-prayer_we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-b_2942311.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We lean to our own understanding, or we bank on service and do away with prayer, and consequently by…” — Oswald Chambers", "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": "Oswald Chambers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We lean to our own understanding,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-bank-on-service-and-do-away/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-lean-to-our-own-understanding-or-we-bank-on-service-and-do-away/#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 } } ] } ```