--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We pray when there's nothing else we can…" description: "\"We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.\" — Oswald Chambers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/oswald-chambers-205_god_we-pray-when-there-s-nothing-else-we-can_3157016.png" --- # We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants… ![“We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/oswald-chambers-205_god_we-pray-when-there-s-nothing-else-we-can_3157016.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/oswald-chambers-205_god_we-pray-when-there-s-nothing-else-we-can_3157016.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/oswald-chambers-205_god_we-pray-when-there-s-nothing-else-we-can_3157016.png) > “We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.” [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. Prayer is a prerequisite for action, not a fallback when options run out; it aligns us with divine guidance before we act. **In simple terms:** Pray before acting. Key Takeaway Seek divine guidance first. Themes faith prayer action dependence Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - making decisions - facing uncertainty - starting projects - seeking comfort Key Concepts spiritual discipline humility trust Questions to Reflect On - Do you act first or pray first? - How does prayer change your approach? A Different Perspective Prayer may not guarantee outcomes, only perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-wants/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Pray God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-god/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-u/) [Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants/) [Wants Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-pray-397659/) ## Related quotes > [If God wants us to pray without ceasing, it is because He wants to answer without ceasing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-a-hartley-jr/if-god-wants-us-to-pray-without-ceasing-it-is-because-he-wants-to/) [Fred A. Hartley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-a-hartley-jr/) > [God wants us to pray, and he wants to hear our prayers-not because we are worthy, but because he is merciful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-wants-us-to-pray-and-he-wants-to-hear-our-prayers-not-because-we/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [God wants us to pray that we might have the courage to live before him in ways that are not natural to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-miller/god-wants-us-to-pray-that-we-might-have-the-courage-to-live-before/) [Jack Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-miller/) > [We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-tend-to-use-prayer-as-a-last-resort-but-god-wants-it-to-be-our-2/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We pray when there's nothing else we can do; Jesus wants us to pray before we do anything at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-pray-when-there-s-nothing-else-we-can-do-jesus-wants-us-to-pray/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [If we want to read and to pray the prayers of the Bible and especially the Psalms, therefore, we must not ask first what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/if-we-want-to-read-and-to-pray-the-prayers-of-the-bible-and/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Now I see that God prefers to work through intermediaries - Mary and the saints. . . He wants us to pray through Mary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/now-i-see-that-god-prefers-to-work-through-intermediaries-mary-and/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [ \[God\] wants you to go home, look at your bucket of seed, and determine in your heart how much you'd like to sow. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/god-wants-you-to-go-home-look-at-your-bucket-of-seed-and-determine-in/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-not-true-to-say-that-god-wants-to-teach-us-something-in-our/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When you pray to God about our wants..always say in the end of prayer YOUR will be done.because sometimes its not The WILL of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/when-you-pray-to-god-about-our-wants-always-say-in-the-end-of-prayer/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [I preach that anybody can improve their lives. I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-preach-that-anybody-can-improve-their-lives-i-think-god-wants-us-to/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I heard of somebody once who said he was interested in doing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number, and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/i-heard-of-somebody-once-who-said-he-was-interested-in-doing-the/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Each one of us has some kind of vocation. We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/each-one-of-us-has-some-kind-of-vocation-we-are-all-called-by-god-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [As long as we want to be different from what God wants us to be at the time, we are only tormenting ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-tersteegen/as-long-as-we-want-to-be-different-from-what-god-wants-us-to-be-at/) [Gerhard Tersteegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-tersteegen/) > [Unfortunately, the Bible won't tell you directly, "Thou shalt take the new job in marketing..." or "Thou shalt go directly from undergraduate school to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/unfortunately-the-bible-won-t-tell-you-directly-thou-shalt-take-the/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) ## 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 God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. 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