--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be…" description: "\"O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg" --- # O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do… ![“O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to…” quote by Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg) > “O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.” [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer should seek personal strength and capacity matching life's challenges, turning effort into a miracle of self‑growth. **In simple terms:** Ask for strength, not easy tasks. Key Takeaway Growth comes from confronting demanding challenges. Themes spirituality self‑improvement resilience faith Mood inspired determined Type religious motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - physical training - academic study Key Concepts theology of providence psychology of grit Practical Applications - set challenging yet attainable goals - cultivate a mindset of continual improvement Questions to Reflect On - When is it wise to seek easier tasks? - How does faith influence personal resilience? A Different Perspective May overlook the value of rest and realistic limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Easy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-life/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-of-god/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracle/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Richness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richness/) [Richness of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richness-of-life/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-barrie/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for-4/) [James M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-barrie/) > [“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for-3/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Do not pray 4 easy lives,pray to be stronger person, do not pray 4 tasks equal 2 ur powers.pray for powers equal 2 ur task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evergreen-d/do-not-pray-4-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-person-do-not-pray-4/) [Evergreen D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evergreen-d/) > [“Do not pray for easy times, pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/do-not-pray-for-easy-times-pray-to-be-stronger-do-not-pray-for-tasks/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-w-wiersbe/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-and-women-do-not/) [Warren W. Wiersbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-w-wiersbe/) > [Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Prayer is not conquering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-brooks/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for-2/) Phillip Brooks > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Don't pray for an easy life, pray to be a stronger man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/don-t-pray-for-an-easy-life-pray-to-be-a-stronger-man/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/pray-for-powers-equal-to-your-tasks/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [O, do not pray for easy lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Dont pray for easy lifes,pray to be stronger men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-pray-for-easy-lifes-pray-to-be-stronger-men/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. \[Quoting Reverend Phillips Brooks, during Remarks at Presidential Prayer Breakfast, February 7 1963\] ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-quoting-reverend/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Don't pray an easy life but pray for your strength in difficulties...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/don-t-pray-an-easy-life-but-pray-for-your-strength-in-difficulties/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) ## More by Phillips Brooks > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Christmas day is a day of joy and charity. May God make you very rich in both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/christmas-day-is-a-day-of-joy-and-charity-may-god-make-you-very-rich/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Preaching is truth through personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/preaching-is-truth-through-personality/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/nothing-lies-beyond-the-reach-of-prayer-except-that-which-lies/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Everywhere the flower of obedience is intelligence. Obey a man with cordial loyalty and you will understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/everywhere-the-flower-of-obedience-is-intelligence-obey-a-man-with/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [So shall we join the disciples of our Lord, keeping faith in Him in spite of the crucifixion, and making ready, by our loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/so-shall-we-join-the-disciples-of-our-lord-keeping-faith-in-him-in/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-trouble-is-that-i-m-in-a-hurry-but-god-isn-t/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-truest-help-we-can-render-an-afflicted-man-is-not-to-take-his/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“The danger facing all of us--let me say it again, for one feels it tremendously--is not that we shall make an absolute failure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-danger-facing-all-of-us-let-me-say-it-again-for-one-feels-it/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [There is a necessary limit to our achievement, but none to our attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/there-is-a-necessary-limit-to-our-achievement-but-none-to-our-attempt/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Character - Some day, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/character-some-day-you-will-be-wrestling-with-the-great-temptation-or/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The essential tendency of life is toward happiness . . . . Optimism is the only true condition for a reasonable man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-essential-tendency-of-life-is-toward-happiness-optimism-is-the/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [To find his place and fill it is success for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/to-find-his-place-and-fill-it-is-success-for-a-man/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [It is God's world still. It has been given to man not absolutely, but in trust, that man may work out in it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/it-is-god-s-world-still-it-has-been-given-to-man-not-absolutely-but/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Prayer is not conquering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) [Explore all 153 Phillips Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) ## More Easy quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Sometimes life can suck and not be fair ,but we have to deal with it,because we feel we cant do anything but,we can.We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-can-suck-and-not-be-fair-but-we-have-to-deal-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mortals are such fragile things. Just tender feelings walking around exposed in their delicate shells...Easy to crush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/mortals-are-such-fragile-things-just-tender-feelings-walking-around/) [Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I don't know why, but I'm an easy target. And I don't do anything to dispel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-mcginley/i-don-t-know-why-but-i-m-an-easy-target-and-i-don-t-do-anything-to/) [Ted McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-mcginley/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) > [It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-easy-to-make-mistakes-it-s-living-with-the-consequences-of-them/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) Browse all 14,306 Easy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phillips Brooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Easy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/phillips-brooks-2696_easy_o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be_103907.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for…” — Phillips Brooks", "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": "Phillips Brooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "O, do not pray for easy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/#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 } } ] } ```