--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obedience unites us so closely to God…" description: "\"Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even pra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg" --- # Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way… ![“Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.” quote by Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg) > “Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.” [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obedience aligns human will with divine will, transforming believers into reflections of God; lacking it nullens prayer. **In simple terms:** Obedience makes us like God; without it, prayer is weak. Key Takeaway Seek alignment with higher purpose. Themes faith obedience spiritual transformation Mood reflective spiritual Type theological ethical When to use this quote - religious practice - ethical decision making Key Concepts theology of will prayer efficacy Questions to Reflect On - How to balance obedience with personal discernment? - When does obedience become harmful? A Different Perspective Obedience can suppress personal conscience if misapplied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [It is due to neither impotence nor ignorance on God’s part that evils occur in the world, but it is owing to the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/it-is-due-to-neither-impotence-nor-ignorance-on-god-s-part-that-evils/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Eternity is called whole, not because it has parts, but because it is lacking in nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/eternity-is-called-whole-not-because-it-has-parts-but-because-it-is/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [It is a sin directly against one's neighbour, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches, without another man lacking them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/it-is-a-sin-directly-against-one-s-neighbour-since-one-man-cannot/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [An effort made with ourselves for the good of others, with the intention of pleasing God alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-bernardin-de-saint-pierre/an-effort-made-with-ourselves-for-the-good-of-others-with-the/) [Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-bernardin-de-saint-pierre/) > [No man's prayer is acceptable with God whose life is not well pleasing before God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-whyte/no-man-s-prayer-is-acceptable-with-god-whose-life-is-not-well/) [Alexander Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-whyte/) > [“It all boils down to a principle at the heart of Christian character: we have to care more about pleasing God than we care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-harris/it-all-boils-down-to-a-principle-at-the-heart-of-christian-character/) [Alex Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-harris/) > [“Some people say, “Once you learn to be happy, you won't tolerate being around people who make you feel anything less.” My Christ says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/some-people-say-once-you-learn-to-be-happy-you-won-t-tolerate-being/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [The Christian life is not about pleasing God the finger-shaker and judge. It is not about believing now or being good now for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-christian-life-is-not-about-pleasing-god-the-finger-shaker-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilkerson/to-believe-when-all-means-fail-is-exceedingly-pleasing-to-god-and-is/) [David Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilkerson/) > [The key to lasting happiness and real pleasure in this world is not found in seeking gratification, but in pleasing God. And while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-frangipane/the-key-to-lasting-happiness-and-real-pleasure-in-this-world-is-not/) [Francis Frangipane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-frangipane/) > [In assisting his 'neighbour' every day to the best of his ability, and keeping truth, honesty, and kindness perpetually before him, the Boy Scout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baden-powell/in-assisting-his-neighbour-every-day-to-the-best-of-his-ability-and/) [Robert Baden-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baden-powell/) > [The curses of the ungodly are more pleasing to God's ears than the hallelujahs of the pious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-curses-of-the-ungodly-are-more-pleasing-to-god-s-ears-than-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“If our decisions about how to treat others are always motivated by love for God, a singular love for God, we really do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/if-our-decisions-about-how-to-treat-others-are-always-motivated-by/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“What can be more pleasing to God than to see those who enter into the marriage relation seek together to learn of Jesus and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/what-can-be-more-pleasing-to-god-than-to-see-those-who-enter-into-the/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.' 'What it do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-think-it-pisses-god-off-if-you-walk-by-the-color-purple-in-a-field/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More by Thomas Aquinas > [Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/grace-does-not-destroy-nature-it-perfects-it/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Justice is in subjects as well as in rulers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/justice-is-in-subjects-as-well-as-in-rulers/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“A capacity as such is directed to an act. Wherefore we seek to know the nature of a capacity from the act to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/a-capacity-as-such-is-directed-to-an-act-wherefore-we-seek-to-know/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“Yet no-one can say that God has not a Word, for it would follow that God is most foolish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/yet-no-one-can-say-that-god-has-not-a-word-for-it-would-follow-that/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Unbelief is the greatest of sins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/unbelief-is-the-greatest-of-sins/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/if-forgers-and-malefactors-are-put-to-death-by-the-secular-power/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [When fear is excessive it can make many a man despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/when-fear-is-excessive-it-can-make-many-a-man-despair/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Now, nothing can be brought from potentiality to actual existence except through something actually existing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/now-nothing-can-be-brought-from-potentiality-to-actual-existence/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/to-convert-somebody-go-and-take-them-by-the-hand-and-guide-them/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [ By the divine providence \[animals\] are intended for man's use... Hence it is not wrong for man to make use of them, either by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/by-the-divine-providence-animals-are-intended-for-man-s-use-hence-it/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“What causes love, since it is a passion, is its object; and since it is a sort of affinity or agreement with the object,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/what-causes-love-since-it-is-a-passion-is-its-object-and-since-it-is/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [The image of God always abides in the soul, whether this image be obsolete and clouded over as to amount to almost nothing; or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/the-image-of-god-always-abides-in-the-soul-whether-this-image-be/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/charity-by-which-god-and-neighbor-are-loved-is-the-most-perfect/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Beauty adds to goodness a relation to the cognitive faculty: so that "good" means that which simply pleases the appetite; while the "beautiful" is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/beauty-adds-to-goodness-a-relation-to-the-cognitive-faculty-so-that/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“God is not, like creatures, made up of parts. God is spirit, without bodily dimensions. Firstly, no body can cause change without itself being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/god-is-not-like-creatures-made-up-of-parts-god-is-spirit-without/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) [Explore all 357 Thomas Aquinas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) ## More Lacking quotes > [I feel as much of a stud as... I can't come up with a metaphor. That's how lacking in studliness I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-feel-as-much-of-a-stud-as-i-can-t-come-up-with-a-metaphor-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Who said we take drugs? we're just lacking fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/who-said-we-take-drugs-we-re-just-lacking-fate/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [What one thing does the world need most today-apart, that is, from the all-inclusive thing we call righteousness? Aren't you inclined to agree that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/what-one-thing-does-the-world-need-most-today-apart-that-is-from-the/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [for the obvious reason that nature - unadulterated and unimproved by man - is simply chaos. In fact, the camera proves that nature is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/for-the-obvious-reason-that-nature-unadulterated-and-unimproved-by/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [There are moments when it's too quiet. Particularly late at night or early in the mornings. That's when you know there's something lacking in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/there-are-moments-when-it-s-too-quiet-particularly-late-at-night-or/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Short fiction is the medium I love the most, because it requires that I bring everything I've learned about poetry - the concision, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/short-fiction-is-the-medium-i-love-the-most-because-it-requires-that/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [I was a boarding school product from the age of eight, and I hated it. Though I do have a theory that boarding school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mawer/i-was-a-boarding-school-product-from-the-age-of-eight-and-i-hated-it/) [Simon Mawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mawer/) > [I believe that it is possible for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason and supervision for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/i-believe-that-it-is-possible-for-one-to-praise-without-concern-any/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The bourgeois thinkers of the eighteenth century thus turned Aristotle's formula on its head: satisfactions which the Greek philosopher had identified with leisure were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-bourgeois-thinkers-of-the-eighteenth-century-thus-turned/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [When you understand the values of God's kingdom, you will best understand His agenda.4 However, it is my conviction that the message of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/when-you-understand-the-values-of-god-s-kingdom-you-will-best/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [I considered people who didn't like my work to be in some way defective, deficient, lacking a sense of humor, and not understanding what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frank/i-considered-people-who-didn-t-like-my-work-to-be-in-some-way/) [Joe Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frank/) > [In economic life competition is never completely lacking, but hardly ever is it perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-a-schumpeter/in-economic-life-competition-is-never-completely-lacking-but-hardly/) [Joseph A. Schumpeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-a-schumpeter/) > [Mitt Romney was attacking Obama about our failing education system. He has a point. We are graduating millions of people in this country who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/mitt-romney-was-attacking-obama-about-our-failing-education-system-he/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) Browse all 729 Lacking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Aquinas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-that-it-in-a-way-transforms-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Lacking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-that-it-in-a-way-transforms-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/thomas-aquinas-837_lacking_obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-th_1181988.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will…” — Thomas Aquinas", "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": "Thomas Aquinas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Obedience unites us so closely to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-that-it-in-a-way-transforms-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/obedience-unites-us-so-closely-to-god-that-it-in-a-way-transforms-us/#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 } } ] } ```