--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To pray is to accept that we are, and…" description: "\"To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.\" — Timothy Keller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png" --- # To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be… ![“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png) > “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## 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 presented as an admission of total reliance on divine providence for all aspects of life. **In simple terms:** Prayer means trusting completely in God. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and dependence through prayer. Themes faith dependence spirituality Mood contemplative reverent hopeful Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - personal devotion - community worship - counseling - life decisions - stress coping Key Concepts theology humility trust Questions to Reflect On - In what areas do you feel most dependent on God? - How can you balance faith with personal agency? A Different Perspective Overreliance may diminish personal responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept Wholly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-wholly-1846437/) [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependent/) [Dependent God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependent-god-269617/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God is in control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-is-in-control/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Intimacy with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimacy-with-god/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastor/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Pray Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-accept-482987/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Wholly Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholly-dependent-1846436/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [After you pray, accept, adapt and move on, .. That's what winners do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-jillian/after-you-pray-accept-adapt-and-move-on-that-s-what-winners-do/) [Ann Jillian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-jillian/) > [God's timing is always perfect. Trust His delays. He's got you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/god-s-timing-is-always-perfect-trust-his-delays-he-s-got-you/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [The man who does not learn to wait upon the Lord and have his thoughts molded by Him will never possess that steady purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixon-edward-hoste/the-man-who-does-not-learn-to-wait-upon-the-lord-and-have-his/) [Dixon Edward Hoste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixon-edward-hoste/) > [The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hildegard-of-bingen/the-mystery-of-god-hugs-you-in-its-all-encompassing-arms/) [Hildegard of Bingen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hildegard-of-bingen/) > [God doesn't break things so He can fix them; He fixes broken things so He can use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/god-doesn-t-break-things-so-he-can-fix-them-he-fixes-broken-things-so/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Everything God ever asks you to do, even if it's difficult, He asks because He has something great in mind for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/everything-god-ever-asks-you-to-do-even-if-it-s-difficult-he-asks/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [The Gospel is open to all; the most respectable sinner has no more claim on it than the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-gospel-is-open-to-all-the-most-respectable-sinner-has-no-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today let me reassure you, God knows right where you are and He knows how to get you to where you need to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-osteen/today-let-me-reassure-you-god-knows-right-where-you-are-and-he-knows/) [Victoria Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-osteen/) > [Ask God to give you the strength to endure, and rest assured, He will take care of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/ask-god-to-give-you-the-strength-to-endure-and-rest-assured-he-will/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The circumstances we ask God to CHANGE are often the circumstances God is using to CHANGE US.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/the-circumstances-we-ask-god-to-change-are-often-the-circumstances/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [There are times you will be given intuition, you just know something, and you can't explain it. Don't override it. Don't talk yourself out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/there-are-times-you-will-be-given-intuition-you-just-know-something/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [ When a person is resolute \[determined, sold out, dedicated, single-minded\] in his faith and recognizes God's Presence everywhere, he is protected from all sides. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-copeland/when-a-person-is-resolute-determined-sold-out-dedicated-single-minded/) [Gloria Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-copeland/) > [If you prayed as much as you worry, you'd have nothing to worry about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/if-you-prayed-as-much-as-you-worry-you-d-have-nothing-to-worry-about/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [In spite of calamity, He still has a plan for me, And it’s working for my good, And it’s building my testimony...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-sapp/in-spite-of-calamity-he-still-has-a-plan-for-me-and-it-s-working-for/) [Marvin Sapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-sapp/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-always-will-be-wholly-dependent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-always-will-be-wholly-dependent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/timothy-keller-240_acceptance_to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-alw_2589418.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” — Timothy Keller", "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": "Timothy Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To pray is to accept that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-always-will-be-wholly-dependent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-pray-is-to-accept-that-we-are-and-always-will-be-wholly-dependent/#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 } } ] } ```