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Great grief prays with great earnestness. Prayer is not a collection of balanced phrases; it is the pouring out of the soul. What is love if it be not fiery? What are prayers if the heart be not ablaze? They are the battles of the soul. In them men wrestle with principalities and powers... _x000D_ ”The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.
Samuel Chadwick
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the profound depth and earnestness of true prayer, emphasizing emotional sincerity over mere words.

Samuel Chadwick emphasizes that genuine prayer arises from deep emotional turmoil and sincerity rather than from mere eloquence or formality. It portrays prayer as an intense battle of the soul where individuals confront their deepest struggles, akin to the powerful and passionate nature of love. The quote suggests that both love and prayer demand a fiery passion and earnestness that reflects the human experience of suffering and yearning.

Themes

PrayerGriefSoulHeartLovePassionSincerity

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about the power of prayer during difficult times.

More from Samuel Chadwick

A gift without a heart behind it is a bribe. God asks for our heart, not our gifts.
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Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.
Samuel ChadwickRead
The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.
Samuel ChadwickRead
In these days there is no time to pray; but without time, and a lot of it, we shall never learn to pray.
Samuel ChadwickRead
Men ablaze are invincible. Hell trembles when men kindle. The stronghold of Satan is proof against everything but fire. The Church is powerless without the flame of the Holy Ghost. Destitute of fire, nothing else really counts; possessed of fire, nothing else really matters. The one vital need is fire. Without the flame and fervour of the Holy Ghost the Church will never accomplish its mission.
Samuel ChadwickRead
Compassion costs. It is easy enough to argue, criticize and condemn, but redemption is costly, and comfort draws from the deep. Brains can argue, but It takes heart to comfort.
Samuel ChadwickRead

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