I liked this God very much because you hardly had to talk to it and it never talked back. Blue Like Jazz Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

When Jesus said ast and youll get it He meant things of the spirit not the flesh. Grandpa said Jesus meant us to ast for hope forgiveness and all like that. Ast Hep us not be scared hep us not be greedy give us courage to tryAst any such and God will give it to you. But dont ast Him not to let fire burn or say spare me from death.

Repeat to yourself every day and as often as you can O Lord have mercy on all those who will appear before You today. For every hour every second thousands of men leave this world and their souls appear before the Lord and no one knows how many of them leave this earth in isolation sadness and anguish with no one to take pity on them or even care whether they live or die. And so your prayer for such a man will rise to the Lord from the other end of the earth although he may never have heard of you or you of him. But his soul as it stands trembling before the Lord will be cheered and gladdened to learn that there is someone on earth who loves him. And the Lords mercy will be even greater to both of you for however great your pity for the man Gods pity will be much greater for He is infinitely more merciful and more loving than you are.

...goals not bathed in prayer or brought in humility before the Lord turn out to be downright useless. They dont go anywhere. They dont accomplish anything.

Even when she was speaking her soul was in prayer reposing on an unseen support.

Mrs. Mudkin closed her eyes. We should pray.I aint praying Crazy Cora said. Mrs. Mudkin said Lord please bless---I aint praying.--this land and the people who--I aint praying.--have toiled on this earth--Stop that praying.I can pray if I want to.Then be quiet about it.

What was more needed by this old man who divided the leisure hours of his life where he had so little leisure between gardening in the daytime and contemplation at night Was not this narrow enclosure with the sky for a background enough to enable him to adore God in his most beautiful as well as in his most sublime works Indeed is not that all and what more can be desired A little garden to walk and immensity to reflect upon. At his feet something to cultivate and gather above his head something to study and meditate upon a few flowers on the earth and all the stars in the sky.

Contemporaries relate that hearing Martin Luther pray was an experience in theology. They said the reformer began praying with such humility that he could be pitied only to proceed with such boldness before God that the human hearer would fear for him.

The Lord is my shepherdI shall not want him for longHe maketh me to lie down in green pasturesand there are no green pasturesHe leadeth me beside still watersand still waters run deep

To neglect ones own ability to laugh is the greatest form of Blasphemy for to laugh is to pray.