Some of us pray everyday. Some of us may not pray everyday. Some may not even pray at all. Also when we pray, we may do it for a commitment or as a divine duty or as a tradition, or out of love or may have some other affairs. By asking our Lord, we can learn the necessity, conditions, efficiency, importance, power and the beauty of our prayer. St. Alphonsus Ligouri wrote a treatise on prayer. Please click here to read it online.
So it is good to know what is prayer, with respect to Bible and how our Saints treated and considered prayer in their lives, before we continue on what we do with the fact of prayer, whether we do it, do it not, do not believe in it, give last chance to it everyday, or do not even have time for it, etc.
Following are some quotations and bible verses that are about prayer. It is good if we are blessed with a heart to read them and use them to enhance our walk to Love God.
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Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand
before the Son of Man - Luke 21:36
God bestows some favors without prayer, such as the
beginning of faith; others such as perseverance,
He has prepared for those only who pray – St. Augustine
By Prayer humans deserve to receive what God from eternity
ordained to bestow upon them – St. Gregory; More than presenting God with a wish list of what we want from Him, prayer is God’s means to prepare our souls for what He wants to give us – St. Augustine
The soul without prayer, sends forth a bad odor before God,
because he who neglects to recommend himself to the divine protection, soon
begins to put on the corruption of sin – St. Chrysostom
To prayer may be traced the beginning, the progress and the
perfection of all virtues – St. Charles
By our faith, which teaches that God cannot command
impossibilities, we are admonished what we ought to do in things that are easy
and what to ask in things that are difficult – St. Augustine
Prayer is the safeguard of chastity – St. Gregory
He knows how to live well who knows how to pray well – St.
Augustine
Without prayer no fruit can be expected from the soul – St.
Francis of Assisi
I can do all things in Him who strengthens me – Phil 4:13 -
Hence he that falls is without excuse, had he continued to pray, he would not
have yielded to the enemy – St. Chrysostom
Prayer is more powerful than all the devils; because by
prayer the soul obtains the divine assistance, which is infinitely superior to
every created power – St. Bernard
Prayer is a great armor, a strong defense, a safe harbor, an
inexhaustible treasure – St. Chrysostom
As a king considers a general to be unfaithful, who, when
besieged by the enemy, does not seek assistance (of the king), So God regards
as traitors those Christians who, when beset by temptations, do not apply to
him (pray) for aid – St. Bonaventure
Whoever practices prayer, fears not death, leaves the earth,
enters heaven, and lives with God – St. Chrys.
Be nothing solicitous (concerned); but in everything, by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to
God – Phil. 4:6
By prayer all evils are put to flight – St. Augustine
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will
answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear – Isiah 65:24
What we ask is obtained before the conclusion of our prayers
– St. Chrysostom
Prayer is better than reading; by reading we learn
what we ought to do, by prayer we receive what we ask; Spiritual reading and
their meditation teach us our obligations, but prayer obtains grace to fulfill
them – St. Augustine
Sometimes grace is more readily obtained by one short prayer
than by many good works – St. Bonaventure
He who asks receives whilst he is praying, because to
pray and to receive are one and the same – St. Ambrose
Let us ascend by meditation and prayer; the former points out what is wanted, and the latter obtains it – St. Bernard
If we do not pray, we shall certainly be without excuse; for
the grace of prayer is given to all; it is (then) in our (given) power to pray whenever
we wish – St. Alphonsus
A Christian faithfully supplicating God for the necessities of this (worldly) life, is sometimes mercifully heard, and sometimes, through mercy, his or her cry is disregarded; for the Physician knows better than the patient what will mitigate his pains – St. Augustine
A person may say, I am unable to fast or to give alms; but if he be told to pray, he cannot say I am unable to pray; because there is nothing more easy than to pray – St. Alphonsus Ligouri
St Mary Magdalen de Pazzis says, that God feels honored and consoled, and even grateful, when we ask His graces; because, by praying to Him we afford Him an opportunity of pouring out His benefits, and manifesting His bounty, which prompts Him to bestow His favours on all
For thou, O Lord are sweet and mild, and plenteous to all that call upon thee - Ps. 85:5
Prayer, says St John Climacus, piously does violence to God. Yes, prayer does violence to the Almighty; but it is a violence which is pleasing and acceptable to Him.
But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly and upbraided not. - St James 1:5.
Ask, our Lord Jesus says, and you shall receive. -St John 16:24. Who, says St Augustine, can fear deception, when truth promises. Can we entertain any doubt of being heard, when the God of truth promises to grant whatever we ask. He would not, says St Augustine, exhort us to ask, if He did not intend to give.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him? - Luke 11:13
Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you - John 16:23
Prayer is a manna, for the infinity of delicious tastes and precious sweetnesses which it gives to such as use it, but it is hidden, because it falls before the light of any science, in the mental solitude where the soul alone treats with her God alone - St. Francis De Sales
Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. - Luke 11:9
To inculcate the necessity of prayer, it would be sufficient to have said, ‘ask.’ Why then did He add, ‘seek’ and ‘knock.’ The latter words were certainly not superfluous; by them the Saviour wished to teach us that we should imitate the poor, who live upon the alms of the rich, who when refused what they asked, repeat their demands, and when the doors of the rich are closed against them, continue to knock till they become troublesome by their importunity (act of being persistence in soliciting). Thus God desires that we should pray, and never cease to pray for His succor and assistance, His light and strength, to preserve us from ever losing His holy grace - St. Alphonsus.
We ought always to pray and not to faint. -Luke 18:1.
Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of Man -Luke 21:36.
Let nothing hinder thee from praying always -Eccl. 28:22.
Bless God at all times: and desire Him to direct thy ways -Job 4:10.
Pray without ceasing -Thess. 5:17.
Be instant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. - Coloss. 4:2.
I will therefore that man pray in every place. -1 Tim 2:8
More than presenting God with a wish list of what we want from Him, prayer is God's means to prepare our souls for what He wants to give us – St. Augustine
You ask and receive not; because you ask amiss – St. James 4:3
Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give, because he is his friend; yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth -Luke 11:8.
Now, says St Augustine, if, to be freed from importunity, such a friend gave, even against his will, the loaves that were asked of him, how much more will the God of goodness, who exhorts us to ask, and who is offended when we do not ask, give what we seek from Him.
Love desires secrecy; yea, though lovers may have nothing secret to say, yet they love to say it secretly: and this is partly, if I am not mistaken, because they would speak only for themselves, whereas when they speak out loud it seems no longer to be for themselves alone; partly because they do not say common things in a common manner, but with touches which are particular, and which manifest the special affection with which they speak - St. Francis De Sales
St Gregory says that - God wishes to be invoked, He wishes to be compelled, He wishes to be overcome by a certain importunity. Happy violence, by which God is not offended, but is appeased
St Jerome declares that our prayers are pleasing to God, in proportion to our perseverance and importunity
Prayer, as long as it is importunate (persistent in solicitation), is the more acceptable – St. Hiero
‘Know you not,’ says the apostle, ‘that they who run in the race, all run indeed; but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.’ -1 Cor. 9:24.
It is not sufficient, then, to pray for salvation (only once or few times), it is necessary to pray always, until we obtain the crown which God promised, but promised to those only who are constant in prayer unto the end – St. Alphonsus
Cardinal Bellarmine says, that it is not sufficient to ask a few times, the grace of perseverance; but that to obtain it, we must pray for it daily and continually, till death. To obtain it every day, it must be sought daily. Whoever asks it today, will obtain it for today; but he that does not pray for it tomorrow, will fall on tomorrow
‘God,’ says St Augustine, ‘does not wish to grant at once (the gift of perseverance and salvation), that you may learn ardently to desire great things: what is long desired is highly valued when obtained; what is easily given is despised'
Because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour - 1 Peter 5:8
Since, says St Bonaventure, the battle (against sin) never ceases (until we die), let us never cease to ask for mercy. As we must fight continually, so to escape defeat we must constantly seek the divine aid.
Woe, says the wise man, ‘to them that have lost patience. - Eccl. 2:16
Thus, to obtain perseverance, it is necessary to recommend ourselves continually to God, morning and evening, in our mediations, at mass, communion, and at all times, but particularly in the time of temptation, saying: Assist me, O Lord; assist me. O Lord, keep your hand upon me; do not abandon me; have pity on me. Is there anything more easy than to say, assist me, O Lord; assist me?
Prayer, says St Chrysostom, which accustoms us to converse with God, is a strong bond of divine love
But as we know not what to do, (said king Josaphat,) we can only turn our eyes to thee. -2 Par. 20:12.
I cried unto thee, save me, that I may keep thy commandments. -Psalm 118:146
My eyes are ever towards the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of snare. Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor. -Psalm 24:15, 16.
Who are we or what is our strength, that we should be able to resist so many temptations (by ourselves)? God certainly wished that we, seeing that we are deficient, and that out of Him there is no assistance for us, should, with all humility, have recourse to His mercy - St. Bernard
St. Francis De Sales
But when we think of divine things, not to learn, but to make ourselves love them, this is called meditating, and this exercise, Meditation; in which our spirit, not as a fly for simple amusement, nor as a locust to eat and be filled, but as a sacred bee, moves over the flowers of holy mysteries, to extract from them the honey of divine love
But where love reigns, the sound of exterior words is not necessary, nor the help of sense to entertain and to hear one another. In fine, prayer and mystical theology is nothing else but a conversation in which the soul amorously entertains herself with God concerning his most amiable goodness, to unite and join herself thereto
But of what do we discourse in prayer? What is the subject of our conference? Theotimus, in it we speak of God only: for of what can love discourse and talk but of the well-beloved?
Think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds - Heb. 12:3
When he says think diligently, it is as though he said meditate. But why would he have us to meditate the holy passion? Not that we should become learned, but that we should become patient and constant in the way of heaven.
O how have I loved thy law, O Lord! says David: It is my meditation all the day. - Ps. 119:97
He meditates on the law because he loves it, and he loves it because he meditates on it
Nothing is more powerful than a person who prays because he
or she partakes of the power of God – St. Chrysostom
Let us ascend by meditation and prayer; the former points out what is wanted, and the latter obtains it – St. Bernard
Let no person make little of his or her prayer, since God
sets a high value on it; He will give what we ask or what He knows will be more
useful to us – St. Bernard
A Christian faithfully supplicating God for the necessities of this (worldly) life, is sometimes mercifully heard, and sometimes, through mercy, his or her cry is disregarded; for the Physician knows better than the patient what will mitigate his pains – St. Augustine
A person may say, I am unable to fast or to give alms; but if he be told to pray, he cannot say I am unable to pray; because there is nothing more easy than to pray – St. Alphonsus Ligouri
St Mary Magdalen de Pazzis says, that God feels honored and consoled, and even grateful, when we ask His graces; because, by praying to Him we afford Him an opportunity of pouring out His benefits, and manifesting His bounty, which prompts Him to bestow His favours on all
For thou, O Lord are sweet and mild, and plenteous to all that call upon thee - Ps. 85:5
Prayer, says St John Climacus, piously does violence to God. Yes, prayer does violence to the Almighty; but it is a violence which is pleasing and acceptable to Him.
But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly and upbraided not. - St James 1:5.
Ask, our Lord Jesus says, and you shall receive. -St John 16:24. Who, says St Augustine, can fear deception, when truth promises. Can we entertain any doubt of being heard, when the God of truth promises to grant whatever we ask. He would not, says St Augustine, exhort us to ask, if He did not intend to give.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him? - Luke 11:13
Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you - John 16:23
Prayer is a manna, for the infinity of delicious tastes and precious sweetnesses which it gives to such as use it, but it is hidden, because it falls before the light of any science, in the mental solitude where the soul alone treats with her God alone - St. Francis De Sales
Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. - Luke 11:9
To inculcate the necessity of prayer, it would be sufficient to have said, ‘ask.’ Why then did He add, ‘seek’ and ‘knock.’ The latter words were certainly not superfluous; by them the Saviour wished to teach us that we should imitate the poor, who live upon the alms of the rich, who when refused what they asked, repeat their demands, and when the doors of the rich are closed against them, continue to knock till they become troublesome by their importunity (act of being persistence in soliciting). Thus God desires that we should pray, and never cease to pray for His succor and assistance, His light and strength, to preserve us from ever losing His holy grace - St. Alphonsus.
We ought always to pray and not to faint. -Luke 18:1.
Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of Man -Luke 21:36.
Let nothing hinder thee from praying always -Eccl. 28:22.
Bless God at all times: and desire Him to direct thy ways -Job 4:10.
Pray without ceasing -Thess. 5:17.
Be instant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. - Coloss. 4:2.
I will therefore that man pray in every place. -1 Tim 2:8
More than presenting God with a wish list of what we want from Him, prayer is God's means to prepare our souls for what He wants to give us – St. Augustine
You ask and receive not; because you ask amiss – St. James 4:3
Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give, because he is his friend; yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth -Luke 11:8.
Now, says St Augustine, if, to be freed from importunity, such a friend gave, even against his will, the loaves that were asked of him, how much more will the God of goodness, who exhorts us to ask, and who is offended when we do not ask, give what we seek from Him.
Love desires secrecy; yea, though lovers may have nothing secret to say, yet they love to say it secretly: and this is partly, if I am not mistaken, because they would speak only for themselves, whereas when they speak out loud it seems no longer to be for themselves alone; partly because they do not say common things in a common manner, but with touches which are particular, and which manifest the special affection with which they speak - St. Francis De Sales
St Gregory says that - God wishes to be invoked, He wishes to be compelled, He wishes to be overcome by a certain importunity. Happy violence, by which God is not offended, but is appeased
St Jerome declares that our prayers are pleasing to God, in proportion to our perseverance and importunity
Prayer, as long as it is importunate (persistent in solicitation), is the more acceptable – St. Hiero
‘Know you not,’ says the apostle, ‘that they who run in the race, all run indeed; but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.’ -1 Cor. 9:24.
It is not sufficient, then, to pray for salvation (only once or few times), it is necessary to pray always, until we obtain the crown which God promised, but promised to those only who are constant in prayer unto the end – St. Alphonsus
Cardinal Bellarmine says, that it is not sufficient to ask a few times, the grace of perseverance; but that to obtain it, we must pray for it daily and continually, till death. To obtain it every day, it must be sought daily. Whoever asks it today, will obtain it for today; but he that does not pray for it tomorrow, will fall on tomorrow
‘God,’ says St Augustine, ‘does not wish to grant at once (the gift of perseverance and salvation), that you may learn ardently to desire great things: what is long desired is highly valued when obtained; what is easily given is despised'
Because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour - 1 Peter 5:8
Since, says St Bonaventure, the battle (against sin) never ceases (until we die), let us never cease to ask for mercy. As we must fight continually, so to escape defeat we must constantly seek the divine aid.
Woe, says the wise man, ‘to them that have lost patience. - Eccl. 2:16
Thus, to obtain perseverance, it is necessary to recommend ourselves continually to God, morning and evening, in our mediations, at mass, communion, and at all times, but particularly in the time of temptation, saying: Assist me, O Lord; assist me. O Lord, keep your hand upon me; do not abandon me; have pity on me. Is there anything more easy than to say, assist me, O Lord; assist me?
Prayer, says St Chrysostom, which accustoms us to converse with God, is a strong bond of divine love
But as we know not what to do, (said king Josaphat,) we can only turn our eyes to thee. -2 Par. 20:12.
I cried unto thee, save me, that I may keep thy commandments. -Psalm 118:146
My eyes are ever towards the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of snare. Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor. -Psalm 24:15, 16.
Who are we or what is our strength, that we should be able to resist so many temptations (by ourselves)? God certainly wished that we, seeing that we are deficient, and that out of Him there is no assistance for us, should, with all humility, have recourse to His mercy - St. Bernard
St. Francis De Sales
But when we think of divine things, not to learn, but to make ourselves love them, this is called meditating, and this exercise, Meditation; in which our spirit, not as a fly for simple amusement, nor as a locust to eat and be filled, but as a sacred bee, moves over the flowers of holy mysteries, to extract from them the honey of divine love
But where love reigns, the sound of exterior words is not necessary, nor the help of sense to entertain and to hear one another. In fine, prayer and mystical theology is nothing else but a conversation in which the soul amorously entertains herself with God concerning his most amiable goodness, to unite and join herself thereto
But of what do we discourse in prayer? What is the subject of our conference? Theotimus, in it we speak of God only: for of what can love discourse and talk but of the well-beloved?
Think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds - Heb. 12:3
When he says think diligently, it is as though he said meditate. But why would he have us to meditate the holy passion? Not that we should become learned, but that we should become patient and constant in the way of heaven.
O how have I loved thy law, O Lord! says David: It is my meditation all the day. - Ps. 119:97
He meditates on the law because he loves it, and he loves it because he meditates on it
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