'The focus of prayer is not the self.... It is the momentary disregard of our personal concerns, the absence of self-centered thoughts, which constitute the art of prayer.... Thus, in beseeching Him for bread, there is one instant, at least, in which our mind is directed neither to our hunger nor to food, but to His mercy. This instant is prayer. We start with a personal concern and live to feel the utmost.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Prayer shifts focus from personal wants to a broader perspective.
- In plain terms
- Prayer is forgetting yourself to focus on God.
- What can you take from it?
- Use prayer to move beyond self-centered thoughts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When do you feel least self-centered?
- What does your prayer focus on?
Another view
Self-care is also important and not always opposed to prayer.
More from Abraham Joshua Heschel
'The issue of prayer is not prayer; the issue of prayer is God.'
Permalink to quote #7 'The deepest passion in any human being is the craving for meaning of human exsistence- God is the meaning beyond'
Permalink to quote #9 'Worship is a way of seeing the world in the light of God.'
Permalink to quote #6
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