Godthings

“Prayer can be the recognition that we accomplish nothing by our intentions, even though they be intentions to pray. Prayer can be the expression of our human willing of the will of God. Prayer can signify that for good or evil man justifies God and not himself. Prayer can be the human answer to the divine hearing already granted, the epitome of the true faith which we cannot assume ourselves. We do not speak of true prayer if we say ‘must’ instead of ‘can.’ According to Rom. 8:26, the way from ‘can’ to ‘must’ is wrapped in the mystery at the gates of which we here stand. With this reference we do not give anyone a means by which he can count on succeeding in his work. It must be said, however, that it is hard to see how else there can be successes in this work but on the basis of divine correspondence to this human attitude: ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’”

— Karl Barth, “Dogmatics as an Act of Faith,” Church Dogmatics I.1: The Doctrine of the Word of God (edited and translated by Geoffrey William Bromiley and Thomas Forsyth Torrance)