Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening.

"Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening." Thus spoke Mahatma Gandhi, the saint of peace, whose life was a living scripture of faith in action. In this simple yet radiant saying lies a truth as eternal as the rising and setting of the sun: that prayer opens the soul to light at the dawn and seals it in peace at the dusk. Just as the day begins and ends with the turning of the heavens, so too should the heart awaken and rest in communion with the Divine. Gandhi, who faced both the triumphs and sorrows of human struggle, knew that prayer is not escape—it is strength, the silent power that steadies the hand and purifies the spirit.

In the morning, the world is new. The mind is fresh, and the heart stands before the day like a blank scroll waiting to be written. The key of prayer opens the door to that day, not to fill it with self, but with purpose. It aligns the inner life with the eternal rhythm of creation, guiding the thoughts, words, and deeds that follow. Gandhi’s mornings began not with command or strategy, but with stillness. He rose before the light, bowed his head, and offered his heart to the Infinite. Only then did he step forth to face the battles of the world. For he knew that the man who begins with prayer begins with peace; and the peace that begins in the soul flows outward to all who meet him.

And when the evening comes—when the body is weary and the mind burdened with the dust of labor—prayer becomes the bolt that closes the door of the heart. It is the act of release, of surrender, of laying down every weight into the hands of the Eternal. Just as a door is bolted at night to keep out harm, so prayer protects the spirit from fear, regret, and restlessness. Gandhi believed that to end the day without prayer was to leave one’s soul unguarded in the darkness. In prayer, he found rest deeper than sleep—the quiet assurance that whatever was left undone was still held in divine care.

Consider the life of Gandhi himself, who led a nation’s awakening without sword or throne. His days were filled with turmoil—imprisonment, insult, and endless conflict. Yet through it all, he was never broken. When asked the secret of his endurance, he said simply, “It is prayer that has saved my life.” In moments when hope flickered, when doubt and despair surrounded him, he did not turn to wrath or despair but to silence and surrender. Prayer, for Gandhi, was not a ritual of words but the breath of the soul, the connection between man and the Eternal Spirit. And from that invisible strength came the power that changed the visible world.

The origin of these words lies not only in Gandhi’s faith but in his discipline. He drew from the wells of many traditions—Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jain—and saw in each the same truth: that prayer is the bridge between the human and the divine. It is both beginning and completion, action and rest. The morning key symbolizes awakening—unlocking the heart for service, compassion, and truth. The evening bolt symbolizes stillness—closing the heart against fear and bitterness, sealing it with gratitude. Together, they form the sacred rhythm of a life lived in harmony with heaven and earth.

The wisdom of this saying reaches beyond religion. To pray is to pause—to remember that life is not ours to control but to honor. In a world that rushes from dawn to dusk, forgetting to breathe, prayer becomes the soul’s anchor. It need not be spoken aloud; even a moment of quiet gratitude or reflection can open the heart to grace. Gandhi’s lesson reminds us that true strength is not found in ceaseless striving, but in still communion with what is eternal. He who begins and ends each day in that awareness walks with peace amid the storm.

So, my listener, let this teaching become your own. Begin your day with prayer—whatever form it takes for you. Before the noise of the world enters, unlock your heart to the higher purpose that guides all life. And when the day’s journey ends, close your evening with prayer—give thanks for what was given, release what was lost, and rest in the assurance that you are held by something greater than yourself. Make this the rhythm of your life—the key at dawn, the bolt at dusk—and your days will move not in chaos, but in sacred harmony.

For in the end, prayer is the music of the soul, the sunrise and sunset of the spirit. It opens the heart to the light of creation, and it seals it with peace through the dark. He who lives by this rhythm, Gandhi reminds us, walks not in fear, but in faith—and his life, like a candle in the night, becomes a quiet beacon for all who dwell in shadow.