How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter)
Quote #10
But you might say: 'The gods have put these things in my own power.' Is it not then better to use your own power in freedom rather than show a servile and supine concern for what you cannot control? And who told you that the gods do not help us even to the ends which lie within our own power? (9.40)
Marcus is refuting the idea that prayer is not effective and that the gods have no power or inclination to help humanity. In the passage above this one, Marcus also advises on what it is best to ask for when praying: freedom from things that will enslave the mind (like fear, dependence, regret). Taken together, we can see that Marcus is most interested in a healthy relationship with divinity—which includes knowing when to pray and what to ask for.
Quote #11
Think how worthless all this striving is: how much wiser to use the material given you to make yourself in all simplicity just, self-controlled, obedient to the gods. The pride that prides itself on freedom from pride is the hardest of all to bear. (12.27)
Keep your eyes open with this one, because Marcus is doing some mental gymnastics here. In this case, he says that all freedom isn't good. Men must always remember that there are rules to follow if they are going to be free. A paradox, we know. But the person who succumbs to prideful boasting of his or her freedom from the gods and the principles of philosophy, in Marcus's eyes, has become enslaved in sin.