Simple prayer is above all a response to God -- a response, not an initiative. Prayer is concerned not so much with me as with God. We are invited to surrender to God even when our instincts rebel. The essential act of prayer is to stand unprotected, vulnerable, before God. That God should take possession of us is the purpose of life. We know that we belong to God; we know, too, if we are honest, that almost despite ourselves, we keep a tight grip on our own autonomy. To truly belong to God means having nothing left for ourselves, to be bound to the will of Another. If you desire to stand surrendered before God, then you are standing there; it needs absolutely nothing else. Whether you are aware of God's presence or not does not matter. Know that God is in you and with you -- now and forever.
"Why be silent? I have fallen in love with silence. For thirty-five years I talked enough. There is no motive to talk more."
"If you are in silence, how can you communicate?"
"The mode of communication is not only through language. In the spiritual field, the real communication is through love and silence. In fact, it is really THROUGH silence."