"This the true man of prayer knows well, and he who was not the true man of prayer learned perhaps precisely this by praying.... In proportion as he because more and more earnest in prayer, he had less and less to say, and in the end he became quite silent. He became silent--indeed, what is if possible still more expressly the opposite of speaking, he became a hearer. He had supposed that to pray is to speak; he learnt that to pray is not merely to be silent but to hear. And so it is; to pray is not to hear oneself speak, but it is to be silent, and to remain silent, to wait, until the man who prays hears God.... Not as though prayer always began with silence (which we have seen is not the case), but when prayer has really become prayer it has become silence. Seek first God's kingdom--that means, Pray! ...
That thou in silence mightest forget thyself, what thy name is, thine own name, the renowned name, the pitiful name, the insignificant name, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Hallowed be Thy name!" That thou in silence mightest forget thyself, thy plans, the great, the all-comprehensive plans, or the petty plans regarding thy life and its future, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Thy kingdom come!" That thou in silence mightest forget thy will, thy self-will, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Thy will be done!" Yea, if thou couldst learn from the lilies and the birds to become perfectly silent before God, what might not the Gospel help thee to accomplish, then nothing would be impossible for thee!" -Kierkegaard
