Silent prayer is a noble desire, and one that fits the soul seeking God without distraction. Yet take care that your silence is not merely the absence of spoken words while the mind wanders to the marketplace. You ask for silent prayer, but what is the true silence of prayer? It is not the stillness of the tongue alone, but the quieting of the heart from worldly cares, from business, from thoughts that have nothing to do with your soul. I say this because I see many enter the church and keep the body still, yet within they are full of noise, bringing in their tradings, their contracts, and their useless conversations. The church must be a heaven, filled with choirs of angels, and we must know nothing there but earnest prayer and silence with listening. So let your silent prayer be this: a stripping away of every earthly matter, so that in the quiet your soul may listen to God speaking, not simply speak its own petitions. True silence is the mother of attentive prayer.
But do not think, because you pray in silence, that you have no need of the prayers of others. Let no one say, What need have I of another's prayer, if I am on the alert myself? For even Paul did not say such a thing, though those who prayed for him were not his equals. Even Peter, when he was in prison, prayer was made earnestly by the Church to God for him. You say, What need have I? On this account you especially need it, because you think you have no need. Do not exalt yourself, lest you be humbled. Seek out holy men and women, those truly devoted to God, and ask their intercessions, even as you cultivate your own silent communion. Their prayers convey a grace you cannot imagine, for the prayer of the brethren can do great things, when it is joined with your own earnest striving.
Learn also that prayer itself, whether spoken or silent, is the great weapon for the battles that await you each day. The market, the daily affairs, are a fight, a tempest and a storm. We need arms, and prayer is a mighty weapon. If at first dawn you make God propitious through prayer and supplication, going forth you will have no enemy that can truly harm you, or you will laugh him to scorn, having God on your side. So let your silent prayer be especially strong in the morning and by night, so that you may go through the length of the day without shipwreck. Put on this armor of light, and it will make you glisten brighter than the sunbeam, placing you in security. But remember, the power of prayer is not in the form of words or the absence of them. Even Christ, when He stood before the tomb of Lazarus, lifted His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. He did not need the prayer as one powerless, but He assumed that form for the sake of the people standing by, that they might believe. Your silent prayer, if it is true, is a confession that your will and God's will are to become one. It is a turning of the whole soul toward Him, not to inform Him of your needs only, but to align yourself with His goodness. So let your silence be full of this humble and expectant faith.