Rediscovering a stripped-down prayer

In a world saturated with noise, solicitations and images, praying in silence can seem strange, even disconcerting. We sometimes imagine that praying means filling the space with words, reciting formulas, doing something. But Christian prayer is not based on agitation or performance. It is above all an encounter. And this encounter, like all those that really count, needs silence and simplicity.

To learn to pray in silence is to rediscover that God does not ask for words, but for presence. He is not looking for our beautiful phrases, but for our hearts. Simple, silent prayer then becomes a place of rest, truth and peace. It refocuses us. It opens us up. It shapes us.

A God who speaks in silence

The Bible is full of passages where God acts in silence. In the first book of Kings, Elijah looks for God in the wind, the earthquake and the fire. But God is not in any of these signs. He manifests himself in "a gentle breath", an almost imperceptible whisper. This breath is inhabited silence. A discreet but real presence. God does not cry out. He waits. He whispers in the ear of the heart.

Jesus himself often withdraws into seclusion, in the desert, on the mountain, in the night. He spends hours in solitude, in inner dialogue with his Father. He did not seek agitation, nor did he impose himself. He prays in silence, in trust. And when he taught his disciples to pray, he told them not to harp on like the pagans, not to make grand speeches. "Your Father sees in secret."

The silence that welcomes

Praying in silence is not doing nothing. It is welcoming. It means making yourself available. It means ceasing to want to control everything, to understand everything, to master everything. In silence, we open up to a presence greater than ourselves. We let go of masks, preoccupations and superfluous words. You simply stand there before God. Just as you are. Without hiding. Without pretending.

Simplicity, in prayer, consists in not trying to "pray well", but to be true. Not looking for an emotion, a result, a spiritual achievement. Just being there. Making an act of faith by standing before God, even if you don't feel anything. Even when tired. Even when in doubt. Silent prayer then becomes an act of pure love. A trusting surrender.

How to enter into this silent prayer

There is no one way to pray in silence. But there are ways. We can begin with a time of stillness, simply sitting, closing our eyes, breathing deeply. You can repeat a word, a short verse, like an anchor: "Lord, I am here", "Speak, your servant is listening", "Abba". And then we let the word fade away. We remain in silence.

There will be distractions, thoughts that arise. This is normal. The important thing is to gently return to presence. Not to get agitated. Not to become discouraged. Silence is an apprenticeship. A school of patience. A way of purifying our view of God and ourselves.

You can also use an image, a candle, a crucifix placed in front of you. Not to concentrate, but to remind ourselves to whom we are speaking. And then let yourself be carried away. You listen. Not with your ears, but with your inner self. And sometimes, in the depths of that silence, a new peace is born. A soft light. A deep soothing.

A prayer for everyone, everywhere

The beauty of this prayer is that it is accessible to everyone. There's no need for training, no need for learned words, no need for special places. You can pray in your bedroom, in a church, on a bus, while walking or cooking. All it takes is a moment's attention, a breath turned towards God. It's a prayer that reaches out to those who suffer, those who doubt, those who no longer have the words.

The simplicity of the heart touches God. He does not look at the quantity of our prayers, but at the quality of our presence. A single moment offered with sincerity is more valuable than a stream of mechanical words. God gives himself to those who wait for him in silence. And sometimes he meets us where we no longer expected him.

Conclusion

To learn to pray in silence and simplicity is to return to the essentials. It means clearing the clutter. It means believing that God is there, even when everything is quiet, even when nothing seems to be happening. Silence is not empty. It's full of a presence that doesn't impose itself, but transforms. And when we agree to stand there, quietly, without pretence, God does his work. Gently. Deeply. In silence.