Pray Without Words

Father Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit priest who endured 23 years in Soviet prisons and Siberian labor camps, gave us a profound gift in his book He Leadeth Me. During those long years of suffering, five of which were spent in solitary confinement, he came to view his isolation not as a punishment, but as a “school of prayer.”

In his reflections on prayer, Father Ciszek offers insights that can reshape how we approach this most sacred conversation with God. He writes:

“Words do not make a prayer, even the words of the Our Father taught to us by our Lord himself, or the words of any familiar prayer made easy by constant repetition. There is no formula that works of itself, no magic charm that must be automatically heard by God and produce its effect. Prayer, true prayer, is a communication — and it occurs only when two people, two minds, are truly present to each other in some way.”

This idea challenges how many of us tend to pray. So often, we fall into routines — reciting familiar prayers or rushing through our petitions as if trying to check them off a list. We become so focused on the words of our prayers that we forget to focus on being present to the One we are praying to.

Father Ciszek continues:

“Real prayer occurs, as I have said, when at last we find ourselves in the presence of God. Then every thought becomes the father to a prayer, and words quite often are superfluous. Thoughts of praise and of thanksgiving spontaneously arise, as well as questions and petitions and thoughts of friends and their needs, mingled with trusting confessions of failure and simple promises to follow in the future only what he would have us do.”

This brings us to the heart of prayer: being in the presence of God. When we quiet our hearts and place ourselves before Him, we discover that prayer isn’t about finding the right combination of words. It’s about simply being with God, allowing Him to transform our scattered thoughts into prayer — a prayer that flows naturally from the soul. Words may become unnecessary, as our hearts fill with praise, thanksgiving, and a deep desire to follow God’s will.

But how do we begin to experience this kind of prayer? It starts with learning to be still before the Lord. In the busyness of life, our minds are often restless, filled with distractions. Before we can truly pray, we need to create space in our hearts to recognize that we are in the presence of our loving Father.

This takes effort. It requires perseverance and trust. Yet, as we practice entering into the presence of God, we will find that prayer becomes less about what we say and more about who we are with. And when we are with God, how can we not be moved to pour out praise, thanksgiving, and the desires of our hearts?

Father Ciszek’s journey through years of isolation and hardship teaches us that prayer is not something we perfect with words. It’s about relationship. It’s about presence. And that kind of prayer is available to each of us, no matter where we are or what we’re going through.