Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2523
2523 Prayer in spirit and in truth....
October 25, 1942: Book 33
Every petition reaches the ear of the heavenly father if it is sent to Him in spirit and in truth. In other words, every thought must be felt in the heart, the spirit must speak to the spirit.... the spiritual spark in man must rise up to God, to the father, from Whom it has taken its origin. Prayer must not just be a mumbling of lips, it must rise up from the heart to God in all truthfulness, without falsehood and without pretence, simply and humbly.... This is a prayer in spirit and in truth, which God will answer at any time. A prayer can consist of beautiful words, and yet it can go unheard by the ear of the father in heaven because it lacks any intimacy, because it is only an empty form without deep feeling of the heart. And such a prayer is worthless before God, just as everything is worthless before God that is merely form without inner life. As long as the heart is not involved, the spirit in man knows nothing of it and therefore also seeks no connection with the divine spirit, to whom the prayer should be directed, even though he tries to feign a connection with God through words. He thinks differently, as he speaks, and acts differently, as he thinks.... And that is why his prayer is not true, it is not what it should be before God.... a simple, deep, heartfelt plea that is assured of being heard. And that is why God demands that the human being should withdraw into his closet when he wants to pray.... that he should forget everything around him in order to dialogue only with the father in heaven. If no external impressions distract the human being he will be able to connect deeply with God, and then he will present his request to the father in heaven without inhibition and yet in all humility and confidence, he will ask Him in a simple way, he will speak to Him reverently and yet full of trust, he will pray to Him in spirit and in truth, just as the heavenly father wants to be worshipped in order to be able to fulfil all His children's requests, as He has promised....
Amen
Translated by Doris Boekers