Likutei Moharan, Part II
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בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָאָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ עוֹד אָז אֵיזֶה אָדָם, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ וּמַרְגִּישׁ שֶׁעוֹמֵד עוֹד אָדָם אֶחָד בִּשְׁעַת תְּפִלָּתוֹ, הוּא לֹא טוֹב. כִּי צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם בִּשְׁעַת תְּפִלָּתוֹ, שֶׁיְּצַיֵּר בְּדַעְתּוֹ, שֶׁאֵין שָׁם אֶלָּא אֲנִי וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַד.
When a person prays, as long as he still hears someone else then—i.e., he hears and senses that another person is standing there during his prayer—it is not good. This is because while praying every person must picture in his mind that there is no one there—“it is just me and God.”
וּבַמַּאֲמָר "אַבָּא שָׁאוּל וְכוּ' פַּעַם אַחַת רַצְתִּי אַחַר צְבִי וְכוּ'" (בסי' נ"ה), שָׁם מְבֹאָר בִּטּוּל גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁמְּחֻיָּב הָאָדָם לְבַטֵּל עַצְמוֹ כָּל־כָּךְ בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁ אֲפִלּוּ אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּלָל בִּשְׁעַת תְּפִלָּתוֹ, רַק אֶת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַדּוֹ, כִּי אָז, בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, הָאָדָם עוֹמֵד בְּהֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכוּ', עַיֵּן שָׁם מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב שָׁם (באות ו): מִי הוּא, הֲלֹא יֵשׁוּתוֹ נִתְבַּטֵּל, וְאֵין כָּאן אֶלָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ וְכוּ', עַיֵּן שָׁם:
The lesson “Abba Shaul… Once, while chasing after a deer…” (Likutey Moharan I, 55) explains an even greater nullification during prayer. During prayer a person is obligated to nullify himself to such a degree that he does not even notice himself then; just God alone. For then, at the time of prayer, a person is standing in the King’s Chamber, etc. See what is written there (in section 7) : “Who is he? Why, his corporeality has been nullified, so that there is nothing here but the King Himself….” See there.