Pray Intellectually?

 The intellect is an excellent thing within its own strictly limited sphere, but you cannot pray intellectually. Whenever your mental activity becomes involved, especially if you feel that you are being rather clever or literary, you may be enjoying yourself, but be certain that you are not praying. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 33). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

Is it possible to pray intellectually?
Vocabulary.com says, “Intellectual
is often used to describe intensive reasoning
and deep thinking,
particularly in relation to subjects
that tend to spark deep discussion,
such as literature or philosophy.
An intellectual is also a noun
for a cerebral or brainy person
who engages in deep thinking,
like Plato, Albert Einstein,
or your classmate who can speak at length
about the relationship
between French existentialism and ice hockey.”
So, could Plato or Einstein pray intellectually?
There’s a Recovery saying,
“we’ve never met anyone too dumb
to get this program but
we have met people too smart to get it.”
I think Fox is wrong in saying you cannot pray
“whenever your mental activity becomes involved,”
but that he nails it in saying feeling
you are being rather clever or literary
precludes your praying.
There is a local minister who, in praying,
seems to speak slowly, carefully,
maybe more profoundly than
he would believe the congregation does
and my guess would be he’s not praying.