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A somewhat simple fellow, who was rather arrogant to boot, read in a holy book that one who does not speak any idle talk for forty consecutive days will merit that the Holy Spirit will rest upon him.  The man did so for forty days - but there was no Holy Spirit!  Disappointed, he traveled to the Baal Shem Tov to ask him why his efforts were unrewarded.

The Baal Shem Tov asked him, "Did you pray during those forty days?"  "Of course," the man replied.  "Three times a day."  "And did you recited the Psalms?" the Baal Shem Tov queried further.  "Definitely," replied the "saint."  "Well, there is your answer," said the Baal Shem Tov.  "There you have the idle talk you thought you didn't speak."

Prayer is not merely reciting from page 2 to page 84 in the siddur.  R' Chaim Kenig suggest that sometimes we think of prayer as mouthing the right words.  A Jew must put his heart and soul into the words of his prayers, illuminating them with the very essence of his soul.  Anything less is tantamount to idle talk.

Excerpt from: The Torah Treasury pg. 17