From a sermon by St. Augustine

John is the voice, but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is the voice that lasts for a time; from the beginning Christ is the Word who lives for ever. Take away the word, the meaning, and what is the voice?

When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart.
The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you[r heart] and then passes away.

When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say: The word ought to grow, and I should diminish? The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word, and has gone away, as though it were saying: My joy is complete. Let us hold on to the word; we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.

[John’s] voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offence to the word, "I am not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord." The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence. Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying: “I speak out in order to lead him into your hearts, but he does not choose to come where I lead him unless you prepare the way for him”.

What does prepare the way mean, if not “pray well”? What does prepare the way mean, if not “be humble in your thoughts”?

We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp, and his fear was that it might be blown out by the wind of pride.