During the same week that I am preparing this entry I am also teaching a weekly class called "4 Questions About Jewish Prayer." The idea behind the class is to instruct and inspire Jews of all persuasions how to have a meaningful prayer experience. For those of you, my readers, who do not have the time (or the Zoom link) to attend the next few weeks, I thought I would share some of the thoughts and suggestions from this class.
Among the links below is the link to a website that contains all the class materials. Feel free to look them over at your leisure. As always I welcome your comments and questions.
What is prayer?
What does prayer mean to you? Talking to an invisible God? Reciting a ritual in a language you really don't understand? Sharing your heart's thoughts with a loving Heavenly Father? All of these reactions are very real and of course they have a profound effect on how meaningful your prayers are. I suggest that you think of prayer as a relationship - a relationship with a real God who is with you everywhere and always. The Psalms expresses this idea beautifully: "Where can I flee from Your presence? If I take wing with the dawn to come to rest on the western horizon, even there Your hand will be guiding me, Your right hand will be holding me." (Psalm 138: 7, 9) When you try to be aware of God's Presence everywhere under all circumstance, you will find it natural to communicate your thoughts with Hashem.
Why do I pray?
Very simply we pray to meet a need. Whether that need is to praise God for His goodness, thank our Creator for the wonders of the world we are given or to ask for Divine mercy, we pray to God to fulfill our needs.It is important that we pray with sincerity and kavanah (righteous intention and intensity).
When should I pray?
Tradition has set times for Jews to pray: morning (shacharit) afternoon (minchah) and evening (ma'ariv). We can easily bring our needs to God at these times. But there are often times when we feel the need to talk to Hashem when it "isn't time." In reality we can pray anytime. While praying at set times with a minyan is important, you can speak to God whenever you want for any reason. Remember: God is always there, wherever you might be.
How should I pray?
The siddur has many beautiful prayers that give expression to our needs and desires. I certainly endorse using the siddur for prayer. There is a danger however that using the same prayers all the time can become "automatic." We can fall into the trap of reciting the text without concentrating on the meaning of what we are saying. To avoid this potential pitfall I suggest praying with your own words also. Talk to God as you would to a loved one or trusted friend. Your Divine Parent is waiting to hear from you!
No matter why, when or how you pray, the most important thing is to pray often and with sincerity. Never assume that anything you say to God isn't important. You are important and your Creator loves you and waits to answer your prayers.
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