The prayer (Part 1)
Does Prayer Really Work?
How should we do so that the Creator listens to us?
We're sure you've asked yourself these and many other questions about prayer.
Here we will talk about this great Gift that the Blessed Creator has given to each of us, and we are sure that this will help you effectively use this immense Divine gift!
There is a big misconception regarding the interpretation given to prayer. The first connotation of the word prayer tends to relate it to the act of "asking for things" such as: health, wealth, success, power, etc.
It is believed to be an almost magical resource that primitives and the ignorant resort to in an effort to overcome their defenselessness against the dominant forces of nature.
For other people, religious ritual prayer is like a formal ceremony that lacks meaning, in a language they don't understand and that has no relation to their lives and personal problems.
But we've forgotten that even in our great-grandparents' generation, many people found it perfectly natural to speak directly and spontaneously to their Creator, in their own words, discussing their needs and opening their hearts. But for most people today, this idea of speaking directly to their Creator in their own language is considered mystical, distorted, and unreal. They think God is far away or simply impossible to hear.
How is it possible that the Creator is interested in our small, insignificant problems and needs? And in any case, if the Creator knows everything, including our thoughts, why is there any need to talk to Him?
And how does He answer us when we talk to Him?
The truth is as follows:
"But it is not in Heaven... the word is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it."
(Deuteronomy 30, 12-14)
True prayer does not mean addressing the Creator "out there"; it can be as intimate and direct as speaking to one's own heart.
If we analyze the content of the Psalms and the prayers of a siddur, we will see that although the preeminent place is occupied by prayers of supplication and petition, especially for the attainment of spiritual enlightenment, they constitute only one aspect.
But there are also many descriptions of the Creator's works and activities in nature and history, in the form of praise, gratitude, and acknowledgment, for when we admit the Creator's active presence in our lives and in this world, then it is one of the most important ways in which we will experience our connection with the Blessed Creator.
In addition to supplications and affirmations, the Psalms give voice to the most intimate feelings and thoughts of the spiritual seeker, such as introspection, self-criticism, joy regarding the good in oneself and sadness for the bad, the struggle with evil inclinations, fears, doubts, questions, the joy of devotion, reverence, love, fear, longing for the Creator, etc.
Another important aspect of prayer is affirmation. We constantly remind ourselves of our faith, our hope, and our trust in the Creator. We exhort ourselves not to be afraid, discouraged, or despairing, and to direct our minds toward the qualities we wish to cultivate in our lives, such as justice and righteousness, kindness, and mercy.
The important thing about this 'spiritual journey' is to go deep within oneself and thus be able to unite with our Creator.
Prayer and self-communion become one, for the self, the soul, derives from the Blessed Creator, the soul is "part of the God above" (Job 31:2)
Therefore, the more we discover and reveal our spiritual side, the more the Divine Presence will manifest within us, and we will begin to experience how intimately connected we are to the Creator in our essence and how close He is to our thoughts, feelings, and consciousness.
We will continue...
The Breslev Garden recommends: