Jewish prayer is inseparably connected with two key elements of Jewish life. The first is the Siddur, the Jewish Prayer Book. The second is the Synagogue. The Bible itself contains many examples of prayer, important elements of which are incorporated into the Siddur. Some of these are personal, some are corporate in character. Consider these examples: the prayer of Moses in Numbers 12:13 (the shortest prayer in the Hebrew scriptures), the prayer of Hannah in I Samuel 2:1-10, Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the first Temple in I Kings 8, Hezekiah’s prayer in II Kings 19, the Aaronic or Priestly Benediction of Numbers 6 ("The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace."). And of course, there are many examples of prayers and petitions in the Sepher Tehellim ("Book of Praises") or the Psalms, which was the Hymn Book of Israel’s worship.

The Synagogue

Secondly, the synagogue represented the domestication of religion. The spiritual life of Israel was not limited to the great Temple, at certain seasons, with its official priests and Levites. Rather it was to involve every man, at least every Sabbath, and from house to house. The earliest synagogues actually met in homes, not in formal buildings like today. Like the Apostles and disciples gathered together in the upper room of someone’s home (in Acts 1), the early synagogues consisted of small groups assembled in homes for prayer, study and fellowship. This domestic orientation toward the small sanctuary as the dwelling place of the Most High God was innovative and influential. Among its many functions the synagogue served as a focal point for Jewish prayer.

The Siddur

Through the centuries of Jewish experience, the Siddur became a compendium of the heartfelt prayers, petitions and praises of the Sages of Israel. It contains the liturgy for prayers in the synagogue and in the home (including such things as the benediction following a meal). This treasury of Jewish devotion is of paramount importance in Jewish life; indeed one can never fully appreciate Judaism or the Jewish spirit apart from it. A great Jewish scholar once said that to really know Judaism one must "feel" it. It engages the heart as much as it informs the head. This is part of the power and the charm of the Siddur. It allows us to "feel" Judaism, including the Jewish spirituality that was so much a part of Jesus’ world.

Principles of Jewish Prayer

Let us look at some principles that characterize Jewish prayer in general with the aim of enhancing the focus, fervency and frequency of our own prayer lives.

1. In Jewish prayer there is no trace of magic, incantation or vain repetition.

In some Christian circles, I have often witnessed prayers that border on magic. It might involve the constant repetition of a particular word or name, for instance. I remember at one meeting seeing people pacing about, breathing deeply and in a forceful way, repeating the name, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus . . ." over and over again in an almost mantra-like way. They seem to assume that invoking the name frequently enough or forcefully enough will bring about the desired effect.

Biblical prayer knows no such practice and is not based upon a magical view of reality. Not some Force or Power controls the universe, but a Person–who can be known and addressed by name but never manipulated or controlled by it. Those of us returning to our Jewish roots must be particularly careful about this. The tetragrammaton, YHWH, is a sacred name (it must be treated with respect because it reveals the character of the holy God) but it is not a secret name (that properly pronounced or invoked automatically empowers one). Nor is the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yeshua, a name that magically invokes power. All power is in Jesus, the person, and His name reminds us of that.

2. Jewish prayer is an outpouring of the soul.

Prayer is not a religious ritual or a spiritual technique but a heart-to-heart, person-to-person communication with the King of the Universe. Thus praise, petition and thanksgiving characterize Jewish prayer. The Siddur is suffused with expressions of adoration, praise, celebration and thanksgiving. Prayer is thought of as the service of the heart.

3. Jewish prayers are congregational and community orientated.

for the community. Jewish prayers are commonly prayed in the context of a minyan of at least ten people at the synagogue, and so the sense of corporate identity is reinforced. Even when one prays alone, he still prays as a representative of the congregation and petitions on their behalf as well as for himself.

We see this same sense community orientation in The Lord’s Prayer: "Our Father . . . Give us daily bread . . . Forgive us our trespasses . . . Deliver us from the evil one . . . ." This perspective is not natural to those of us living in the West. We are too steeped in the Greco-Roman emphasis upon individualism, but this attitude is quite alien to Jesus’ world and His prayers. Surely personal petitions have their place in prayer (consider David’s pleas in the Psalms, for instance), but as a pattern these must never take precedence over our awareness of being part of a corporate body.

4. Jewish prayer focuses on the Kingdom of God.

The great emphasis in Jewish prayer is always on the One to whom prayer is addressed–as the King over His created universe–and on His Kingdom–His active reigning as Sovereign and Lord. The Sages were not so much preoccupied with material needs as being consumed with a passion for all of Israel and indeed all of mankind to submit to the Kingship of God, even the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They looked for, longed for, and earnestly petitioned for the wicked to be pulled down and for God’s righteousness to prevail, for justice to roll down like a mighty river. They longed for the day when the Lord would be One and His name One in all the earth, when the whole world would recognize the God of Israel as King. In that great day, Zechariah reports, we will all go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) at the House of Yahweh. In that great Messianic age, no longer will there be a need for the redemption of Passover or the giving of the Torah at Pentecost, but the thanksgiving of Tabernacles will continue even greater than before. In the meantime, God’s rule must be evident in the lives of His people. Thus it was the earnest and intense desire, the very heartbeat of Jewish prayer, to see God’s Kingdom at work, to see God ruling and reigning in the community of Israel and eventually in the whole world.

The prayers of the Siddur address the God of Israel in direct speech, as a Person. God is not some pantheistic, impersonal cosmic force; He is personal, He has a name, and one speaks directly to Him. How amazing that ones so lowly as we can speak directly to the King of the Universe! Indeed Scripture assures us that He eagerly desires to commune with us. If one of the greatest joys in a natural father’s life is when his children ask to spend some quality time with him, how much more is our Heavenly Father desirous of a close relationship with us? He is eager to hear our prayers and praises. Jewish prayer addresses God directly and personally because of His very character as Avinu, Our Father.

6. In Jewish prayer God is acknowledged as powerful.

Even though He is known as "the God of Israel," Yahweh is not a regional, tribal, or local deity: He is Melekh HaOlam, King of the Universe. He is the Cosmic Creator, The Sovereign Judge, and the Loving Father of those who submit to Him. In the history of Israel and in the ministry of Jesus there are various occasions when God does battle with local deities. For example, the twelve plagues in Egypt were all related to the deities in the Egyptian pantheon, starting with the God of the Nile. The God of Israel demonstrated that He is superior to all these "gods." Again, on the Sea of Galilee Jesus confronted the local storm god, Baal, when He commanded the storm to cease and in effect rebuked the God of thunder. The God of Israel is greater than any Baal. He is King of the Universe. Amazingly this Sovereign of all creation has chosen the nation of Israel, the least of all people, to be bearers of His reputation in this world. In their prayers and praises to Him, Yahweh is always acknowledged as the powerful King of the Universe and God over all.

7. Jewish prayer reminds us of great truths about God.

Prayer is suffused with praise (yadah) that is characterized by confession, declaration or proclamation of truths about who God is and what He has done, about His character and His conduct, His attributes and His actions. We praise Him for who He is and petition Him to be in this world who He is already in Heaven. In so praying we ourselves are continually reminded of these vital truths about God and our responsibilities toward Him. God is exalted and we are edified. Prayer ultimately is not to conform God to our wishes but to transform us into His will. Jewish prayer reminds of this by continually setting before us the truth about God.

The Scriptures bear faithful witness to the truth about God, to His character and conduct. Therefore Jewish prayers often are taken straight from Scripture and spoken out as corporate or personal prayers. The Psalms are used extensively in this manner. The Shema, which contains two texts from Deuteronomy and one from Numbers (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41) is prescribed for prayer twice daily. These are just some of many examples in the Siddur of how Scripture itself is the basis for prayer.

9. Jewish prayer is a daily duty.

Like Joshua of old, the Jewish people meditate on God’s word twice a day in prescribed prayers. Every morning and every evening the Shema is recited, for instance. These times of prayer correspond to the morning and evening sacrifices in the Temple, with prayer being seen as the sacrifice of our lips. Thrice daily the Amidah is prayed. And at least a hundred occasions a day are to be found to recite benedictions, praising God as the King of the Universe. This philosophy of prayer is expressed in Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord continually before me." Throughout the day, every day and in every circumstance, our lives should be God-centered. Jewish prayer daily promotes that consciousness with us.

10. Jewish prayer is a disciplined activity.

The Siddur is a book of prescribed prayers. Though private extemporaneous prayers are always permitted and, at certain places in the order of prayer, even encouraged, Jewish prayer by and large utilizes the discipline and devotion of prescribed prayers. Many Christians, especially from some Protestant, Pentecostal or Charismatic backgrounds, have difficulty with this concept–since it seems to reduce prayers to mere rote. This, however, is as illogical as saying that the reading of poetry cannot be emotionally moving. The great poets operate within the discipline of their craft and yet convey in eloquent language sublime thoughts and intense feelings about life. How much more about God? Prescribed prayers can be effective conveyors of our hearts and thoughts to God. They can give voice to what our heart would say if it were so inspired as the Scriptures or so eloquent as the Sages, including Jesus Himself. Repetition, per se, is not a bad thing (indeed it was the primary way of learning in Jesus’ world); it is vain repetition that is to be avoided. Empty or meaningless repetition of words, no matter how lofty, is never authentic prayer, and the Sages consistently caution against it. Fervency and focus must accompany true prayer.

11. Jewish prayer is a focused devotion.

12. Jewish prayers are spoken in Hebrew.

The great devotional focus of the Siddur is preserved and facilitated by the use of the "sacred tongue," Hebrew. Though there have been times in Jewish history when this might have been changed, Hebrew has remained distinctively the language of Jewish prayer. This continuity has conferred a universal and timeless appeal to the Siddur, and has historically linked one generation to the next in their devotions to God.

By reciting certain portions of the Siddur it is possible for us today to pray some of the very prayers that would have been a part of Jesus’ life and in the language that He knew. We can utter some of the same devotions that would have been recited daily (and with great kavannah, I’m sure) by the Apostles and disciples as they awaited the promised Spirit in an Upper Room in Jerusalem. What an awesome prospect!