The Siddur Project
The Power of Unity in Prayer
In every area of life, when people join together to accomplish the same goal, their united efforts tend to be much more successful. The same is true of prayer.
People sometimes see prayer at set times or prayer from a book as limiting or constraining, but in fact it is exactly the opposite. When we offer up the prayers of Israel at the appointed times of the day, whether we are with a congregation or alone, our voices join a chorus that spans the entire globe. Waves of prayer constantly circle the earth as it spins on its axis, and we have the opportunity to be a part of them each time they come our way.
This type of prayer forges unity not only with members of the commonwealth of Israel across the globe, but also with the generations of Israel throughout the centuries. In a timeless way, our voices mingle with those of the faithful remnant of God’s people across the ages, and even with the prayers of the early disciples and Yeshua Himself.
You probably have participated in corporate prayer before, which can sometimes be a thrilling and meaningful experience where prayers are answered and God’s presence is felt. But if the unity of thousands of worshipers gathered in a stadium for a single event is powerful, how much more is the unity of the non-stop prayer meeting that has been happening now for thousands of years! And if that is not enough, as disciples of Yeshua, we have a special calling and ability to infuse in that wave of prayer the power of the name of the Messiah. I am confident that if our movement taps into this unity in prayer, God will accomplish great things in us.
Prayer for Restoration
The core prayer that is offered three times a day in the traditional cycle is called the Amidah (it is also called the Shemoneh Esreh), and it is actually a list of praises and petitions. Many of them are requests that God set the world straight in a way that will only fully occur when Yeshua returns—so they are ultimately prayers to bring the future Messianic redemption.
One of the prayers with which I particularly identify as a disciple of Yeshua is the prayer for healing. This was something that characterized His ministry. He healed people completely, both spiritually and physically. Spiritual and physical healing go hand in hand, since our corrupt physical state was brought about as a result of sin entering the world. This is not to say that a person’s ailments are necessarily the direct result of a particular sin they committed, but rather that the fallen state of the world is the result of the sin of humanity. So it is naturally one of Yeshua’s messianic callings to bring physical and spiritual healing to the world as He also brings reconciliation between God and man, and makes right the wrong that was committed by Adam.
But we need not wait until the end of days in order to enjoy the fruit of Yeshua’s miraculous work. For we who have accepted upon ourselves the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven can begin to experience the goodness of the coming Kingdom even now, as the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
The traditional prayer for healing reads like this:
Heal us, O LORD, and we will be healed; save us and we will be saved, for You are our praise. Cause complete healing to arrive for all our ailments, for You are God, King, a faithful and compassionate Healer. Blessed are You, O LORD, Healer of the sick among His people Israel.
During this prayer (just before the words “for You are God”), it is traditionally suggested that people offer a personal prayer mentioning the names of loved ones who are in need of healing. Some siddurim offer a text that a person can say if he or she just does not have the words. If possible, a person’s Hebrew name is used, but instead of referring to the sick person by their father’s name as is typically the case (as in “Yitzchak ben Avraham / Isaac son of Abraham”) their name mentioned according to their mother (as in “Yitzchak ben Sarah / Isaac son of Sarah”). This is done in order to invoke God’s compassion upon mothers, who bear significant grief when their children endure sickness and distress.
A Section for Prayer Requests
With God’s help, we will be making a section in this blog available for people to post prayer requests. This won’t be a place for lengthy explanations, just the name of the person in need of healing and the names of their parents.
Let’s tap into the strength we have in unity in the Messiah’s name. Let’s let our requests be known to God (and to one another) and pray for one another, that we may be healed. And may complete spiritual and physical healing come to the entire world soon, when we see Yeshua coming again to establish God’s Kingdom!
Aaron Eby
6 Shevat 5767
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Visitor Feedback:
Aaron:
This was a very excellent post. I had never really given thought to the "wave of prayer" sweeping across the planet! What a fantastic image!
Could you do a little post on what are the suggested times for the prayers? I know they are morning, afternoon, and evening. But I know that there are guidelines for when these prayers should be offered. At Wooden Podium you told me about the guidlines for Minchah prayers. I would like to be re-educated on the proper times to offer prayers.
Thanks
Shalom,
Bill
Bll Beyer | January 26, 2007 2:15 PM
Since you mention practically applying this teaching, I have two urgent requests to start us off with:
Esthera Almasan, born Jan 29, 2007, only 4 pounds. Esthera's internal organs are not fully developed nor are they connected. The diaphram and esophagus are not functional; she cannot nurse and is being fed via I.V. She will more than likely require a number of extensive surgeries.
Cade Gettemy, 3 yrs old, inoperable tumor within his brain stem, beginning radiation therapy Mon, Jan 29, 2007. Any growth of this tumor could lead to grave circumstances.
Amber | January 31, 2007 2:10 PM
I was just reading online about something called Minyan Minder. It allows people to list the location of their minyan and provides a link to their respective web sites.
Since people in the Torah community tend to be somewhat spread out, wouldn't it be great if we could sign up for an email reminder that it's time to pray? Perhaps when the Siddur is published the email could tell us what page we should be on. For those of us who work at or near a computer all day it is easy to lose track of time. This would be a great way to get people praying in a "virtual minyan." I don't know a thing about computers, but I assume emails could be scheduled according to time zones. Many cell phones can also receive an email message, so those who are out and about could also be reminded to pray.
Does this sound feasible?
MJ
MJ Belko | February 1, 2007 2:11 PM
Cool! Thanks, Aaron!
MJ
MJ Belko | February 2, 2007 8:20 PM
Shalom to all who are praying for the two children I requested prayer for last week.
Here are the updates:
Esthera Almasan passed away last Friday, at only 5 days old. Please pray for her family as they deal with this great loss.
Cade Gettemy was diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic brain stem glioma. Unfortunately, these kinds of tumors invade the brain stem and surgery would cause severe damage to neural structures vital for arm/leg movement, eye movement, swallowing, breathing and consciousness.
Radiation therapy is very demanding, but the only course of action. Such treatment will result in transient benefit for most patients, but over 90% will succumb to this cancer within 18 months...a large majority of children die with a year of diagnosis.
Let us petition HaShem on behalf of Cade and his family. May it be His will that Cade is among the 10% that survive this serious condition.
Amber | February 6, 2007 3:39 PM