The Most Critical Ingredient in Prayer

Many people have a hard time praying. Perhaps it's self-consciousness.

It can feel awkward to talk to God if you can't see God.

Perhaps it's a lack of knowledge. Even if the faith is there, people can feel inadequate. They feel they don't fully understand the nuances and history of the words.

Perhaps it's a sense of doubt. If we are going through a difficult time, the words of prayer and song may feel inconsistent and inauthentic.

All of us have probably had these feelings at times. And they all matter.

But one overriding factor matters more. It is trust. Do we trust God with our feelings? Do we trust God with our pain? Do we trust God hears our prayer?

If we do, the flow of prayer ultimately restores itself. We feel it again.

That's the message of a core Jewish prayer called Shema Kolyenu. It means "God, hear our prayer"

In pleading to God, we are affirming both our vulnerability and our ultimate source of faith. We need God, and we know God is there.

But if God is always there, why do we need prayer? Do we constantly need to proclaim our trust and share our deepest feelings?

The Rabbi and the Soapmaker

Well, there's one rabbinic story I love. It's about a rabbi and a soapmaker. The two went for a walk together.

The soapmaker confessed to the rabbi. "I have a hard time praying at all," he said. "Look at the world."

"After thousands of years of teaching about peace and love and God's justice and mercy, there so much misery. Prayer does’’t work. I've just stopped saying what I know won’t happen.”

The rabbi said nothing. They continued walking for a while.

Soon they came upon a young child playing in a gutter. He was covered in mud and grime.

The rabbi said, "Look at that child. You tell me soap makes people clean and fresh, but that look at all the dirt on that little boy. Perhaps soap doesn't really work after all"

The soapmaker exclaimed, "Rabbi, of course you understand! Soap isn't magic. It only works when you use it."

"Exactly," the rabbi replied. "So it is with prayer. It only works with you use it."

Indeed, prayer isn't only for God. It's for us as well. As a great eighteenth-century rabbi put it, God lives where we let God in. Prayer opens the door.