There are several different forms or modes of prayer.
Basically, HaShem, by withdrawing and producing a "vacant space"
(via "tzimtzum"), gives us a portion of His Will. This
is the source of our "free will."
When our ability to find a place in the world, by means of our portion
of His Will, is insufficient, it is appropriate for us to return our will
to His. This is prayer.
All prayers involve some level of sacrifice. The most obvious is the
sacrifice of our free will to HaShem's Will in prayer. Prayer is not our getting our way based on our will. Prayer is our asking HaShem to take
back a bit of our will and use it Himself, better than we could.
The daily prayers we all say require our time and attention. They are
expensive in a busy world. With or without kavanah, this is a sacrifice.
When we make it freely, it is accepted.
In fact, no matter at what level of intensity (kavanah), when
we freely bend our will to HaShem, our prayers are always answered. Of
course, when we are in a state of confusion, as is often the case when
we are moved to pray most intensely, we may not be able to see the answer
– or we might not be ready to understand how the "answer" is
what we were praying for – or the response might be delayed until the timing
of related events (we may also have prayed for) is appropriate.
Simple prayer comes from the heart. But, there is also intellectual
prayer. In simple prayer we open our feelings to HaShem – no thinking is
required. A child's spontaneous cry can be a fervent prayer, and as such,
it can open the gates of heaven because of its purity and integrity of
feeling.
Most adults cannot easily express their truest and deepest feelings
spontaneously, like a child. For adults, intellectual prayer can be more
accessible.
What in the intellect can correspond to the emotional prayer of an innocent
and whole heart? Sacrifice.
For a peasant whose experiences are pragmatic and earthy, sacrifice,
might mean giving up a valued physical possession. This is done from the
heart, but also from the intellect. The peasant knows what they are doing.
For a more complex person, sacrifice is more subtle. Here the sacrifice
is not (only) from one's property (that would be too cheap for an accomplished
person), but rather from what is most valuable to an accomplished
person, their ego (or more precisely, the illusions of their ego.)
We all have limitations, weaknesses and deficiencies. We develop skills
to survive difficult childhoods and a difficult adult world. Our choices
and "skills" form our personality. Some of these "skills"
are not desirable. They lead to increased ego and self-centeredness rather
than to increased humility and empathy. When there is something so important
to us that we are moved to ask HaShem to help us attain it, we can offer
to make the job "easier" for HaShem (This is a metaphor, HaShem
doesn't need it to be easier, only we do.) by readying ourselves to be
aware of, to receive, to accept, and to make best use of HaShem's answer.
We can do this by letting go of, giving up on, "sacrificing"
some part of our ego or our willfulness or our expectations that are not
helping us to see and feel our humanity and our place vis a vis HaShem.
(For example, we can sacrifice our ignorance by working to learn more.)
When we want to change the world so badly that we cry out to HaShem,
our cry may consist of our changing ourselves by releasing some previously
highly-valued part of our ego or willfulness that we have previously been
dependent on, that now stands in the way.
The new-agers call it "the manifesting principle" and sometimes
that lets them forget that it is HaShem and not themselves that does the
manifesting. But, the principle is simple:
- Know what you want.
Clearly and precisely understand what you want by doing the intellectual
work needed to really know what you want and how much it costs (or how
impossible it is.)
- Sacrifice your(ego)self to the task.
Put your heart and soul into your endeavor. Do real work in the physical
world towards your goal. Care deeply about the work you are doing. Work
(and pray) well beyond your normal point of giving up. Do the work and
show your caring anyway, even if it seems that HaShem is not listening.
- Return your personal will to HaShem. Give up, be infinitely patient,
and pay attention.
The manifesting principle only works when a person has made a real sacrifice
and has continued to work even while they have let go of their expectations
of the outcome they desire. When a person short-circuits the full process,
nothing happens. When there has been no sacrifice, there is nothing for
HaShem to respond to.
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