A House of Prayer for All Nations
Mussar

The Power of Prayer: A Collection of Teachings

· editor
In short: This article gathers classic Jewish teachings on the value and importance of prayer. Drawing from the Sefer Hasidim, the Sefer Haredim, and the Ramban's glosses on Maimonides' Book of Commandments, it argues that sincere supplication — offered with tears and genuine longing — can move God to respond even when one lacks great merit. Prayer is presented not as a burden but as an act of divine kindness, inviting every person into an intimate relationship with the Creator.

A brief anthology on the greatness and importance of prayer:

“There is a person who would not ordinarily merit having his prayers received by God — yet because of the force of his supplications and the tears that flow from his eyes, because he weeps and pleads always — even without great merit or good deeds to his name, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts his prayer and fulfills his desire.”

— Sefer Hasidim (The Book of the Pious)

Consider: when you are in urgent need, how far will a person humble himself, offering how many entreaties before another mortal, just to borrow a small sum of money? And how many times is he turned away empty-handed? How much more, then, should one humble oneself before God — infinitely more so — for everything depends on His will alone!

“How can you not be ashamed when you ask for so many requests and gifts from the Blessed One in your prayer — if your prayer is not offered as heartfelt supplication and tears?”

— Sefer Haredim (The Book of the God-Fearing)

“The entire matter of prayer flows from the attribute of divine kindness that the Creator, blessed be He, extends toward us — that He hears and answers us whenever we call out to Him … It is among our essential obligations to study His Torah and to pray to Him in times of trouble, with our eyes and hearts directed toward Him, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master … We are to believe that He, blessed and exalted be He, hears prayer, and that He is the One who delivers us from distress through prayer and outcry.”

— Hagahot HaRamban (Glosses of Nachmanides on Maimonides’ Sefer HaMitzvot)