One of the questions I'm asked often
by Christians is "How do I pray more like a Jewish person prays?"
To answer this question off the top of my head is simple, but then again, maybe
not so simple to answer for those looking for a really profound answer! Well here goes...
The first thing you should know, you not know if your a Christian: Prayer involves not only one heart, but ones mind. The emotions of the "heart and mind"
are one to a Jewish person.
Now comes the simple part...!
Have you ever seen the movie "Fiddler
on the Roof"? - Well my answer comes straight from that movie. Praying
is talking to God! That's it! This is just what Tevye did it in the movie.
It is said that study is the highest form of worship, and I agree. However,
I believe talking to God is the highest forms of praying a person can do. If you have not seen this movie, please
go rent it. Its a wonderful film, and you can learn much from it. Truly this is how we all should pray every single
day. Its so simple, people trip over its simplicity.
I have chosen to pray this way everyday of my life. All throughout the day and into the night season, I talk to
God in my heart (mind). I also talk openly (out loud) at times to God about everything, and you know what, He talks
back to me as well. Most of the times its in my spirit I hear Him, but there have been 3 maybe 4 times it was audible.
I know many will not believe me, but it is the true! -
We are all to "pray
without ceasing" - that means all
the time! According to I Thessalonians 5:17, we are all to "pray without ceasing" -
but how does one perform this Scripture? I know of no other way of fulfilling this Scriptures except by talking
to God as if He there with you, and hears you.
Tevye also goes through the act of
"pilpul" in his everyday praying. Pilpul (comes from the Hebrew "pilpel"
meaning: "pepper") - a dialectical method given to Biblical and Talmudic
study. Pilpul consisting of examining all the arguments pro's and con's in order to find a logical argument for
the application of the Torah (the whole Word of God), and at the same time to sharpen the wits of the person doing
it. This preferred method of Torah study was to be for partners to join together and discuss the text in depth,
and by "drawing out" every possibility in the text to its furthest spiritual and logical consequences. Well it
is God who is your partner in prayer, it is He who is engaging you by your spirit in pilpul. He wants us to come
and reason with Him, many of you are doing this and don't even know that you are doing it!
In doing this, one must have a starting
point. The starting point is based on focusing on the principle that "any Biblical text" that is deemed
worthy of serious study (study is the hightest form of worship), must be assumed to have been written with such
care and precision by God, that every term, expression, generalization, exclusion is significant. The phraseology
in which they are dressed or arrayed are to enter into the reasoning process in prayer.
This method is characteristic of the Tannaitic interpretation of the Bible
from the earliest times.
The belief in the Divine origin God, and of His Bible, is sufficient justification for praying anytime and with
all kind of prayers, and reasoning with a God who hear ALL, and who is a rewarder of those who seek Him earnestly.
The LORD Himself demands "pilpul,"
of the prophet Isaiah when He said: "Come
now (Isaiah), and let us reason together, says
the LORD, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they
will be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
The method encouraged by God is "PILPUL!"
Serious intercessors themselves, accustomed
to praying reasoning prayers for ages have used this precise forms of expression when talking to God. Their attitude
towards the Word of God and praying, is spirit driven. I believe this method (pilpul) of praying is the psycho-analysis style of the Holy Spirit of God in us. - He's guiding us towards a deeper
relationship with the Almighty.
Tevye would not have called himself
a praying man, yet in prayers purest form, he was indeed a praying man. He prayed with great focus as he looks
into the heavenly, reasoned out things of life with himself, and with God. In Hebrew one who prayers with great
focus, is said to be praying with "kavannah." If your praying with a Greco-Roman mind-set, you should
turn from it to a simpler Hebraic mind-set. The movie can really help you see how one does this. Please do not
take what I'm saying lightly, praying is the very heart of this ministry. We take praying to heart!!!
Born in Tel Aviv, Chaim Topol played Tevye in the movie
version of "Fiddler on the Roof."
His style of prayer (pilpul) was one of reasoning out his problems with God.
I guess that my answer is to simple
an answer for these seekers of truth, those who want to pray more like the Jewish people pray. Something more like
a "pattern of praying" is what these Believers are really wanting of me, I'm sure.
I really wanted to write an article which lays forth a "pattern of praying" - but when I came upon brother
Dwight Pryor's wonderful article entitled "Patterns and Principles of Jewish
Prayer" - I said why write one, his is great! This article taken from
a teaching brother Dwight gave in Britain in 1994 blessed me when I heard it, now its on-line. I found no reason
to take the time to write an article when this one says it all. Enjoy!
Patterns and Principles
of
Jewish Prayer
By Dwight A. Pryor
