How to Merit Long Life? 10 Facts About Praying with Intention

1. It is brought in the Midrash Shir HaShirim (Chapter 4): "Israel said before Hashem: Master of the Universe, we no longer have the crimson thread and the scapegoat. He said to them: 'Like a scarlet thread are your lips,' the whisper of your mouth is as precious to Me as the crimson thread."

2. Hashem waits for the prayers of His people Israel when trouble comes upon them. In the Tractate Berachot, His words are brought: "...If trouble comes upon a person, he should not cry out to Michael or to Gabriel, but he should cry out to Me, and I will answer him immediately, as it is said: 'Whoever calls in the name of Hashem will be saved.'"

3. In the Midrash Tanchuma on Parshat Vayera it states: "Be careful with prayer, for there is no other quality finer than it, and it is greater than all sacrifices. Even if a person is not worthy to be answered through his prayer and to receive kindness, since he prays and increases his supplications before Me, I bestow kindness upon him."

(Illustration photo: Flash 90)

4. Our Sages also said (Midrash Tanchuma on Parshat Va'etchanan) that Hashem does not reject the prayer of any creature. It is also written in the Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Parshat Mishpatim: "A person should not say, 'I am not worthy to pray for the Holy Temple and for Israel...' Scripture teaches us, 'I will surely hear his cry.'"

5. The main virtue of prayer is intention. In Bereishit Rabbah it states that "if a person focuses on prayer, he can be assured that his prayer will be heard."

6. People differ in their natural tendencies. Some find it easy to concentrate, and despite reciting the same text every day, they can easily follow the words and focus on them. Others naturally find it very difficult to concentrate, and the more familiar the subject, the greater their difficulty in focusing. Even when they try to concentrate, their thoughts wander from one subject to another. ("Peninei Halacha")

7. Even some of the greatest Amoraim complained about the difficulty of concentrating during prayer, as brought in the Jerusalem Talmud, where Rabbi Chiya said about himself that he never managed to concentrate throughout the entire prayer. Once, when he tried to focus throughout the prayer, he began to wonder in the middle, "Who is more important before the king, this minister or that one?" And Samuel said, "I counted chicks during prayer." And Rabbi Bun bar Chiya said, "I counted rows of building blocks during prayer." And Rabbi Matanya said, "I am grateful to my head, that even when I don't pay attention to what I'm saying, it knows on its own to bow during 'Modim.'"

From the words of these great Amoraim, we learn that it is difficult to concentrate from the beginning of prayer until the end. Although a person should try to concentrate to the best of their ability, they should not be discouraged when they see that they are not focusing properly. Even if one has daydreamed through most of the prayer, they should not despair but focus on what remains.

8. A person should not say, "If I cannot concentrate, perhaps it would be better not to pray at all." Because by the very act of standing before Hashem in prayer, one has already expressed the deepest thing—the fundamental desire to be connected to Hashem and pray before Him... Sometimes, the merit of someone who finds it difficult to concentrate, yet strives and manages to focus on a few blessings, is greater than that of someone who easily concentrates throughout the entire prayer.

(Illustration photo: shutterstock)

9. In the name of the holy Arizal it was said that intention is like wings, through which prayer ascends and is accepted. Therefore, prayer said without intention waits until the person prays one prayer with intention. And when one merits to pray once with proper intention, along with that prayer, all the other prayers that were said without intention will also ascend before Hashem.

10. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky in his book "Darchei Yosher" writes: "It is known that concentration in prayer is one of the most difficult things, and about this, the Gemara (Berachot 32) says that prayer is among the things that always need strengthening." As advice for concentration, Rabbi Kanievsky suggests, at the very least, to extend one's prayer.

Rabbi Kanievsky quotes the promise of our Sages in Tractate Berachot: "One who extends his prayer will have his days and years extended" and adds: "Heaven forbid to disregard this, for one who shortens his prayer and does not try to concentrate demonstrates as if he does not believe, God forbid, that the Divine Presence is opposite him when he prays. "One must only strive and endeavor and at least want to concentrate as much as possible and be distressed about it," and Rabbi Kanievsky concludes with a promise: "And for one who comes to purify himself, assistance is provided."

Rabbi Emanuel Mizrachi in a fascinating lecture on the power of prayer, accompanied by moving stories:

Rabbi Yigal Cohen - What is the power of prayer? Watch

Frequently Asked Questions About Prayer:

Is there a way to know if a prayer has been accepted?

Is it permissible to pray through a mobile phone?

What should you do when you can't pray with intention?