Call to Me: Thoughts on Personal Prayer

This essay was submitted by a friend of Ask Noah and observer of the 7 Laws of Noah, who wishes to share his insights.

Have you ever stopped and really thought about prayer? What is it? And what more importantly, what can it accomplish? One thing is certain: it is something that your evil inclination tries to distract you from doing. There are good resources with recommended prayers and blessings to G-d for righteous Gentiles [1], [2], but here I want to delve deeper into the subject of prayer itself.

My evil inclination is the ultimate con artist. Most of its distractions come from things that are on my mind: time management, how tired I am are, what a busy life I have, so many responsibilities, how ill I am, or even how well I am. With all of this internal opposition, how does one succeed in setting aside some one-on-One time with G-d? The key to victory over one’s evil inclination is to know and understand its tactics.

The first tactic:

This one deserves special mention: “You’re not a Jew, so you’re not commanded to pray. Why do feel any obligation to do that?” I counter that with the fact that the first person ever to engage in prayer was Adam, on the day he was created. What did he pray about?

Now no tree of the field was yet on the earth, neither did any herb of the field yet grow, because the L-rd G-d had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the soil. (Genesis 2:5)

Rashi explains (quoting from the Talmud): “because [the L-rd G-d had] had not brought rain – Because ‘there was no man to work the soil,’ and no one who recognized the benefit of rains. But when Adam came and understood that they were essential to the world, he prayed for them, and they fell, and the trees and the herbs sprouted.”[3]

And a mist ascended from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground. (Genesis 2:6)

Rashi explains (quoting from the Midrash): “And a mist ascended – Concerning the creation of man, He [G-d] brought up the [waters of the] deep and watered the clouds to soak the earth, and man was created; like the baker, who puts water [into the flour] and afterwards kneads the dough. Here too, ‘He watered,’ and afterwards, ‘He formed’ [man].”

G-d’s mercy (manifested in the mist) brought about His creation of Adam from the earth, but G-d still withheld the vegetation from sprouting. Then Adam asked G-d – he prayed – for rain, so the vegetation that G-d had created at the surface of the ground on the third day would sprout forth.[4] Adam wasn’t commanded to pray, yet he did because he saw the need and wisdom in this act.

Take this lesson from Adam

So it is with our own personal spiritual gardens. Like Adam, it’s your responsibility to tend to yours. Nobody else can. As G-d did in creating Adam, He raises a mist of blessings through which we can raise ourselves to begin our spiritual mission. G-d brings it from the deep – from our physical condition in which our spiritual condition resides.

Included in G-d’s blessings are conditions He prepares for us, through which our prayers will be answered. Just as G-d did for Adam, He knows the answer to our prayers before we ask:

For You have preceded him with the blessings of the good man… (Psalms 21:4)

Rashi explains: “For You have preceded him with the blessings of the good man – Before I asked You [G-d], You preceded me with Your blessing…”

Rain represents G-d’s answer to what we ask of Him, as Adam did. And one rainfall is not enough. We need to pray for our necessities repeatedly, because they’re needed on an ongoing basis. But from the time that Adam and Hava (Eve) had to leave the Garden of Eden, rainfall is not enough. The ground also must be tilled and seeded. I see this as studying within Torah about our obligations to G-d as righteous Gentiles, and about knowledge of G-d and how He creates our world.

We learn that we are created “in the image of G-d”. Knowing this brings us to contemplate and inspect ourselves. Yet in the heat of the day – our daily lives – the soil can dry out, making it hard for new seeds to take root and sprout. Once they do, if they’re neglected, they’ll be left exposed to the evil inclination’s distractions and doubts. It’s always ready to nibble or remove the sprouting seedlings of wisdom we thought we acquired.

The second tactic:

Doubt is a primary tactic the evil inclination slips into the cracks in our defenses. Doubt manifests itself as questions in our mind. Here are some vulnerabilities:

Rationalizating: “Why are you going to enter into conversation with G-d again so soon? You already spent time with Him yesterday (or this morning, or last week). Remember, you don’t have to pray; you’re not a Jew. You’ve already proven your love for G-d the last time you ”
Low self-esteem: “Do you really think you’re worthy to approach G-d in prayer? Remember all those mistakes you made? Here’s a list of them, and it’s just the list from today. You’re your own best friend, and friend’s go easy on friends. It’s fine to be satisfied with the low level you’re at.”
Ability to shuffle priorities: “Why is the right time to talk with G-d? If you do it right now, you’re going to miss out on…”
Self-concern: “You’re so tired now. How will you be able to concentrate on praying? That would be a bit rude, wouldn’t it? Do it another time when you’re less tired.”

For every situation, the evil inclination has arguments ready. What is our defense? Know that for all of these, G-d provided the remedy in His Torah. It’s there for our benefit, to let us know that things aren’t as the evil inclination would have us believe.

G-dliness rests in orderliness, as Torah encourages. The evil inclination thrives in disorganized situations, from which it can distract you from trying. Above all, its mission is to challenge you at every time of choosing. The stakes are high, for you don’t know the unique reward that G-d has assigned for each act of Divine service that you could do at each particular time and place.

G-d is at your side

It’s very reassuring to know that G-d is beside you to help you make the right turn in any situation. That is, if you’ll start making that turn. How so? G-d gives you two key things to always remind yourself of.

⇒ The first is in the verse, For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are (Psalms 103:14)

This means that G-d knows us better than we know ourselves. Even if we hesitate to connect with Him because we think we don’t have the right words to say. Just begin to speak from your heart, and G-d will give you the words. Recall the verse, My L-rd, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise. (Psalms 51:17)

⇒ The second is the answer to that stumbling block of doubt that creeps into your thinking: “I will rejoice and delight in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction; You know the troubles of my soul” (Psalms 31:8)

From here we learn that it is not just that G-d hears us. He also knows what state you’re in, and how you came to be in it. Even when it may not be known to you, and when you’re exhausted from everything you endure. The question of your spiritual level is a moot question. G-d wants you to call out to Him from the place that you’re at. This is something that your evil inclination doesn’t want you to recall:

“A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call to You, O L-rd. My L-rd, hearken to my voice; let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my please. G-d, if You were to preserve iniquities, my L-rd, who could survive? But forgiveness is with You, that You may be held in awe.” (Psalms 130:1-4)

The challenge of personal difficulties:

These words remind us that no matter where we are, or how we feel, G-d is there for us. It is not so much that you have to find your energy, strength, or your way to G-d. Rather, He comes to you where you are at, for He knows your nature and your situation. No matter what difficulties you’ve been through – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or all of those – G-d is already waiting for you in the place where you are at, and He is ready to help you pick yourself up from there.

G-d responds to our prayers. Sometimes, or even most times, it may be in a hidden and protracted way. But a little gratefulness to G-d on your part goes so much further than you could imagine.

I was reminded of this recently when I was in a very difficult condition and place, under great threat. Every choice I had would logically lead to a negative outcome. To say things weren’t going well or hopeful would be an understatement. Things were looking very bleak, and the stress I had been under was taking its toll. I was so exhausted and hungry, I could not have held a Book of Psalms, let alone concentrate enough to read from it.

Yet I recalled G-d’s dew of blessings in my life, even in the situation I was in. With literally the last of my mental, emotional and physical energy, I said before G-d, “G-d here I am. Thank You for bringing me safely to this place…”. Before I realized it, I was talking with G-d. G-d met me then in my personal depths and lifted me out. He answered me in a profound way, on the spot, and within a few days, I saw His blessings unfold.

The challenge of good fortune:

Now consider an opposite situation, when things are going incredibly well for you. This reminds me of the verse, If I ascend to the heavens, You are there… (Psalms 139:8)

Just as a garden needs rain, it also needs sunshine. There can be times when you find that things are going so well, it feels like a taste of the Heavenly realms. There are still the usual concerns of life, but when you’re on a spiritual high, those are hardly noticed. Remember that your life is a marathon, not a sprint. G-d in His mercy gives some rest stops and scenic views, so use those to reflect and take in the journey thus far.

It would be nice to view those times as a safe-space, but the evil inclination is ready to try to take advantage of the situation: “Look how far you’ve come! You’ve finally made it to the summit. There’s no need to try and reach a little higher. Take your silver medal, or settle for the bronze. Why exert yourself to go for the gold?”

The tactic of doubt then begins: “Hah! You deluded yourself so much, to imagine that you could reach the next level. Do you think you did or could reach the level of being that righteous?” Then the evil inclination’s stronger tactic of despair sets in, making you feel like a foolish failure in your own eyes. What is going on here?

When the evil inclination cloaks itself in honesty:

The evil inclination can start by employing a truth. It can use a truth from the past to make you assume that you’ll fail in the future. The answer is well-known: “failure” is a name given to a learning experience. If you don’t try, you won’t succeed. If you do try but you don’t succeed this time, you will be better equipped to succeed the next time. The flip side to this, which one also needs to overcome, is fear of succeeding.

Yet again, G-d shows us the way. Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and strong things that you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

This is how “things you do not know” can be revealed to you. They are spiritual insights that come from communing with G-d, that the evil inclination tries to block. They flow from sharing with G-d your thanks, concerns, doubts, fears, dreams, hopes and needs. This is the advantage of spontaneous and honest prayer. You can’t lie to G-d, and what’s the point of lying to yourself? G-d will gather your honestly spoken words to draw you closer to Him.

Two types of prayer – like two ways of coming before a king:

Praying from formal texts can be like making your way through the royal court. It’s ordered and formal, and your mind is on the words. They’re holy if they are verses from the Hebrew Bible. To personalize them, say them from your heart, and remember that it never happened before that those words were said by you at this point in time. What meaning do they have for you now, when you’ve had a good day or …?

Praying spontaneously, on the other hand, can be like having your own personal appointment with a king. This is more conducive to introspection. But there is still the need for respect, and a respectable place (unless that’s not available in an emergency).[5]

In either case, the evil inclination can inject all of the above wiles (and others that I haven’t mentioned). There is a simple solution that can be mastered with practice. As soon as you notice one of them, put it out of your mind. It is usually as simple as thinking about something else, because you can’t focus your mind on two different things at the same time.

When that’s not working for you, you can ask G-d for help. For example, you can take a quick moment to say: “G-d, here I am. Thank You for giving me this time. I need Your help to put the doubts and distractions out of my mind. Thank You for helping me.”

Imagining prayers, and answers to prayers

So imagine what you could talk with G-d about. It’s not only the secret dreams and hopes you never dared share with another human being. There are also those fears you have. This can take 10 or 15 minutes, or sometimes you might want to take an hour. Whatever amount of time it is, G-d accepts every second you give for Him as a precious gift.

What if you run out of time? Just set aside a time when you’ll pick up where you left off. Take that as a gift too, because you’ve been given more time to contemplate what you wanted to discuss. You might even find G-d in the meantime has answered part or all of your personal request.

Be on the alert: when G-d starts answering and fulfilling those prayers, that can be a startling experience. Be ready to capture the moment, and turn your astonishment into a higher awareness and a true feeling of awe and fear of G-d: Hope in the L-rd, be strong and let your heart be valiant, and hope in G-d. (Psalms 27:14)

You can be assured of one thing: G-d hears your prayers, and He answers in the best way and time. More resources on this for you as a Noahide are available.[6] I have compiled this essay from highlights of my own insights and experiences. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Now that you know that G-d is waiting for you to call to Him, now is a good time. Now is the only time a person can use, so use it well!

Footnotes

1. Prayers, Blessings, Principles of Faith, and Divine Service for Noahides, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner and Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet.*
2. Prayers for Noahides: Community Services and Personal Worship, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner and Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet.*
3. In this essay, the Biblical verses and explanations from Rashi are quoted from the on-line Judaic Press Tanach (on-line at ), or from Tehillim Ohel Yosef Yitzchak With English Translation, pub. Kehot.
4. See Rashi on Genesis 2:5.
5. The Divine Code, 4th ed., by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Part I, topic 6:4-7.
6. Seven Gates of Righteous Knowledge, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner.*

By S.D. ben Noah, with input from the Director of Ask Noah.

*Published by Ask Noah International; see their page of Recommended Books.