Loving Prayer: A Study Guide to Everyday Jewish Prayer

Loving Prayer is a study guide, to offer new perspectives

to refresh your approach and guidance in some of the

difficult aspects of prayer. Prayer is, after all, a key part of our

ancient spiritual practice, but it’s hard for modern Jews to

find their way into it. The siddur or prayer book may seem

too dense. You may lose interest easily and need a framework

that sustains your involvement. You might be already familiar

with the prayers, but they have become rote for you – you need

some new insights.

I’ve had some of the same experiences. I began learning

the prayers with an excitement about learning something

new, including learning to read Hebrew at the same time. I

struggled to follow the service while enjoying its songs and

rhythms. Over time I became more comfortable, and began

to experience a period of deep engagement with the prayers.

I prayed on my own much of the time. When we had the opportunity

to pray with a community, on a holiday or special

Shabbat, it was glorious.

But that was followed by years of much less attention to

prayers, for I was now a working mother with five children.

We lived in an active Jewish community but I had so little

time, and often just rushed through a few formal prayers.

I became interested in Jewish meditation, which helped for

a while. Still, over the years my own practice waxed and

waned: sometimes I was actively davening every morning,

while at other times I was speaking to God less, studying and

contemplating more.