“The Prayers” are specifically mentioned in Acts 2:42, being done every day by the Apostles and the believers they led in worship and fellowship.
But, some folks who observe us, in person, or live online or after the fact, are put off by them, because they have never done them, and they’ve heard distortions of what is actually going on.
I want folks to understand something about why we pray as we do, and what we are actually doing when we lift our voices together.
There are some who believe that repeating established prayers, particularly prayers that are recited regularly or spoken together by an assembly, is contrary to the teaching of Yeshua.
They point to His words in Mat 6:7:
“And when you pray, do not repeat your words like the pagans, for they think that because of much talking they will be heard.”
Most translations say ‘do not use vain repetitions like the nations’… But Yeshua was actually speaking about how pagans pray. What is interesting to us is that, having come from all the various forms of Christianity into this walk, we all witnessed vain, repetitious prayers. People repeat their words over and over while praying. Each denomination has their own versions of how they pray, and the wording is usually very similar person to person, in spite of claiming it’s all ‘spirit led’.
But we must be careful not to misunderstand what our Master was correcting.
Yeshua was not condemning repetition of daily prayers, neither repetition itself. He was condemning vanity in prayer.
In the verses immediately preceding this instruction, Yeshua warned against those who prayed publicly for the purpose of being seen and admired by others. And in verse 7, He warned against those who believed that multiplying their words would somehow compel God to hear them.
The problem was not the repetition of words. The problem was the condition of the heart, and the mistaken belief that prayer could become a means of manipulating God.
Indeed, Yeshua Himself demonstrated that repeating a prayer is not inherently wrong.
In Luke 11:2, when His Talmidim asked Him to teach them to pray, He answered:
“When you pray, say…”
And He proceeded to give them the prayer that we commonly call The Disciples’ Prayer. Notice that He did not merely tell them to think about these subjects, or to use them as a general outline. He gave them actual words to say. And most denominations, at various times, do not mind praying that ‘repetitious’ prayer together, even interdenominationally!
And in Matai 6:9, He instructed them to pray in this manner. The prayer is in the plural.. .”our Father”, as much Hebrew is.
There is certainly room for spontaneous, personal prayer. The Scriptures are filled with examples of people pouring out their hearts before יהוה in their own words.
But there is also a clear Biblical precedent for established prayers, spoken repeatedly over time, and spoken corporately by the people of God.
Consider the following:
- BaMidbar 6:22–27: יהוה Himself gave Aharon and his sons specific words with which to bless Yisra’el. This blessing was not intended to be spoken only once.
- D’varim 6:4–9: The Shema was to be upon the hearts and lips of Yisra’el, taught diligently to their children, and spoken throughout the daily rhythms of life.
- Tehillim 136: The repeated declaration, “For His compassion endures forever,” occurs throughout the psalm. Repetition is part of its very structure.
- Divrei HaYamim Bet 5:13: The singers and musicians lifted their voices together, declaring that יהוה is good and that His compassion endures forever. His Glory filled the House.
- Matai 26:44: Yeshua prayed a third time in Gat Shemen, saying the same words again.
- Revelation 4:8: The Congregation of Holy Ones from all nations, tribes, and languages surrounding the Throne do not cease, day or night, declaring, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” before the Almighty.
- Revelation 7:9–12: A great multitude, together with the angels and elders, lift their voices in united praise before the Throne.
If repetition itself were vain, we would have to conclude that the worship we see in Heaven is vain!
But, of course, it is not.
Repetition does not make a prayer vain. An empty heart can make even the most beautiful prayer vain.
And a heart filled with Emunah [firm faith], humility, gratitude, and love can speak the same words a thousand times, and mean them more deeply each time.
Our Prayers Are Not Merely Words — They Are an Approach to the Throne
Now, I want us to consider something else.
Our congregational prayers are not simply a collection of beautiful passages, nor are they merely a religious tradition. They are deliberately arranged to lead our hearts and minds into the Presence of יהוה. They are, in a very real spiritual sense, an approach to His Throne — the Throne of His Compassion.
We begin by remembering:
“Surely the compassions of יהוה are not consumed, surely His mercies do not fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” [Lamentations 3:22-23]
Why begin here? Because we do not approach יהוה on the basis of our own righteousness or worthiness. We approach Him because He is compassionate. We then declare His greatness, His wisdom, His ownership of all creation, and His holiness. We remember that clean hands and a pure heart are required of those who would stand in His consecrated place. We remember His Commandments, His covenant, and His promise to betroth His people to Himself in righteousness, compassion, mercy, and faithfulness.
Then we are invited to enter: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; give thanks unto Him, and bless His Name.” [Psalm 100:4] Do you see what is happening? We are not simply reading verses.
We are being led from the concerns of this world toward the courts of the King.
And there, we pray the very prayer that Yeshua taught His Talmidim, acknowledging our Father in Heaven, seeking the holiness of His Name, the coming of His Kingdom, the doing of His will, our daily provision, forgiveness, and deliverance.
We then acknowledge our sins, seek cleansing through the blood of Yeshua His Son, and ask to be consecrated in His Truth.
We remember the character יהוה revealed to Moshe:
“יהוה , יהוה, God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in compassion and truth…” [Exodus 34:6–7]
We do not enter His Presence presuming upon His holiness. We enter remembering His mercy. And then our prayers turn toward His House. We declare:
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Yisra’el!”
And: “But as for me, in the abundance of Your compassion will I come into Your house; I will bow down toward Your Sacred Temple in the fear of You.” BaMidbar 24:5; Tehillah 5:8
Consider that expression: “In the abundance of Your compassion will I come into Your house.” That is the very heart of what we are doing. We are drawing near, not because we have earned entrance, but because יהוה, in His compassion, has made a way for us. And that Way is Yeshua HaMashi’akh.
As we read in Hebrews 4:14–16, because we have a great High Priest, Yeshua the Son of God, we may draw near with confidence to the Throne of Grace, to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. And Hebrews 10:19–22 teaches that we have confidence to enter the consecrated place through the blood of Yeshua, drawing near with a true heart and full assurance of Emunah.
Yeshua is not the One who replaces the Father upon the Throne. He is our High Priest, our Mediator, the One through whom we are brought near to the Father. He stands between us and God, to advocate for us before The Father.
Joining the Worship of Heaven
As our prayers continue, we magnify His Name, laud His Torah, declare His Kingdom, and recite the words of Tehillim/Psalms.
And then something remarkable happens.
We begin to speak the very words heard in the heavenly visions of the prophets:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is יהוה of Armies; the whole earth is full of His Glory.” Isaiah 6:3
These are the words of the heavenly beings before His Throne. And in Revelation 4, we discover that this worship continues before Him. We are not claiming that our earthly assembly has become the heavenly Throne Room, nor that the words themselves transport us there by some mystical power. Rather, through Yeshua, we are invited to draw near to the heavenly reality that these prayers proclaim.
Hebrews 12:22–24 speaks of approaching the heavenly Yerushalayim, the innumerable company of angels, the assembly of the firstborn, God the Judge of all, and Yeshua the Mediator of the renewed covenant. And Revelation 5:8 describes golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. Our prayers are not insignificant sounds disappearing into the air. They are offerings brought before the living God.
When we lift our voices together in genuine Emunah, we join in the praise of the One whom Heaven itself worships. And as we declare the Shema, we acknowledge the sovereignty and oneness of יהוה, the very One before whom every knee must bow. We remember His covenant, His Torah, His love, and our obligation to love Him with all our heart, soul, and might.
And finally, we ask:
“O Adonai, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.” Tehillah 51:17 [51:15 in many English Bibles]
What a fitting expression of humility! After all our words, all our declarations, all our praise, we acknowledge that even our ability to praise Him rightly comes from Him. I want to encourage everyone, whether you have spoken these prayers a thousand times or are hearing them for the very first time, do not merely recite them. Pray them.
Consider every word. When we declare His holiness, recognize His holiness. When we confess His compassion, remember how desperately we need it. When we speak of His Torah, commit your heart to walk in His Ways. When we ask for forgiveness, examine your heart. When we proclaim His Kingdom, remember that we are subjects of that Kingdom. And when we declare, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” remember that we are speaking words that are being proclaimed even now before His Throne, by a multitude.
Our prayers are not intended to impress God with our eloquence, nor to persuade Him by the number of our words. They are intended to align our hearts with His Word, His will, His holiness, and His compassion. They lead us from remembrance to thanksgiving, from thanksgiving to repentance, from repentance to consecration, and from consecration into praise. And through Yeshua HaMashi’akh, our High Priest, we are invited to draw near.
So, to say that what we pray each day is vanity is to call the Word of God itself vanity. Yeshua prayed God’s Word, even when He was hanging on the tree. He prayed the Psalms, which is what much of our liturgy in the Siddur is based on. He used the book of Deuteronomy to fight the enemy when tempted. The Word is valuable. And those of us who pray “The Prayers” daily, have committed to memory the ‘pattern’ of worship shown to Moses and to David.
Is it truly a vain thing to have all the following words committed to memory? “The Prayers” are below. Read them, and see how beautiful it is to come into God’s Presence on His path. And after saying them every day, to have them inscribed in one’s heart… that is ‘vanity’? Would that all believers had such a measure of His Word committed to memory!
From “The Messianic Peshitta Siddur for Shabbat”, the Daily Prayers:
Surely the compassions of יהוה are not consumed, surely His mercies do not fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The fear of יהוה is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do thereafter; His praise endures forever. Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever.
The earth belongs to יהוה , and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein; For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into The Mountain of יהוה ? And who shall stand in His consecrated place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not taken My Name in vain, and has not sworn deceitfully.
Bless יהוה , O my soul. O יהוה my God, You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty. Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
Blessed are You, O יהוה our God, King of the Universe, who has consecrated us by His Commadments, and has commanded us concerning the donning of the tassle [tzit-tzit]. (BaMidbar 15:38-41)
And יהוה spoke unto Moshe, saying, “Speak unto The Sons of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations tassles [tzit-tziyot] in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the tassle [tzit-tzit] of the hem a thread of sky blue.
And it shall be unto you for a tassle [tzit-tzit], that you may look upon it, and remember all the Commadments of יהוה , and do them; and that you go not about after your own heart and your own eyes after which you use to go astray; that you may remember and do all My Commadments, and be holy unto your God. I am יהוה your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am יהוה your God.”
“You shall make yourself twisted cords upon the four corners of your covering, wherewith you cover yourself.” (BaMidbar 15:38-41, D’varim 22:12)
How precious is Your compassion, O God! and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the abundance of Your House; and You make them drink of the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of Life; in Your light do we see light. O continue Your compassion unto them that know You; and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
And I will betroth you unto Me forever; yes, I will betroth you unto Me in righteousness, and in fairness, and in compassion, and in mercies. And I will betroth you unto Me in faithfulness; and you shall know יהוה . ( Hoshe’ah 2:21-22 )
Shout unto יהוה , all the earth. Serve יהוה with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that יהוה , He is God; it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the flock of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; give thanks unto Him, and bless His Name. For יהוה is good; His compassion endures forever; and His faithfulness unto all generations.
‘Our Father who is in Heaven, may Your Name be made holy. May Your Kingdom come. May Your will be done, as in Heaven, so on earth.
Give us the bread we need today. And forgive us our offenses, as we have forgiven our offenders;
And do not lead us into the power of testing, but deliver us from the Evil One. Because Yours is The Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amein.’ ( Matai 6:9-13 )
The fear of יהוה is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do thereafter; His praise endures forever. But He, being full of mercy, atones for iniquity and destroys not; often does He turn His anger away, and does not stir up all His wrath. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not follow the truth; but if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all our iniquity.
O Abba, consecrate them in Your truth, because Your Word is truth. (Yokhanan 17:17) With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not err from Your Commadments. (Tehillim 119:10)
יהוה , יהוה , God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in compassion and truth; guardian of compassion unto the thousandth generation; forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and pardoning. (Shemot 34:6-7)
Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His Majesty with exceeding joy, to the only God our Savior, through Yeshua The Messiah Our Master, be glory, and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and in all the ages. Amein. (Yehudah 1:24-25)
Blessed are You, O יהוה our God, King of the universe, who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids. May it be your will, יהוה Our God, God of our Fathers, to accustom us to your Torah and attach us to your Commadments. Do not lead us into the hands of sin, the hands of pride or perversity, the hands of temptation, nor into the hands of shame. And do not let the evil inclination rule over us.
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Yisra’el! But as for me, in the abundance of Your compassion will I come into Your house; I will bow down toward Your Sacred Temple in the fear of You. (BaMidbar 24:5, Tehillah 5:8)
יהוה , I love the habitation of Your House, and the place where Your Glory dwells. I will bow down and bend the knee; I will kneel before יהוה my maker. (Tehillah 26:8, 95:6)
But as for me, let my prayer be unto You, O יהוה , in an acceptable time; O God, in the abundance of Your compassion, answer me with the truth of Your Salvation. ( Tehillah 69:14 )
Blessed are You, O יהוה our God, King of the Universe, who has consecrated us with Your Commadments, and commanded us to be occupied with the words of Torah.
Blessed are You, O יהוה our God, King of the Universe, Who has chosen us from all peoples, and has given us Your Torah. Blessed are You O יהוה , giver of the Torah.
Magnified and sanctified be His great Name in the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom during our lifetime, and during our days, and during the life of the whole house of Yisra’el, even swiftly and soon, And all say, “Amein.” (Divrei HaYamim 22:10)
Let His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity, And all say, “Amein.” (Tehillah 113:2)
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, though He is high above all blessings and songs, praise and consolations which are uttered in the world, And all say, “Amein.” (Neh 9:5) He who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us, and upon all Yisra’el. And all say, “Amein.” (Iyov 25:2)
Happy are those who dwell in Your house, they are ever praising You! Selah. (Tehillah 84:5)
Happy is the people that is in such a state. Yes, happy is the people whose God is יהוה . (Tehillah 144:15)
I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your Name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless You; and I will praise Your Name forever and ever. Great is יהוה , and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
The glorious splendor of Your majesty, and Your wondrous works, will I rehearse. And men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous acts; and I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall utter the fame of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness. יהוה is gracious, and full of mercy; slow to anger, and of great compassion. יהוה is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall praise You, O יהוה ; and Your Holy Ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the Glory of Your Kingdom, and talk of Your might; to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glory of the majesty of His kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. יהוה upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that are bowed down. The eyes of all wait for You, and You give them their food in its time. O open Your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor. יהוה is righteous in all His ways, and gracious in all His works.
יהוה is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him; He also will hear their cry, and will save them. יהוה preserves all them that love Him; but all the wicked will He destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of יהוה , and let all flesh bless His consecrated name forever and ever.
May Your Name be praised forever – God, the great and holy King, who is in heaven and on earth. For to You is fitting – יהוה , our God and the God of our forefathers – song and praise, tribute and singing, strength and dominion, eternal greatness and triumph, glory and splendor, holiness and kingdom, blessings and thanksgiving from now to eternity. Blessed are You, O יהוה , God, King exalted through praises, God of thanksgiving, Master of wonders, Who chooses musical songs of praise, King, God, Lifegiver of the world. Amein.
And they called to each other, and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is יהוה of Armies; the whole earth is full of His Glory.” (Yesha-Yahu 6:3)
Then a Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, “Blessed is the Glory of יהוה from His place” (Yekhezkel 3:12)
יהוה bless you, and keep you; יהוה make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; יהוה lift up His countenance upon you, and give you shalom.
Shema, Yisra’el: יהוה is our God, יהוה is Ekhad.
And you shall love יהוה your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart; and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the door-posts of your house, and upon your gates.
And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto My Commadments which I command you this day, to love יהוה your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, and your choice wine, and your oil.
And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied. Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and the anger of יהוה be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and you perish quickly from off the good land which יהוה gives you.
Therefore shall you lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the door-posts of your house, and upon your gates; that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which יהוה swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.
Who is like unto You, O יהוה , among the gods? Who is like unto You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders? (Shemot 15:11)
O Adonai, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.