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For a person who wants to keep the Noahide Laws carefully, it is especially worthwhile to him that he establish for himself some form of daily prayer, even though
it should not be forgotten that from the Torah only an Israelite is specifically obligated to pray -- Nonetheless,
it is only natural that mankind cry out to his Creator in time of need, whether or not he is a Jew, and it is logically reasonable
that one would give thanks and acknowledgment to the Almighty for His greatness. The main reason, in the opinion of
the writer, as to why it is worthwhile for everyone to make it an established practice to pray to the Almighty, even if he
is not specifically obligated to do so, is because praying to the Almighty will fortify the individual against breaking any
of the Noahide laws -- those laws which he IS obligated to uphold.
If the individual will make it a practice to pray to the Almighty regularly, it will:
1) decrease the chances that he will turn to some other force in prayer in proportion to the amount he accostoms
himself to proper prayer. I say this since this will embed within him a reliance on the Almighty and turning
to Him in prayer at all times - thus distancing him from the danger of falling into idolatry, the first prohibition
of the 7 Noahide laws.
2) instill within his being an awe of the Almighty due to his reflecting on the greatness and kindness of
His mighty acts, which will distancing him from transgressing the prohibition against blasphemy and cursing the Name of the
Creator.
3) bring him to a place of greatfulness and humility before both the Creator and creation. The strengthening
of these two traits helps guard one against those negative character traits such as rage, greed, and arrogance, all things
which the Most HIGH hates and which greatly increase the possibility that a person will transgress the prohibitions of blasphemy,
murder, and stealing, as well as build up his general willingness to submit to the Almighty's Will.
4) bring him to a more continual awareness of the Almighty's Existence, which will further humble him as
well as make it less likely that he will transgress the prohibitions against forbidden sexual relations, even when no one
else would know about such acts.
Although many with a Protestant background may be turned off by the idea of established words for prayer,
there is biblical basis for such, as well as practical, especially for times when one may be desiring to pray but is at a
loss of words. In reality even Protestants have a certain amount of established prayers, though they may not realize
it as such - the prayerful songs they sing. The truth is that both established prayer and spontaneous prayer are praiseworthy
and beneficial, so long as both are expressing the hearts cry or arousing it to surrender before the Creator. If one
wants to begin a practice of daily reciting an established prayer, so that its words will sink into his heart enabling him
to pray even when he is at a loss for words, I recommend starting by reciting Psalm 25 and / or Psalm 145 once
daily, ideally at a set time. Try forming a melody while you read it, as this will assist you in its memorization and
stir your heart to its words at the same time. Indeed, traditionally all Jewish prayers are said with a melody.
Psalm 25
Psalm 145
(While there are some important places of dispute in translating the Bible between Jews and Christians, on the whole
both translations more or less have an equal number of ups and downs. Nothing compares to the original language.)
If you want, you can also use either the longer or the shorter prayers that the Sanhedrin established for
the people of Israel. You will find more information on the historical form of prayer among the Jewish people on the
page titled "The Prayer of Our Fathers."
The above two Psalms are read daily by observant Jews following the completion of the central morning prayer
known as Tefilath Shahhareeth or Amidah shel Shahhareeth. Therefore, one who desires to pray in the
morning as the people of Israel pray, he should say Psalm 145 and then Psalm 25 upon completing the main prayer, found on
the page "Prayer of Our Fathers."
IMPORTANT TO KNOW BEFORE PRAYING:
One who wants to pray should first make sure that he knows the Singular Unity of the Creator as well
as the prohibition against using mediators between oneself and the Almighty; Otherwise, although he thinks he is doing an
upright deed, he may in fact be transgressing a severe prohibition equally prohibited to Israelites and the nations of the
world as a whole. The following is the basic meaning of the Unity of the Creator:
He is incomparable to any created thing: not physical, not male nor female, time and space to not
apply to "Him" - therefore no place is His location, since "He" is "high above" all such created things; Therefore "His" unity
is not composed of parts or distinctions, for if it were so then "He" would be comparable to creation. He is free of all change,
since change only occurs with things subject to time/space. Therefore we do not pray in order to calm "His" anger or
to make "Him" happy, for "He" is not a man that his emotions need consolation. "He" is exalted above emotions.
Prayer helps our emotions, not "His" - for "He" has none. His "wrath" and "pleasure" refer to the expression of His
Will within creation as we perceive and relate to it via His great works in our lives and in nature -
nothing more.
When you pray, do not think within your mind that you are directing your prayers to ANYTHING which your
mind can envision. Do not think within your mind that your prayers are going up to some giant male (or female) figure
seated on a great throne -- nor to any type of figure. Do not think that any thing is carrying your prayers to the Almighty.
He knows our thoughts before we know them, and He has no need of a helper, for He is sufficient and complete by Himself.
We pray not because He needs our prayer, but because we need it. He is exalted above all needs.
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