“Commentators have been puzzled at the passage in the amidah (“the silent prayer”), “for Thou hearest in mercy the prayer of every mouth.” We would expect the phrase to be “the prayer of every heart.” But the passage, we are told, is intended to remind us that it is the mercy of God to accept even prayers that come only from the mouth as lip-service, without inner devotion. However, this remark in no way denies the principle that kavanah, or inner participation, is indispensable to prayer. It is a principle that found a precise expression in the medieval saying: “Prayer without kavanah is like a body without a soul.” Yet, what is the nature of kavanah or inner participation? Is it paying attention to the context of the fixed texts? Thinking? Prayer is not thinking. To the thinker, God is an object; to the man who prays, He is the subject.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism”)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.…” Matthew 6:5-6

When you have been a life-long Lutheran, or Methodist, or Catholic or Jew, and have worshipped often, you have lived a life of repeating and saying lots of prayers. Prayers are central to our worship – and they are supposed to be central to our personal lives as well. And yet, our prayers that we recite in worship can become rote and meaningless – unless we are paying attention and really focusing on them.

This is the idea Abraham Heschel is talking about when he talks about “Kavanah”. Based on Heschel’s comments, Kavanah must stand for a concept in Judaism about a worshiper’s state of mind or their sincerity or devotion during prayers. He calls it the “inner participation” of the individual during prayer. Reciting prayers are good – keeping our minds and hearts truly focused on the words and our devotion during those prayers is even more important.

G-d does hear every prayer – whether our hearts and minds are really in them or not. Wouldn’t it be good to do a “prayer check” once in a while – so that our prayers are not just “lip service”.

Pastor Dave