Defining Prayer
Prayer is primarily a mode with which we connect to God. In prayer, a person goes above the mundane and connects spiritually with God. Prayer is also the way of supplicating and seeking mercy before God.
The desire to connect oneself with the Almighty Who is the source of life, is inherent to humanity. In some people, this awareness dominates and directs them throughout their lives. In others, this awareness is latent, surfacing only in times of crisis when they cry out to God for help.
On a deeper level, prayer has a ripple effect, by us praying up to the Almighty, Hashem in return flows blessing down to this world. We find this action and reaction at the very beginning of creation, where it states that there was no rain till man prayed for it. (Rashi Breishis 2, 5)
Proper prayer requires saying the prayer while concentrating on its meaning. Concentrating on the meaning is the 'soul' of prayer, while the speech is the 'body' of prayer. Prayer said without thought and meaning is like a body without its soul. Although prayer is mainly the thoughts and feelings, we need to express prayer orally because thoughts are fleeting and are difficult to collect for the content of an entire prayer. (Chovos Halevovos, cheshbon hanefesh ch 3)
