Conversational prayer

Question

Are short, few-second prayers permissible, or should prayer be more formal? For example, if I hear news that a family member is not feeling well, am I able to pray, "Please be with them that they may be in good health?" What types of prayer exist in the Torah and, more broadly, Tanakh?

Answer 1

There are four types of prayer: thanks/praise, petition, questions, and chat. Rav Naḥman of Breslov emphasized the last one, without discounting the value of the other three. He preached that, to be close to God, you have to speak to God “as you would with a best friend”, in your own words, in your mother tongue, at least one hour a day; preferably in a natural setting, such as a field or a forest, among the natural works of God's creation, to avoid man-made distractions. He called it hitbodedut, meaning “self-seclusion”. It is central to his thinking. He described it as follows:

It is very good to pour out your thoughts before God like a child pleading before his father. God calls us His children, as it is written [in the Torah]: "You are children to God." [Deuteronomy 14:1] Therefore, it is good to express your thoughts and troubles to God like a child complaining and pestering his father.

As one commentator described it:

During a session of hitbodedut, the practitioner pours out his heart to God in his own language, describing all his thoughts, feelings, problems and frustrations. Nothing was viewed by Rebbe Naḥman as being too mundane for discussion, including business dealings, conflicting desires and everyday interactions. Even the inability to properly articulate what one wishes to say is viewed as a legitimate subject to discuss with God. One should also use the opportunity to examine his behavior and motivations, correcting the flaws and errors of the past while seeking the proper path for the future.