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The main body of Shmoneh esrei has praise for Hashem, requests, and thanks. There are a couple of standard places to introduce personal supplications. Pesukei dezimra and Birchas Krias Shma can be summed up also as praise of Hashem and acceptance of his Majesty. These are all very practical approaches.

But as far as an impractical approach such as when a person is happy, or sad, or lonely or loved, or feeling any other emotion which they want to direct towards Hashem for thanks or assistance, where in tefila is that found? Is there somewhere to concentrate on it?

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    During the Elokai Nitzor paragraph is a good time for adding personal prayers
    – Daniel
    Oct 30, 2014 at 15:17
  • Well, there's a whole paragraph of Shmoneh Esrei where we all we do is say thank you.
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 30, 2014 at 15:43
  • @Double sometimes a person is happy and wants to focus the happiness to Hashem without necessarily saying thank you, or maybe he said thank you already. This is a matter of sharing an 'experience' with Hashem, having a relationship with Him so to say. That seems like an integral part of praying and approaching Him and I can't seem to figure out where!
    – user6591
    Oct 30, 2014 at 16:15
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    @Double Unless I'm wrong And all these other emotions are what saying tehilim is for, not praying. But then all the popular books on prayer are wrong too.
    – user6591
    Oct 30, 2014 at 16:19
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    While this doesn't address your questions specifically, you can always expression these emotions in an informal prayer, or by reciting Tehillim appropriate to the feeling, without inserting it into the structured obligatory prayers
    – הנער הזה
    Oct 30, 2014 at 16:40

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You can always insert any personal supplications in the bracha of שמע קולינו.

Additionally, if you want to "comment" on a specific bracha's theme, you can do so in that one as well.

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  • Shma koleinu etc thank you Hashem i am so happy with my life situation, ki atta shomea tefila... it just doesn't work for me.
    – user6591
    Oct 30, 2014 at 15:36
  • Well, that's where the common spot is...
    – Scimonster
    Oct 30, 2014 at 15:37
  • I think that's the common spot for practical requests, i need a job i need a spouse etc.
    – user6591
    Oct 30, 2014 at 15:41

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