Teβillah
It states (Bereish 2:7) חיה לנפש האדם ויהי, "Adam was a living soul." Onkelus translates it, ממללא לנפש, "a speaking soul." But who could Adam speak with? When Adam was created, he was alone in the world, and Chavah wasn't created yet. It must be that man was created to speak with Hashem. That is what we can do at these times, when there is a war in Eretz Yisrael.
The Chofetz Chaim emphasizes that tefillah isn't solely when one davens Shemonah Esrei. At any time of the day, when you have a few moments with Hashem, you can daven for your needs, and for the wellbeing and salvation of Klal Yisrael.
A non-religious Yid walked into the yeshiva in Kfar Chassidim when they were davening Minchah. After davening people asked him what he saw. He said, "I saw bachurim swaying back and forth, but there was this old man standing near the wall [that was Reb Elyah Lopian zt'l] and it appeared that he was truly speaking with someOne..." This is how tefillah should appear, with emunah and recognition that you are speaking to Hashem.
The Chareidim writes, נא הושיעה והו אני. This means that it's והוא אני, only myself and Hashem. For it is true that I am alone with Hashem. Even when I am among other people, nevertheless, no one sees the secrets of my heart other than Hashem, and no one is seeking to help me other than Hashem, and no one can save me from my tzaros other than Hashem. Therefore, the people around don’t create an interruption...and there is only me and Hashem. As it states (I Malachim 17:1) לפניו עמדתי אשר 'ה חי, 'I swear to Hashem Whom I stood before Him.' And it states (Bereishis 17:1) תמים והיה לפני התהלך, 'Go before Me...' This is the implication of והו אני, there is only me and Hashem, נא הושיע, and with this recognition, he will bring salvations with one's tefillah."
Once, after Shemonah Esrei, people heard Rebbe Pinchas of Koritz zt'l say, "May it be Your will that the maid should return ..." His students thought that he had lofty intentions with this tefillah, but he explained that there were no special secrets concealed in his words. "My wife is old, she needs help, but the maid left. So, I prayed that the maid should return" (Divrei Shmuel). We must pray for all our needs, because we can't do anything, without Hashem.
Our strength is our tefilos. According to the rules of nature, it often appears that there is nothing we can do, but tefillah can save us.
In Pressberg, a servant stole his master's wallet and he hid it in a concealed place in the home of a Jew. He figured that when people forget about the theft, he will be able to take out the wallet and keep it for himself. His master discovered that his wallet was stolen, and he told the police to look for it in all homes in Pressberg. The police found it in the home of the Yid, and he was arrested, and a date was set for when he would be hung. The police were certain that the Yid stole the wallet, since it was found in his home.
The Ksav Sofer zt'l tried very hard to prove the innocence of this Yid, and he made connections with government officials, but he didn't succeed. The judge, the police, and everyone in government office was certain that the Yid stole the money.
It was the night before the Yid would be hung, and the Ksav Sofer was ready to give up. He tried, he did what he could, but what can he do now?
He saw his father, the Chasam Sofer zt'l in his dreams. His father rebuked him, "How do you sleep when a Yid from your kehillah is deemed to be hung tomorrow?"
"I did everything. What more can I do?" the Ksav Sofer asked.
The Chasam Sofer told him that he could daven.
It was two o'clock at night. The Ksav Sofer sent his shamash to gather people to the beis medresh, and they davened for the Yid's salvation.
At the court case, the judge suddenly said, "There is one person whom we never questioned, and it is proper that we ask him some questions now. I refer to the servant who works in the wealthy man's home. After all, he is a prime suspect, because it is easiest for him to steal the money. He is always in the wealthy man's home."
The servant wasn't expecting to be interrogated, so he wasn't prepared for the questions. He contradicted himself and then he finally admitted that he stole the money. The Yid was saved due to the tefilos.
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l said that there are tefilos that are answered a week later, and there are tefilos that are answered a day later, but when one shouts out to Hashem, those tefilos are answered immediately. As it states (Devarim 26:7) וישמע אבותינו אלקי 'ה אל ונצעק קולנו את 'ה, "We shouted out to Hashem the G-d of our forefathers, and Hashem heard our voices."
May Hashem listen to our shouts, and the shouts of Klal Yisrael, answer our tefilos and save us and redeem us, speedily in our days.
