I can tell you in my own poor little life, I look back and I see how many times I said a tefillah and it came true right away. Right away! It’s remarkable! I can tell you stories upon stories – I won’t waste your time now – of my own experiences.
I was walking once in Manhattan Beach. I never was there before. It was a strange neighborhood to me. How will I get home? I didn’t know the way.
I was asking Hashem, I said to Him, “Help me get home.”
All of a sudden a man driving his car came by. “Are you Rabbi Miller?” he says, “Can I help you? You need a ride anywhere? Can I take you home?”
Another time I lost my wallet. I never carry any money but this time I was carrying forty dollars in my wallet. I couldn’t find it. What happened to it?
So I went back to the store where I had been before. The storekeeper and I looked between all the boxes. No, not there.
I gave him my telephone number, “If you find it, call me up.”
I started walking home. I walked a block and a half and then I said, “No, I have to walk back. I’ll look on the street.” So I davened. I asked Hashem to open my eyes, I should find my wallet. I walked back and as soon as I got to the block of the store, sure enough there was my wallet right near my shoe. Right near my shoe. So He listens. Absolutely He listens.
Utilize the Opportunity
Now these are small things. I can tell you dozens of stories like that. There’s no question that Hashem is listening. ַת עַמְּךְ פִלָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ תִי אַתְּ בְרַחֲמִים יִ שְׂ רָ אֵ ל ב – You’re listening with rachamim. He listens, absolutely. Of course if there's a big tzaddik his tefillos are better but anybody can daven. When it comes to tefillah everyone is important. ל פֶּ הַת כְּפִלָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ תִי אַתְּ כ – Hashem hears the prayers of everyone. That's in Nussach Sefard. He listens to everybody's tefillos. So no matter who you are, it pays to cry out to Hashem.
And so we have to utilize that. Hashem is listening like a kindly Father: Vus zugstu mein kind? Think that way when you're davening. He's listening to you. To a goy He hears; not with rachamim but He hears. But your words? He’s listening intently. He’s extremely interested in your davening.
Unselfish Prayers
Only that people make a mistake – I’m talking about myself too – and we think almost exclusively about ourselves. Now, there’s nothing wrong with davening for what you need but that’s only half of the story. Because the best tefillah is the unselfish one, when you’re praying for someone else. And
