In Your Own Words
We discussed above the benefits of davening with minyan. It is all true, but don't let this cause you to disregard or disparage the tefillah of an individual, for that is also very significant.
It states (Devarim 4:29) אלוקיך 'ה את משם ובקשתם נפשך ובכל לבבך בכל תדרשנו כי ומצאת , "And from there you will seek Hashem, your G-d, and you will find [your requests fulfilled] if you request from Him with all your heart and soul."
The pasuk begins ובקשתם in the plural tense and concludes נפשך ובכל לבבך בכל ...ומצאת in the singular tense. Rabbeinu b'Chaye explains that if it were written תדרשנו כי ומצאתם נפשכם ובכל לבבכם בכל , people would think that Hashem only listens to tefillah b'tzibur, and when a yachid davens, his tefillos aren't answered. Therefore, the pasuk is written in lashon yachid, "To teach us that Hashem also listens to the tefillos of the individual, when he turns to Hashem with all his heart and soul."
A special kind of tefillah b'yachidus is a tefillah said in one's own words.
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l (Likutei Amorim 10) teaches, "In addition to Shemonah Esrei, which is recited three times daily, one should daven from the depths of his heart when he is alone in his house. Shemonah Esreis is said by rote, and people don't always concentrate on what they are saying. But when a person is alone and thinks about his life and struggles, he will pour his heart out like water before Hashem and daven with kavanah. It will be a tefillah from the depths of his broken, humble heart, and such tefillos never go unanswered."
One can say these personal tefillos all day long. Rebbe Bunim of Pshischa zt'l says that before everything you do, daven to Hashem in your own words for success. With this idea, he explains the Chazal (Brachos 21.) ולואי כולו היום כל אדם שיתפלל , "Halevay a person would daven all day long!" How can a person daven all day long? Doesn't he have many other things to do throughout the day? Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa zy'a answers that the Gemara means that one should daven for success before everything he does, and in that way, he will be davening all day long. When he goes to work, he should daven for success; before performing chesed, he should daven that he should succeed to help others, and so on. If he davens before everything he does, he will be occupied with tefillah all day long.
It is written, ישפוך 'ה ולפני יעטוף כי לעני תפילה שיחו , "A prayer for a poor man when he enwraps himself and pours out his speech before Hashem." The Divrei Chaim zt'l explains that one should יעטוף wrap his tefillos within the conversations he speaks throughout the day. Even as he converses with someone, he can intend it to be a tefillah to Hashem.
This is a high level. (It isn't a simple matter to converse with someone and conceal a prayer within the words.) Therefore, let's translate יעטוף כי לעני תפילה in a slightly different manner, which will be easier for the average person to achieve. The pasuk says one should wrap his tefillos around everything he does. As Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa recommends, whatever we do, we should pray to Hashem. Success is in Hashem's hands, so we should daven to Him for success with everything we do.
Reb Shimshon Pincus wrote a letter (Nefesh Shimshon, Igros u'Mamarim, p.53) to a bachur who was going through difficult times b'ruchniyus and b'gashmiyus. Reb Shimshon wrote, "You are in a situation that is beyond your strength to resolve alone. You made all necessary hishtadlus, and it seems that you need help from elsewhere. Therefore, I will give you a name and address where you can turn for your aid. He is called Hashem yisborach. His strength is without limits. He created everything, and the secret is that he loves you in an individualized, special way and is waiting and yearning that you should turn to Him. There is no problem in finding Hashem's address because Hashem is everywhere. Even as you read this letter, you can turn to Him..."
Reb Shimshon Pinkus related a story that happened to him when he was seven years old. One Shavuos night, he told his father that he wanted to go to beis medresh to study Torah all night long. His father told him he could stay up all night when he was older. But now he would be better off getting into pajamas and going to sleep.
His father went to the beis medresh himself, but when he arrived, he decided to return home and get his son. He told himself, "My son wants to learn Torah. Why should I stop him?"
When he opened the door, he was surprised to see his young son Shimshon fully dressed, prepared to go to beis medresh. "Why aren't you asleep?"
Shimshon replied, "I davened to Hashem that you should come home to take me to the beis medresh, and I knew that Hashem would listen to my tefillos. I was waiting for you to come get me."
