Tefillah Symbolizes a Person’s Turning His Eyes to Hashem
Herein lies the content of prayer, which is not necessarily only making a request, but rather is the recognition of a person’s dependence on his Creator, and the knowledge that all his needs are in His Hands. The expression of this is tefillah, which is not a request for something specific but is rather an expression of turning one’s eyes to Hashem. That is how Hashem yisbarach created us – that we must turn our eyes to Him and accept all our needs from Him.... And there is no room to question the essence of tefillah – whether because of the fact that everything Hashem does is for the good, or because of the greatness of the Creator yisbarach and the smallness of His creations – since tefillah is, essentially, not an expression to Hashem of the desires of His creations, but rather it is how a person turns his eyes toward Hashem. Thus man was created, so that all his needs are given to him through his acknowledging and expressing his dependence on the Creator.
(Birkas Tzion 12, p. 157)
By Safeguarding One’s Speech on Shabbos, One Can Bring Blessing to the World
Hashem’s intention in creating the world was for His goodness and kindness to be drawn into this world through the deeds performed here, through an “arousal from below.” As it says, “And Hashem took Adam and placed him in Gan Eden to develop it and to safeguard it.” According to Hashem’s initial intent in creation, this did not require any actual deeds on man’s part, for it would have been enough for him to pray and ask Hashem...and this would have the power to bring shefa down into the world from on High....
Likewise today, the tzaddikim have this power. As in says in the sefer Ma’or Vashemesh in the name of the holy Rebbe of Neskiz zy”a: Even though a person’s parnassah requires hishtadlus, this [hishtadlus] could also take the form of Torah and tefillah. After the sin of the Eitz Hadaas this power was diminished, and it became necessary for a person to make an “arousal from below” specifically through his actions...but this still exists for Am Yisrael through the holiness of Shabbos. By safeguarding their mouths on Shabbos from speaking of mundane matters, they reveal their desire for kedushah, and thus they gain the power to bring down blessing from on High in the way Hashem intended for them to do when He created the world.
(Nachal Eisan, Parshas Bo)
Rain Falls Through Tefillah
Why did [Hashem] not bring rain? Because man did not yet exist to work the earth and recognize the need for rain. And when man came and knew that rain was necessary for the world, he prayed for it and it rained, and the grass and trees grew.
(Rashi, Bereishis 2:5)
The Bounty from Above Awaits the Hopes of a Person Who Trusts in Hashem
All the creations of the world were created imperfectly, in order that they would do what they could to bring down the bounty that will lead to their perfection – either through their good deeds or their tefillos, or by singing praises to Hashem. Grass did not sprout until Adam Harishon asked for it; the moon receives [its light] from the sun. The bounty Above awaits someone who will long and yearn for it, thus causing it to sprout on earth. One must truly anticipate its coming, an anticipation based on true bitachon – faith in Hashem’s hashgachah, rather than all the other false faiths in the power of one’s hishtadlus. Bitachon in Hashem is true bitachon...and for anyone who hopes and anticipates Hashem’s response, his tefillah rises up without any intermediary, not via an angel. As it says, liyshuas’cha kivisi – I hope and anticipate salvation directly from You, Hashem, and not through any intermediary.
One who anticipates Hashem’s salvation is always happy. Even if the salvation is delayed, his hopes keep him alive. And for one who does not anticipate it, hope dies, and he remains very distant from Hashem, and he is punished for the fact that he does not trust in Hashem. A person who anticipates feels that even when he sits in darkness, Hashem is his light – only Hashem – Liyshuas’cha kivisi.
(Otzros Ramchal, drush regarding anticipation, p. 246)
Through Tefillah He Reveals His Belief in His Creator
Davening properly is a tikkun for the world...because with tefillah a person usually asks Hashem to give him what he is lacking. Just as when one makes a brachah over food, he acknowledges Hashem’s ownership of heaven and earth; likewise when davening, a person reveals his belief in Hashem – that everything is in His Hands and that everything comes from Him. This is acceptance of the yoke of Hashem’s Kingship. As a result, Hashem gives him all his needs. It was through tefillah that [Adam] caused rain to fall, and therefore the earth is able to fulfill its task of bringing forth fruit, which the world needs.
(Eish Das, p. 145)
