Finding Your Path in Tefillah
Everyone should pursue techniques that will help him daven with kavanah. There was a Karliner chasid who lived in Brisk. The custom of Karliner chasidim is to daven loudly, and this chasid followed this way. The litvishe residents of Brisk didn't appreciate his loud tefillos and they wanted to rebuke him, but the Brisker Rav told them not to.
Once, the Brisker Rav was going to a hot-spring resort for his health, and he asked the Karliner chasid to come with him. As they traveled to the resort, the Brisker Rav said to the chasid in a very loud voice, "How are things!? How are you feeling!?" The chasid replied, "Fine, Baruch Hashem, but why is the Rav shouting? I am standing right next to you." The Brisker Rav replied, "Why do you shout during the tefillah? Hashem is right next to you." The chasid replied, "I don't shout so Hashem can hear me. I shout, so I will hear myself. It helps me say the words with kavanah."
In contrast, it states (Tehillim 81:8) בסתר אענך רעם, "I answered your call in secret, with thunder." Rebbe Mendel of Vorke zt'l said that the pasuk means a person can daven secretly and quietly, but it is a loud, thunderous shout to heaven. Because although his words are silent, the heart is burning with emotion. אענך, Hashem answers such tefillos.
There are various paths for tefillah, and a person should seek the path that works for him to help him daven with all his heart and soul. Some find that davening out loud helps them daven with kavanah, and some find it easier to daven in silence. Each person should desire to daven with kavanah because the importance of tefillah is so great, and he should seek the best approach to arouse his heart for tefillah.
Praying for All Your Needs
Yaaras Devash (Drush 1) writes, "By the brachah of Shma Koleinu, one should request all his needs for the minor and significant matters of his life. There should be nothing that he doesn’t pray for in this brachah. If he, his son, or his daughter needs a shidduch, it should be mentioned in this brachah. If he is a businessman, he should pray to Hashem that He lead him in the best way. He should pray to Hashem for success and direction for everything he plans to do that day.
"It goes without saying that if there is a tzarah (sorrow, strife) in his home, he should request [a salvation by this brachah]. If he has a simchah, he should pray that he shouldn’t sin by the simchah, so this happy time shouldn’t turn sour. He should pray in his own words for everything he has to do. Although his words aren't perfect and he doesn’t know lashon hakodesh well, it will be precious to Hashem as if he prayed with beautiful and clear words. Hashem will listen to his words because this tefillah is said with kavanah...since every day, he says new words for the issues that he needs for that day. He is praying in his own words...and it is impossible to say such a prayer without kavanah. In this manner, he will have a perfect tefillah because it is ideal when it comes from the depths of the heart."
