It states (Amos 4:13) שיחו מה לאדם מגיד, "To tell man what his speech is." The Gemara (Chagigah 5:) says that this pasuk refers to Olam HaBa. In Olam HaBa, people will be told about their speech. What will they be told?
He will be told the power of his speech and how much he could have accomplished with tefillah. When he was alive, he didn't realize just how powerful his speech was. Had he known, he would have invested much more into tefillah.
The Noam Elimelech (Haazinu) writes, “Tzaddikim can bring a person parnassah and other bounties with their prayers and pure words. Certainly, this also happens when one prays from the depths of his heart.” The Noam Elimelech implies that when one davens for himself from the depths of his heart, his tefillah is even more potent than the tefillos of tzaddikim.
It states (Tehillim 100:2) ברננה לפניו באו, "Come before Hashem with joy." The Malbim explains a difference between how one comes before Hashem to ask his requests and when one asks from a human being. "When a person comes to a human being to ask for something, he asks with tears. He is only happy when and if his request is fulfilled. But when one comes to Hashem, he comes before Hashem with joy because he knows that his requests will be answered."
It states in this week's parashah (35:26) אלה ארם בפדן לו ילד אשר יעקב בני, "These are Yaakov's [twelve] children who were born to him in Padan Aram." But were Yaakov's children all born in Padan Aram? Only eleven of Yaakov's children were born in Padan Aram. Binyamin was born in Beis Lechem (see 35:18-19). Why does the Torah say that they were all born in Padan Aram?
The Chizkuni (in one approach) answers, "The pasuk implies that Binyamin was born through the prayer that Rachel uttered when she was in Padan Aram when she said (Bereishis 30:24) אחר בן לי 'ה יסף, 'May Hashem grant me another son.' Therefore, the pasuk considers it like he was born in Padan Aram.”
Everything happens through tefillah. Rachel's prayer in Padan Aram for another son considers it like he was born there.
