The Manner In Which We Pray

 

 

Shalom Beloved Daughters of Tzyon,

 

 

Shout HaleluYAH, for YAHWAH is Good and Worthy to be praised and obeyed!!!

 

 

A question came across my mind a few days ago, and I found it quite an interesting one at that. The question is, "If someone asked me (or any of you for that matter), why do we face a certain direction, and pray with outstreched arms raised to Ha Sha'mah'yeem/The Heavens"? What would my answer be? Do any of us know why we do this (for those of us that do pray this way), why? Is it something that we copied from Islam? (As a matter of fact...Muslims face the east to pray, we do not.  We face Yeh’ru’sha’ly’eem/Jerusalem...wherever that is from where you stand, ie, southeast, northeast, east)

 

 

Are we doing something different because we don't want to pray like Christians anymore? Are we doing it because we see other Israelites praying like this so we follow in their likeness without questioning?

 

 

What if our yeledeem/children asked us why do we do pray this way, what would be our response?

 

 

Well, praise YAHWAH, we have a scriptural based reason for praying in the manner which I described earlier. And all of us need to know this (for those of us that do not), because people are going to ask us why we do what we do. And if we do not have a YAH based reason for doing so, then it is null and void!!!

 

 

Here is the reason for the manner in which we pray:

 

 

"Then Shlomo stood before the altar of YAHWAH in the presence of the whole community of Ysrael, spread out his hands toward the heavens...but can Elohym actually live on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built? Even so, YAHWAH Ely (my Elohym), pay attention to your servant's prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that Your servant is praying before You today, that Your eyes will be open toward this house night and day -- toward the place concerning which You said, 'My Name will be there' -- to listen to the prayer of Your servant, and also that of Your people Ysrael when they pray toward this place. Hear in the heavens where You live, and when You hear, forgive!

 

 

"When thy people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against You, if they turn again to You, and acknowledge Your Name, and pray and make supplication to You in this house; then hear You in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which You gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge Your Name, and turn from their sin, when You do afflict them, then hear You in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, when You do teach them the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain upon Your land, which You hast given to Your people as an inheritance."

 

 

"Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Ysrael -- when he comes from a distant country because of Your reputation (for they will hear of Your great reputation, Your Mighty hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house; then hear in the heavens where You live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know Your Name and fear You, as does Your people Ysrael, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears Your Name."

 

 

"If they (Ysrael), sin against You -- for there is no one who doesn't sin -- and You are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby; then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to You in the land of those who carried them off captive saying, 'We've sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,' if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to You with all their heart and being and pray to You toward their own land, which You gave to their ancestors, toward the city You chose and toward the house I have built for Your Name; then, in the heavens where You live, hear their prayer and plea, uphold their cause..."

 

 

When Shlomo had finished praying all this prayer and plea to YAHWAH, he got up from in front of the altar where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward the heavens." (Alef Melekeem/1st Kings 8:27-30, 33-36, 41-43,46-50)

 

 

This is why we pray in the manner in which we do sisters! May I suggest that you take the time to read the entire chapter (1^st Kings Chapter 8).

 

 

Receive The Wisdom, And Pass It On!!! 

 

 

Love,

AnaYah