TRANSFORM YOUR EMUNAH!

444 - Bitachon (Part-6)

We've been discussing the potency of bitachon and the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on making our maximum effort to excel in bitachon. Let us not forget the words of the Vilna Gaon, who says that a life free of sin but devoid of bitachon, although it might be an achievement that one has not performed sin, but nevertheless, because they are not living a life of bitachon, that is considered worse than living a life of severe transgressions, but excelling in bitachon. And as emphasized previously, of course we are called on to stay far away from every form of sin. But there is even more emphasis placed on striving to excel in bitachon, in our reliance on Hashem. 
We also mentioned the Beis HaLevi who said that it is a great sin to not live life by the values of bitachon. And again we see here the importance the Torah commentaries are placing on and emphasizing in the efforts we need to make to live a life of true reliance on Hashem. The Beis HaLevi also mentioned that whilst bitachon can save a person from the current challenges and fears they might be experiencing, the opposite is also true. When a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather giving in to the fears and other powers that seem to be outside of Hashem, that fear in itself is the catalyst that brings about those new troubles that we were fearing. 
Now the question we might ask is, how am I supposed to control my emotions? If I am currently experiencing something that is scary to me and I am fearful, how can I be commanded not to be fearful? And the fantastic Sefer that we have been discussing, the Artscroll version of the Beis HaLevi on bitachon, cite in the notes that the great Steipler Gaon shed some light on this issue. And he writes that one is certainly not held accountable for natural fear or anxiety that one experiences, which is practically uncontrollable. And as the Gemara states, the Torah was not given to angels and does not expect us to be superhuman. However, the Steipler goes on to explain that we are called on to make an active effort to not think about worrisome thoughts on an ongoing basis, as such thoughts may cause additional fear to one's nature or personality. Rather, one must strengthen oneself with thoughts of emunah and bitachon. 
The Torah was not given to angels and as the Staipler writes, we are not expected to live superhuman lives, making our endeavor impossible. But there are many areas where we do have the choice to move our lives towards reliance on Hashem - Bitachon, as opposed to the other side, a life without bitachon, where we bring more and more fears into our lives. 
"Hashem, my Father, what a tremendous gift I have to be able to talk to you about anything and everything, because the truth is that whenever I get stuck in life about anything, I always have somewhere to go. And it's not just an effort that might work, might not work; I am coming to you, Hashem, who is the source of everything, and I know that you're listening to every single word that I am uttering. Hashem, I am trying to internalize the incredible importance of living a life of true emunah, of true bitachon, and the truth of the matter is that I really want to rely on you in all areas of my life, to the point that when I experience something in my life that is causing me to feel anxiety or fear, I want to be able to turn to you, Hashem, and rely on you, and be able to feel calm. 
Please Hashem, help me to advance in my journey to living a life of true bitachon, where I will more and more turn to you, and exclusively to you, regardless of what I am experiencing. Thank you so much, Hashem, for giving me the incredible opportunity to talk to you whenever I want, and especially now, when I might not know exactly how to inculcate the values of bitachon into my life, but more than any other effort, I know that just by talking to you, you are listening to me. Please Hashem, help me to talk to you with sincerity, and truly mean what I say, and I beg you, Hashem, help me to move successfully towards living a life of true bitachon."

443 - Bitachon (Part-5)

We've been talking about the paramount importance that the Torah places on the Mitzvah of bitachon. Remember, the Vilna Gaon says that it's better to live a life with severe transgressions, if that means a life of Bittachin, rather than a life free of transgression but devoid of Bittachin. 
We are of course given no license to perform transgressions by any Torah authorities and have to make our maximum effort to always do the will of Hashem, but we see here the incredible importance and emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on our endeavor to grow in our Bittachin. We also discussed the words of the Beis HaLevi in his classic essay on bitachon, where he writes that the obligation to have bitachon is such a fundamental prerequisite and foundation to the whole Torah itself, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin. 
As discussed previously, simply speaking, bitachon means to rely on Hashem and feel calm that He is going to take care of me, regardless of what circumstances might be presented to me. When I am not living a life of bitachon, there are many things to fear, people, circumstances, and whatnot, whereas when I am living by the values of bitachon and relying on Hashem that He will always take care of me, regardless of anything else that might be transpiring in my life, that leads to a life of calm, serenity, and lack of fear.
The Beis HaLevi writes further that not having bitachon in Hashem, but rather being fearful instead, is itself the cause for one's downfall. And as he writes, "because when a person trembles in fear of something, rather than relying on Hashem, this itself causes a snare, one that did not even exist previously, to be placed in front of him regarding that very matter that he feared, whereas when one relies on Hashem, he will be saved even from a problem that already existed." 
The Beis HaLevi is teaching us that when one chooses to rely on Hashem, the power of that bitachon can save him from the challenges he might be confronting, whereas when a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather by the mistaken illusion that there are other forces in the world, such as some terrorist group that might have the power to do something without Hashem first decreeing it, or if one feels that the only reason for their safety is because of soldiers or an army, or perhaps one might feel that the future might depend on the power and authority of a certain president and the like, then the Beis HaLevi writes that that lack of bitachon is actually what brings on that thing that we might be fearing to transpire.
There are many things that are potential for fear and anxiety. Choosing to work towards living a life of true reliance on Hashem, of true bitachon, is the best anti-anxiety that we can shoot for. And the more we grow in our bitachon, the less fearful we will be from any situation that might present itself.
And on the flip side, the more credibility we give to other forces outside of Hashem, and the more we give in to those fears, as if Hashem was not the one to protect us from them transpiring, the more we bring those things upon ourselves. Bitachon is the foundation of the entire Torah, and as outlined by the Torah commentaries, bitachon is available to every single one of us, regardless of our spiritual level, regardless of our background. Let us make use of this most powerful and important foundation to who and what we are.

442 - Bitachon (Part-4)

We've been discussing how when it comes to Emunah and Bitachon, we want to try, understand what Hashem's perspective is, which is ultimately the only truth that we can rely on. Hashem teaches us His perspective via the many Torah sources that we have available to us. 
We discussed the frighteningly powerful words of the Vilna Gaon, who teaches us that although there are countless Torah sources highlighting the importance to stay away from even the slightest sin, nevertheless the Vilna Gaon writes that bitachon is so important that if one had to choose between one of two options, either a life free of sin, but also a life without bitachon, or alternatively a life of severe transgressions, but however coupled by a life lived according to the values of Bittachon, one would be obligated to choose the latter, because although staying away from sin is of paramount importance, nevertheless a life of bitachon is even more important than that.
Another incredible resource that we're going to be exploring in our journey of bitachon is the fantastic essay of the Beis Halevi on bitachon. I highly recommend anyone who's able to get a copy of the artscroll Beis HaLevi on bitachon, authored by Rabbi David Sutton, which has been written incredibly clearly and easy to understand for all levels. 
The Beis HaLevi opens the first chapter with the following words: "The obligation of bitachon appears in many verses in the Torah, too many to count, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin." Now firstly what we see from the statement of the Beis HaLevi is that he didn't even deem it necessary to quote the source of what the obligation to have Bitachon is in the Torah, because it is such an obvious preface and foundation to a life of Torah and mitzvos itself. If one is interested in the exact sources, again this incredible book has many fantastic appendixes at the back, and in the first appendix Rabbi Sutton discusses the many different sources offered by the commentaries as to what exactly the source for the obligation of Bittachon is.
It is also important to highlight these very potent words of the Beis HaLevi. Let us remind ourselves that Torah commentaries were very careful with the words that they used, because the slightest misrepresentation could lead readers to making vital mistakes. The Beis HaLevi specifically chose the words that if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin. Remember, the only true perspective that we have is what the Torah teaches us. There are many pluses and benefits that we receive from living a life of bitachon that Bezrat Hashem will explore together as we move further into Bittachon. However, here the Torah commentaries are highlighting to us that it is a great sin to not live by the values of bitachon.
"Hashem my Father, please will you help me to find the right resources for me to learn exactly what it means to live a life of bitachon, and please Hashem help me to be able to take the things that I learn and apply them in a practical way, and B'ezrat Hashem, be successful in my endeavor to live a life of true bitachon. 
Thank you so much Hashem for teaching me exactly what my purpose is in this world, and that ultimately the way to achieve my reward in eternity in Olam HaBa is by making every effort to excel in my emunah and bitachon. Obviously Hashem, if this is the main reason that You created me for, it makes sense to me that this needs to be the highest priority in my life, because it's obviously not something that can just come without making a real effort to excel in this area.
Hashem, I know that it's one thing to know the concepts of emunah and bitachon, but as the Torah sources teach us, it's something completely different to be able to take those concepts and sincerely internalize them and live by their values throughout all of the happenings in my life. Please Hashem, will You help me to be successful in all of the areas of my journey to excel in emunah and Bitachon."

441 - Bitachon (Part-3)

As we continue to dive deeper into the most important and vital topic of bitachon, let's remind ourselves that when it comes to any topic, many of us might have many opinions, but as we've discussed many times, everything depends on which perspective one is looking from. And just like many people decided to side with the outrageous values of Hitler, Yemach Shema, as well as currently we can see with the war between Israel and Hamas, that most of the world has sided with Hamas, and of course it is a basic value to all of us that Hitler and his opinions and perspectives, as well as Hamas and their opinions and perspectives, are mistaken and far from the truth.
And although these might be extreme examples, ultimately every question we might discuss depends on the perspective that we use on how we answer that question. Just like many clever people can make mistakes even after it is well thought out, in the same way, we without human limitations are always limited and at risk of making a mistake. 
Now especially when it comes to these important questions, such as what exactly does it mean to fulfil my purpose in this world and how exactly do I practice bitachon, it would be very unwise to try follow our own perspective to find the answer for these questions. The only perspective that can be the absolute truth is Hashem's perspective. And as discussed previously, Hashem does not reveal Himself in the form of a voice speaking to us in today's day and age, but rather has given us the Torah with all its commentaries that express Hashem's perspective to give us the absolute truth. Let's begin discussing what some of the Torah commentaries teach us about the importance of bitachon.
The Vilna Gaon in Even Shleima, chapter 3, writes, "One who commits severe transgressions but nevertheless excells in bitachon, is better than one who does not transgress but does not have bitachon." Now for anyone even slightly familiar with Torah literature, this is a frighteningly powerful statement, because throughout Torah literature there is much emphasis placed on even the slightest Torah transgression, and certainly on severe transgressions. And nevertheless here the Vilna Gaon is teaching us that so important is it to live a life by the values of bitachon, that if one had to choose between a life of bitachon coupled by a life of severe transgressions in comparison to a life clean of transgressions but devoid of bitachon, it is more important to go with the first option, that of bitachon, even though there would be severe transgressions on one's record. 
Now of course nobody is advocating to do any transgressions, because ultimately there will be consequences for anything and everything, as we've learned about many times. However, what we do see here is how much emphasis there is being placed on making efforts to live a life according to the values of bitachon. 
"Hashem, my Father, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk to you whenever I want about whatever I want. Hashem, I've been trying to learn about Emunah and ultimately I know that you run the world exclusively and there's no question in the world that the best effort that I can make is to talk to you and to ask you to help me in the areas that I need. Now of course you know that there are many things that I need in my life and I'm going to try and make an effort to talk to you about all of them, to bring you into my life in all areas. 
But certainly when it comes to the most important area, Hashem, to my progress in Emunah and Bittachon, please help me, Hashem, to remember to talk to you on a daily basis to help me to excel in these areas, although many things in this world that we live in might try to distract us, but ultimately I know, Hashem, that the only reason that I exist, as your Torah commentaries have taught us, is to excel in my Emunah and my Bittachon."

440 - Bitachon (Part-2)

Our ultimate purpose in this world is to focus on building our emunah. And as we've been discussing, although emunah is the first level that we are required to dive into, we then take the principles of emunah and apply them in a practical way, moving towards bitachon. What exactly does it mean to have bitachon, trust or reliance on Hashem? 
Emunah teaches us that there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem. Just like if somebody would come and hit you with a stick, it would be the most absurd response to begin fighting against the stick itself, because we all know that a stick is not a power of its own, but rather is an object that has been handled by an individual who is deciding how to use the stick. And in the same way, when we internalize what emunah teaches us, that ein od milvado, there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem, every individual, every circumstance, every happening is ultimately one of Hashem's many puppets, and the values of emunah teach us to internalize that the only power that exists is Hashem Himself. And as we move from emunah to bitachon, we are now called on to exclusively rely on Hashem for all of our needs.
Of course at this point, before we've delved into the subject further, many questions will already arise, such as, if Hashem runs everything and does everything, why do I need to even make the slightest of an effort? And B'ezrat Hashem we'll discuss this more as we continue to talk about bitachon. But for now, before anything, just to define bitachon a little bit, bitachon refers to relying on Hashem rather than on other individuals. 
So of course, everybody needs money to be able to live. If I am not living by the values of bitachon, one might go to work, work hard, and be well-meaning in all areas. However, this individual might think that the only reason they are receiving their sustenance is because they go to work and their boss pays their salary. Now again, we are not now discussing the obligation to make hishtadlus, to make an effort, which we know the Torah commands us to do. But regardless of the obligation of hishtadlus and whatever hishtadlus we might be obligated to make, when one is not living according to the values of bitachon, but rather according to the illusion that their boss is the one who is providing for their needs, that would be a life devoid of Hashem, devoid of emunah, and devoid of bitachon. 
Whereas, when an individual understands that the only source of their parnassa comes directly and exclusively from Hashem, yes in this case, Hashem is giving the money to the boss to give to me, but I am absolutely clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this boss is just a puppet to the point that I am not afraid of him, that I will not flatter him like sometimes one might be led to do if they have the mistaken illusion of this boss being their provider. As opposed to when one internalizes that Hashem is the only provider, it could be through this boss, it could be through some other means, but I rely exclusively on Hashem. 
It is easy to understand that seeing as emunah and bitachon should be our ultimate focus whilst alive in this world, it is not going to take one day to become proficient in these topics, but of course all Hashem expects from us is to make an effort to grow in these areas, in our purpose of being alive in this world. Let's explore and learn about together the true perspective, Hashem's perspective, which is portrayed in the Torah, about what it truly means to have bitachon.

439 - Bitachon (Part-1)

We've discussed many times the important question of why Hashem decided to create the world. And as the Torah commentaries teach, step number one, the only reason Hashem decided to create the world in the first place was just because of His desire to give to all of us. And of course, if there's no recipient, there is nobody to give to. And therefore, He created us. 
And step number two, as the Torah commentaries teach, the ultimate destination where we'll receive our reward in the future, b'ezrat Hashem, is not in this world, but rather in Olam Haba, in the next world. 
And step number three, that being the case, if so, why did Hashem place us in this world at all? If the only reason You created me is to give me pleasure in Your goodness, and ultimately that takes place in Olam Haba only, in the next world, and not in this world, what am I doing here? Why am I alive in this world? 
And as the Torah commentaries explain, the only reason that we exist in this world is because Hashem, in His great knowledge and wisdom, understood that the ultimate opportunity for pleasure in the next world will be if we are given the opportunity to earn that pleasure for ourselves, rather than having that pleasure being given to us as a free gift. And the way we earn that pleasure is by having our excursion in this world. 
And step number four, exactly what is the process of how we earn our place in the next world? We know there are many components to Judaism, including the learning of Torah and performance of many mitzvos and many other practices that we have. However, as we've discussed many times, the Ramban writes in his commentary on the Torah in the final passage of Parashat Bo - the purpose of all the mitzvos, and in fact, the only reason for Hashem creating us is that we come to have emunah in Hashem.
We've also mentioned previously many others who follow suit, teaching us that ultimately the purpose of all of the mitzvahs and of the Torah and all of Judaism is to come to have faith in Hashem. And therefore our main focus whilst alive in this world should be to make efforts to grow in our emunah and our bitachon. 
What exactly is the difference between emunah and bitachon? Usually emunah is translated as faith and bitachon is translated as trust or reliance. Many Torah commentaries explain that emunah can be viewed as the theoretical principle - that Hashem initially created the world and that Hashem is currently actively involved in all the intricate details of every single one of our lives; that there is no other force or power in the world except for Hashem, and the many other things that emunah teaches. Whereas bitachon refers to taking the theoretical principles of emunah and applying them in a practical way by living our lives according to their values. 
Of course it can be self-understood that both emunah and bitachon are of paramount importance because without knowing the principles of emunah it is impossible to apply them practically and practice bitachon, whereas just learning and internalizing the principles of emunah, although of paramount importance, but of course the ultimate is to apply those principles in a practical way, living our lives according to the values of bitachon.
"Hashem, my Father, please will you help us to learn the correct information as well as internalize everything we need to know about both emunah as well as bitachon and please Hashem guide every single one of us in our own way to be able to apply these principles in a practical way and live the most meaningful lives to our maximum potential."

438 - Hisbodedus (Part-11)

The Shulchan Aruch in Ohr Hachaim chapter 287 states that although on a weekday, when one encounters an individual who is unwell, it is a mitzvah to wish them a refuah shleima - a complete recovery, however on Shabbos, under normal circumstances, one is not supposed to wish another individual a refuah shlema. And the reason for that, as explained by the commentaries, is because when somebody is ill and I wish them better, I am also supposed to pray that they have a complete recovery, and sometimes whilst doing so, that might cause me to have sad feelings when I contemplate on the pain and suffering that this individual might be experiencing. And therefore on Shabbos, when we are not supposed to give ourself reason to feel feelings of sadness, instead of wishing somebody a refuah shleima, the halacha outlines that we are to say, "shabbos hi milizok urefuah kerovah lavo" - that I have no need to daven for you, nor wish you a refuah shlema, because Shabbos is so powerful that it will heal you itself.
Although in general, we are highly encouraged to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, as we have discussed many times, both with regards to perhaps more spiritual things, as well as with regards to more mundane subjects, although usually there are no limitations as to what we should talk to Hashem about, and Hashem has given us the incredible opportunity to have a green card to be able to reach out to Him about anything and everything at any time, however, the halacha tells us that davening on Shabbos has different halachic parameters than regular weekday prayer.
To briefly summarize what emerges from the halacha, which the Shulchan Aruch and other halachic commentaries in Ohr Hachaim chapter 288 state: prayers in the form of praise and gratitude to Hashem are always permitted even on Shabbos, whereas when it comes to the type of prayer that we make in the form of requests, then the halacha outlines to us that there are three categories that are permitted on Shabbos. The first is when we are dealing with spiritual matters. Although asking Hashem for more money, or for recovery from illness, or success in a mundane endeavor that I might be involved in, is problematic on Shabbos under normal circumstances, however, to ask Hashem that He help me in overcoming my anger challenges, or perhaps to ask Hashem to help me to be more diligent in my mitzvah observance, or being more committed to talking to Him on a regular basis, that would be permitted on Shabbos under all circumstances. 
The halachic commentaries bring that a second category that would be permitted on Shabbos: when a person prays in his mind rather than actually mouthing the words, then say many commentaries that one is actually permitted to pray for anything, both with regards to spiritual endeavors as well as with regards to even mundane things. Although the midrash does teach that in general when praying, one should make an effort to mouth the words of one's prayer rather than just thinking it, however on Shabbos, seeing as one is not supposed to pray for mundane things, the halacha outlines that if one wishes to do so, one is permitted to, as long as they do so only by thinking so, and not praying the words with one's mouth.
And the third category is any case where a Jew's life might be at stake; just like we know the halacha permits us to even violate Shabbos under such circumstances, certainly then we are permitted to pray, say tehillim or whatever else for people whose lives might be in danger. We are so privileged to be able to constantly have a personal relationship with Hashem. Although on Shabbos the laws of praying do differ to how we may pray during a regular weekday, nevertheless we are so privileged that at every single moment of our lives we always have a way to have a personal relationship with Hashem and talk to Him.

437 - Hisbodedus (Part-10)

As we've discussed many times, the cornerstone and foundation of the whole Torah and of what it means to be a Jew, is emunah. And as many Torah commentaries discuss, that a kind of synonym with emunah and certainly one of the main focuses that a life of emunah should lead to is prayer - tefillah. When it comes to isolated mitzvos, which are all of paramount importance, usually there is a set of laws that outline to us exactly how to perform this particular mitzvah. When it comes to emunah, because it is such a foundation and ultimately everything we are doing boils down to it, there are so many details in what it means to have emunah that in a sense one can continue to learn more and more about it throughout one's life. 
And in a similar vein, when it comes to tefillah, there's so much Torah literature available about it that again, it is a lifetime's work. The Midrash Rabbah to Parshas Beshalach section 21 states that the angel appointed over the prayers of the Jewish people collects the prayers, makes crowns out of them, and then places them on Hashem's head. Let us appreciate that whenever we talk to Hashem, even about the most mundane matters, we are actually sending Him a gift that makes up the crown that He wears. Each word of prayer that we utter is really the holy of holies and therefore Hashem chooses to wear these prayers on His head constantly. This is one of many tremendously motivating Torah sources that help us to treat prayer with highest priority.
The Talmud Yerushalmi in Brochas chapter 9 states that Hashem is close to us and attentive to our prayers. The Gemara goes on to compare the manner in which Hashem hears us to one who speaks into the ear of another individual. Just like the individual hears us loud and clear, so too does Hashem hear every word loud and clear. There are many levels to what it means to have emunah. For many of us who believe that Hashem is there, we believe that He listens when we talk to Him. However, there are many levels to what it means to believe that Hashem is truly listening to me. This passage is teaching us that Hashem listens to every single word we are saying just like you would be whispering into the ear of another individual, to that extent and more because He is not limited by human capacity. 
Taking Torah passages like this to heart will motivate us to treat our personal prayer with Hashem with maximum importance. The Zohar HaKadosh to Parashat Vayishlach page 169a states that we should make effort to express our prayers to Hashem clearly to the best of our abilities. We should not assume that Hashem understands what we mean without the need for us to express our requests adequately; but rather, we should imagine that we are talking to another individual who needs us to explain all the details of what we are saying. Of course Hashem understands what we are going to say even before we say it, and were we to be in a situation such as having an inability to talk, we certainly could be rest assured that Hashem knows exactly what we mean even without us having expressed ourselves adequately. However, this Torah passage is teaching us that Hashem's desire is that we do make our maximum effort in expressing ourselves in our prayers with all the precise details. 
"Thank you Hashem for teaching me that when I pray to you it is so important to you that you take those prayers and actually put them on the crown that is on your head. Thank you also Hashem for teaching me that you are listening so closely to everything I have to say as if I am talking directly into your ear. And thank you Hashem also for outlining to me that the right way to pray is to make my maximum effort to adequately express myself even though in truth you don't need me to because you know everything, this is your desire and this is the mitzvah of what it means to pray to you. Thank you Hashem for the gift of tefillah."

436 - Hisbodedus (Part-9)

We discussed the law which is stated in the shulchan aruch, Yoreh Deah section 335, where we learned that in order to fulfil the mitzvah of visiting a sick person - bikur cholim - according to halacha, one is required to visit the individual, help them out with whatever they need and also pray for their welfare. And the halacha taught us that if one neglects their obligation to pray on behalf of the sick individual, one forfeits the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. We can learn many things from this law. One important point is to internalize that we are always to follow halacha exactly as Hashem dictates, regardless of our own understanding. Because although sometimes logic may dictate to us differently, nevertheless, we ought to humble ourselves that we cannot understand Hashem's calculations and therefore, the wisest thing to do would be just to follow exactly what He told us, whether we understand or we don't.
And another important point we learn from this law is the tremendous potency the Torah places on prayer. Although our logic would seem to dictate that fulfilling a mitzvah where you help another individual is of utmost importance, which again, according to the Torah, it is; however, our logic would also dictate that prayer is not as important because we don't see the immediate effect that prayer has. Whereas when you help another individual, such as you visit a sick person and you help them out, you do see the immediate effect. But again, the Torah sources, which is the only true real perspective that we have, teach us otherwise - that even when we don't experience what we think to be meaningful, we are called on to do exactly what Hashem tells us to do.
We've also mentioned previously the Gemara in Brachos 12b which states that if one knows of another individual who is experiencing some form of hardship or trouble and one does not daven for that individual, the Gemara says one is called a sinner. And Rav Moshe Feinstein explains further that even if an individual sees themselves as a not particularly righteous individual or perhaps even as a non-observant individual, we are obligated to pray on their behalf because one never knows the heavenly calculations of whose prayers will be accepted and therefore, even if one sees themselves as an unimportant individual, every single one of us is obligated to pray for one another. 
The Gemara in Bava Kamma 92a states that when we pray on behalf of another individual, and in actual fact we are also in need of the item we are requesting for the other individual, we will actually be answered first. Now, of course, when we pray for another individual, the right motivation should be to pray because we really care about them and as a fringe benefit, the Gemara tells us that we will be answered for what we need. However, it is motivating to know this fact, that ultimately when we care about others, in return, Hashem will care about us and give us what we need. 
"Thank You, Hashem, for giving us the tremendous opportunity to be able to speak to You, even though we might not have any background in Torah education, and even if we do have a tremendous background in Torah education, thank You for teaching me that this is one of the greatest mitzvos that can exist, and it's available to all of us in an easy form, where we can just open up our heart and talk to You. Hashem, thank You also for giving me the tremendous opportunity to pray on behalf of others, and teaching me the tremendous potency that my prayers can make, that I might just be the only person who can make a real difference in this situation. Sometimes it might be that I'm supposed to make the difference in a practical way, but much of the time, the main difference I will make is by praying to You. Thank You, Hashem, for the gift of tefillah."

435 - Hisbodedus (Part-8)

One of the great mitzvos that Hashem has given us the opportunity to take part in is the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. When someone is sick we have a mitzvah to go and visit them. However, what is sometimes not as well known is that the halacha in Yoreh Deah chapter 335 states that just like by all mitzvos we find that there are certain technicalities one needs to follow in order to fulfill the mitzvah in the correct way, in the same way when it comes to the mitzvah of visiting the sick, besides actually going and visiting the sick person and of course asking them if there is anything we could help with which is part of the mitzvah, the halacha also stipulates that one is obligated to pray on behalf of the sick person for their recovery, to the point that the Ramah in the name of the Ramban states the halacha that if one visited a sick person and neglected their obligation to pray on their behalf, one has not fulfilled the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. 
One might argue, although it might have been the ideal course to follow the halacha perfectly and pray for this individual, but come on I spent many hours visiting the individual trying to help them out, surely I kind of did the mitzvah almost perfectly even if I didn't pray for their recovery? The reason this is a very wrong approach is because firstly as mentioned many times, Hashem is the only one who knows the details of why every mitzvah needs to be done in the precise way that He has designed. And if He has said that these are the specifications of how this mitzvah works, we need to make sure to listen to exactly how He has outlined the law. 
As we've discussed previously, Torah authorities teach us that although sometimes we might be given some of the reasons as to why we perform the mitzvos, however for the most part the real reasons behind the mitzvahs we have no idea as to their true essence. And therefore, just because to us it might seem like the main component of visiting a sick person is in order to make them feel better and to help them out with anything they might need, however if we might be missing the component of praying on their behalf, we might be missing one of the main, most important parts of the mitzvah; again to the point that the halacha stipulates that if we visit a sick person and one neglects to pray for their welfare, one does not fulfill the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. 
And another reason this would be a very mistaken approach is because again, everything always boils down to emunah. It is much easier to appreciate when somebody goes ahead to visit a sick individual and takes the time to go and help them out practically, and of course this mitzvah should not be undermined whatsoever because it is a tremendous mitzvah to take of one's time and energy to help another Jew and especially to visit a sick individual and help them out in whatever way one can. However it is much more difficult to relate to the potency of the prayer that I might make for them because again, when I might be visiting them or helping them out in a practical way, I don't need to believe anything. I can see that I'm helping them out and I can see that they feel better by me being there. But thereafter when I go and make a prayer for this individual, I don't see any effect of my prayer and the only thing I have is to believe, to have emunah that my prayer is making a difference. 
The bottom line is that it is difficult to relate to the effectiveness and the potency that prayer has because in this world we are not allowed to see the effect that prayers have on a situation. However we are taught from the only true perspective that can exist regardless of what our own logic might dictate, which again could of course be mistaken at times, that the power of prayer is so important. Our prayers make a big difference if we would be able to see what the Torah sources teach us that every time we utter a word of prayer we are creating worlds in the spiritual realms to degrees that we can't even imagine, it would be impossible to stop praying but in this world we are not allowed to see because the purpose of our existence is specifically to believe when we don't see; emunah.