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In our Christian background, prayer is known as communicating to YHVH and revealing our wants to Him. If we are a bit more spiritual, we also include thanksgiving and praising to YHVH, and at the highest spiritual level, we are called intercessors, which intercede for other people. The Hebrew roots for prayer go back to the days of the Tabernacle, where the people met with YHVH on His prescribed way. In Scripture, there are different Hebrew words, translated as ‘pray’ and every one of these words gives us a teaching on how to pray and how not to pray.

1. Na – Feed my Flesh

The first word for “pray” used in Scripture is the word “na” which means to ask in a submissive way, “asking please”. The root verb is the word “noo” meaning; to hinder, hold back, forbid, disallow, restrain, frustrate. This gives it a negative connotation. This word is first used in Gen 12:13 when Abraham asked (pray) Sarah to tell the Egyptian king that she is his sister. He actually did not lie directly, because she was his sister from another mother, but he spoke creatively, causing the king to think that she was not married to him.

This is not right in the eyes of YHVH because Abraham did it out of fear, thus serving fear and not YHVH. This verse and the meaning of the word, puts this type of prayer in a negative light and thus gives us a warning on how not to pray. This reveals to us the bad selfish way to approach YHVH. Many people pray like this today, making their wants known to YHVH, even though it is totally fleshly and only a need in the physical. There is no spiritual connection to this type of prayer and the scary part is, YHVH sometimes give the people what they want, the result is a torn in the flesh later on, bringing them back to repentance. YHVH only wants the best for us and He starts building your spirit, not your flesh and your prayers should be in line with His way of working in your life.

2. Lu – Bless the seed of my Flesh

The third word for prayer is “lu” meaning; no, if only, if YHVH will only. First found in Scripture in Gen 17:18 where Abraham said;” if Ishmael might live before YHVH…” This is seen in the same light as the first word for pray, “Na”, we looked at before, because it has a negative connotation as well. Abraham did something out of the flesh and then asked YHVH to bless it, sounds familiar? We sometimes do things that we did not hear from YHVH, like starting a business. Now we spend a lot of time on our knees, asking YHVH to bless it.

YHVH did bless Abraham, but his descendants reaped the bed reward caused by their father’s fleshly decision. If you do something wrong, YHVH will use that thing to bring you back into repentance with Him so that you will learn from your bad fleshly decisions. Every cause as a tailor made effect to rectify the problem that gave birth to the effect. Can we pray for “bad decisions” made, for YHVH to turn it around and become a blessing? The answer is in the meaning of this word, NO! You are wasting your time; the only blessing that will come out of it, is you being changed by the result of your bad fleshly decisions. It is more meaningful to spend time in prayer, asking YHVH’s will for your life so that you can walk in it, and not make ignorant decisions.

3. Lachash – Casual prayer in need

The word “lacash” means; a whisper, a private prayer, to whisper, charm, conjure charmers, conjurers.

Ecc 10:11-13
(11) If the snake bites without enchantment, then ‘the master of the tongue’ is no better! (12) Words of a wise man’s mouth show favour, but the lips of a fool swallow him up; (13) the beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness.

Isa 26:16
O יהוה, in distress they shall visit You, they shall pour out a prayer when Your disciplining is upon them.

This is one of those prayers that fall in the negative category. This is a prayer whispered or prayed without confidence and it’s nature is to charm YHVH. In Isa 26 we see that the people praying this type of prayer, are people not used to pray to YHVH, unless they need something from Him. Their lives caused YHVH’s discipline to be upon them and now they want to charm YHVH to get out of the bad situation. It is a fool, as seen in Ecc10, that acts this way and the snake will bite you because it is too late. The wise man knows YHVH in all his ways and is a man that prays regularly, not just when he needs something. This type of prayer is a warning to us on how not to pray to YHVH because His discipline is upon such people.

4. Palal - Intersession

This is the second word for ‘pray’ in Scripture meaning: to intervene, interpose, pray, to mediate, judge, to intercede. It is first found in Gen 20:7 where the king had a dream in which YHVH warned him not to touch another man’s wife. YHVH told him Abraham was a prophet, that he will pray for him so that he will live. The king did this out of ignorance and was innocent in mans eyes, but in YHVH’s eyes, it is the deed that counts and he needed intersession to take away the result of the sin he committed.

There are two spiritual depths seen here; the first is that we must intercede for people that we are in contact with, because we can cause them to do wrong by our flaws and the way we react. YHVH will cancel out the effect of the sin caused by you, if you intercede for the person you cause to stumble. This person will then be free. This is the basic concept of forgiveness, but from the person that caused the other person to sin. The second spiritual truth is seen in the Bride of the prophet, given to the pagan king. Sarah is a picture of YHVH’s bride, YHVH’s people scattered into the nations, and we must intercede for the people in the nations, so that they can release the bride back to the Prophet, Y’shua.

We must also intercede for the Israelites that are scattered, for their eyes to be opened, so that they can accept Y’shua as their Bridegroom. If the “Christians” in the world do not stop their sin of being ignorant, the Jews and scattered Israelites will not come to the Messiah. The Christians are one of the main causes that the Jews rejects Y’shua as the Messiah because they said that Jesus came to abolish Torah, this is not true and is based upon ignorance. Instead of revoking the Jews to jealousy, they became a laughing stock in the eyes of the Jews who know Torah. YHVH told the king not to touch Sarah, not to lay a hand on her. If he did, he will surely die. This is a warning to the nations and the Christians, not to touch YHVH’s chosen people, not to say anything bad about them, because you will reap a curse if you do.

5. Chanan – Personal Prayer

Meaning; to be gracious, show favor, pity, to be pitied, to seek favor, implore favor, to be loathsome, to decline, to bend down, to encamp. First time used in Scripture:

Gen 33:5
And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children with whom Elohim has favoured your servant

The context here is where Jacob faced Esau and Esau asked him who all those people were. He replied and said YHVH had graciously given him all his offspring. Jacob, being isolated, who fled for his life, had to work hard for what he had. He sees it as grace from YHVH to be able to work for them and this is the lesson to be learned. YHVH gives us the opportunities to be fruitful and this prayer is a prayer thanking Him for that. This type of prayer is for personal needs but is linked to opportunities you have to take. They don’t just fall into your lap, you have to stretch out your hands and do something.

The other key is seen in the meaning of the word, namely; to humble yourself. If you ask YHVH for something in humility, you must have the same heart of submission and joy before Him even if the answer is no. This is asking in meekness. It is also a prayer for spiritual provision, gifts, revelation and the ability to help others spiritually. The humility factor is even more important. You must stay humble so that the things you ask from YHVH will be used to glorify Him and not exult yourself. It is easy for a man to be seen by people as a man of YHVH. This will cause him to walk in pride and praise of man. This is a very dangerous position to be in.

The water will stop flowing if you are lifted up to high. Jacob was very humble in this situation and would have been content even if only his life was saved. His brother approached him with 400 men, giving a total of 401 which equals the Aleph-Tav. This shows us that every situation that looks bad is Y’shua (Aleph-Tav) in disguise. What happened with Jacob in this situation was that he wrestled with YHVH and YHVH changed his walk. What we learn in this context of prayer is, that if you face a bad situation, do not ask YHVH to take it away. Rather ask Him what you can learn, because you are facing Him. Doing this will shorten your time of pain and will change your walk. Do not ask YHVH things that will ease the fleshly pain but ask Him to enhance your spirit man through whatever you are facing.

6. Siyach – Personal prayer & Praying the Word.

a) The first part of this prayer is linked to the “chanan” prayer we just looked at. This prayer you ask for personal needs and things. “Siyach” means; meditation, complaint, musing, plaint, complaint to put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, sing bush, plant, shrub.

1Sa 1:16
Do not count your handmaid for a daughter of wickedness, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.

This is where Hannah poured out her soul before YHVH and made a Nazarene vow to give her son unto YHVH if he gives her one. The name Hannah has the same meaning as the word for prayer “chanan” we have just discussed and means to bend down in humility and desperation.

1Sa 1:10
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to YHVH, and wept sorely.

She was in “marah” of her “nephesh” and “palal” to YHVH and “bacah” The word “marah” was first used in Scripture:

Gen 27:34
And when Esau heard the voice of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me, me also, O my father!

Esau gave away his birth rite for being too much in the field (world) because he was physically orientated. He was angry at his brother and hated what happened. Hannah was bitter and angry in her “nephesh” (or physical soul) about the situation. But her “nashamah” or spiritual soul kept on calling unto YHVH, communing with Him to give her a son. The word “bacah” was first used in Scripture in:

Gen 21:16
And she went and sat down across from him, a good way off, about a bowshot. For she said, Let me not see the death of the boy. And she sat across from him, and lifted up her voice, and cried.

In context with Esau, she felt that se has the right to have a child and petitioned with strong emotions to YHVH to give her a child. In relation with Hagar, Hannah has already given up her child even before she received him. It was her vow to YHVH that let her decide to give her child up just after she will receive him. This was the grieve within her heart when she cried to YHVH, with the same sorrow as Hagar when she thought she had lost her child. This is the place where YHVH wants us to be regarding spiritual things. All that we have received belongs to Him anyway.

Even your life belongs to Him from the day you were born. All life comes from YHVH and no life can be owned by anyone. Even the children given to us do not belong to us but to Him. We learn through this type of prayer that all things belong to YHVH, and if He grants you the gift of life or of physical things, you are only a steward of it and you must give it back to Him to be fully blessed by it. The moment you start owning things, that is when your sorrow really begins. When Hannah realized that this child is not hers but YHVH’s, He granted Her the gift she asked for, knowing that this child will fully belong to Him. b) The second meaning of the “Siyach” prayer is seen in Ps 119:97 & 99. Siyach also means to pray the Word.

Psa 119:97
O how I love Your Torah! It is my ”siyach” all day long.

Psa 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Your testimonies are my “siyach”.

In verse 97 it is meditating and praying the Word (Torah) and in verse 99 it is meditating and praying His testimonies. We will look at praying the Word first and then praying His Testimonies.

1. Praying His Word

The word for Word used here is Torah. Torah first appears in Scripture in:

Gen 26:5
(5) because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My Laws. (6) And Isaac lived in Gerar.

This is where Isaac moved to Gerar because of famine in the land. YHVH instructed him NOT to go to Egypt. What does this mean in relation with Torah? His father Abraham was seen to have kept Torah (Laws) His Charge, His Statutes and His Commandments. I thought the Law is only the Commandments, but is it? Gerar is first used in Scripture in:

Lev 11:7
And the swine, though he divides the hoof and is cloven-footed, yet he does not chew the cud; he is unclean to you.

Gerar means; to chew the cud, to drag away. So Isaac lived in “chew the cud”? Very interesting. YHVH instructed Isaac to go to Gerar and thus instructed him to chew the cud. To chew the cud has to do with eating. Since we are His sheep, grazing in the pastures He leads us to, we must only eat what He gives us to eat (His Word - green grass). To chew the cud is to chew the grass, swallow it and then later, bring it back into your mouth, and chew on it again. In spiritual terms, we read or hear His Word, and later on we bring the thought of this Word back into our minds, and ponder on it again. This is what Y’shua meant when He said to consider the lilies. Go to the lily pond, sit there and meditate in the quite on what you see. Try to see YHVH’s character, motive, goodness and creative awesomeness in them.

This is the way YHVH wants us to meditate on His Word, think on it. If you chew the cud, then you are a clean animal. When you chew on His Word, over and over again, His Word will cleanse you and make you clean. This is confirmed in Scripture by looking at the center word found in the Torah. The two words; derosh, derash. , This means, certainly search. This is the heart of Scripture and a message to us to search and meditate on His Word, chewing the cud. Derosh, read or hear the Word, Derash, to bring it back to mind, meditating on it.

YHVH instructed Isaac not to go to Egypt, although there was great hunger (famine). Egypt always means mixing. We are not to eat from the pastures our Shepard has commanded us not to eat from. You cannot be in the world, think on worldly things and His Word. By worldly things I mean things that pagans do and their doctrines and ways of worship. YHVH hates that and strictly forbids it. To eat Kosher is a memorial unto YHVH. Why do I say this? Because, every time you eat, YHVH reminds us by His Instruction, to take care what we eat and not to put things in our mouths that He said not to. So every time you are hungry, is a reminder to discern, on a spiritual level, only to take in and think His Word. The animal’s meat you eat, chew the cud and is clean, so by only thinking on His Word makes you clean. Are you a clean animal before YHVH? Do you chew the cud on His Word, or do you read the Scripture as a novel and never meditate on it? Or do you eat from the unclean pastures of Egypt? Ask yourself these questions and think about it.

We will look at the significance of the Commandments, Statutes and Charge in another study.

2. Praying His Testimonies

“Siyach” means; meditation, complaint, musing, plaint, complaint to put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, sing bush, plant, shrub.

Psa 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Your testimonies are my “siyach”.

The word for testimonies is “eduth”, with it’s verbal root “ad”, meaning; witness, testimony, menstruation, filthy rag, stained garment, to pass on, to pass over, to remove, ornaments, congregation, gathering, perpetuity, for ever, continuing future. The word testimonies, is first found in Scripture in:

Exo 16:32-35
(32) And Moses said, This is the thing which YHVH has commanded: Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations, so that you may see the bread with which I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. (33) And Moses said to Aaron, Take a pot and put an omer full of manna in it, and lay it up before YHVH, to be kept for your generations. (34) As YHVH commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. (35) And the sons of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to a land in which people lived. They ate manna until they came into the borders of the land of Canaan.

The manna had to be put in a pot and put in the Ark of Testimony. The Ark is from the root word “aron”, which means to gather. This is the same word used for testimonies. The Ark of the Covenant is the gathering place of YHVH’s testimonies, to remind His people of what He did for them in the Wilderness. The manna is represented by the Hebrew letter “Yod”, that is a symbol of the Spirit of YHVH. It is also known as the ‘spiritual food’ that rained from heaven.

Exo 16:32 specifically refer to this one testimony of YHVH, namely, the manna or known to us as His Spirit. What does manna or His Spirit have to do with prayer? The Spirit is the Fire that transforms the physical to the spiritual, where YHVH smells it as a sweet aroma. The word for fire is “ohsh”, and it means, fire, anger of YHVH, foundation, burnt offering, woman, and female. By adding a “mem”, representing water, gives the meaning; guilt, offence or ‘to do wrong’. The ‘woman’ (ohsha) is taken out of the ‘water’ (mem), by adding fire, evaporating the water, leaving only the woman (ohsh). This is the picture of the Bride being cleansed by fire of His Spirit, to change her from being ‘guilty’ to being the Bride without spot or wrinkle.

This confirms the picture of the fish (us) taken out of the water (nations) and filled with the Spirit (fire) and living in it’s new Life. Testimony’s verbal root is “ad” and meaning; forever, continuing future. Forever is also the word “Olam”, meaning; everlasting life, forever, to be hidden, virgin, woman, newly married, perpetuity. Looking at these two thoughts in conjunction with each other we add the fire (Spirit) “ohsh”, to the Guilt offering (Laver), “asham”. The fire let the water evaporate and the “Mem” (Nations – worldly things), is boiled out and only the woman “ohsh” is left. The fire “ohsh” cannot destroy the woman “ohsh” because they have the same Hebrew word. (see illustration).


This water condensates (purified) and fall as rain (Spirit) onto the Sin offering “Olah” (Brazen Altar) and this “Mem” (Word) is added to “Olah” giving the word “Olam”. This transforms the woman who was taken out of the nations, into the Bride (virgin) unto YHVH. (see illustration). The Spirit is represented by Fire (Shin) and Water or rain (Mem), which gives us the word Shem, the Name of YHVH (HaShem). In His Name is His Spirit and both judgments. The first judgment was with water (Noah) and the second judgment will be with fire. The word for Bronze (Brazen Altar) confirms the second judgment that is coming, connecting with what is written in Revelation; Harlot, Serpent or Dragon, Fortune telling or false prophets, Image or Beast and signs or false miracles. To get back to the topic of prayer, this “siyach” prayer of testimonies is praying in the Spirit, where He intercedes for us, building us up in the most Holy Faith.

Jud 1:20
But you, beloved ones, building yourselves up on your most set-apart belief, praying in the Set-apart Spirit,

Through praying in the Spirit He is burning the worldly things out of us, giving us the fire and desire for His Word and His ways. By adding His word (Torah) revealing it to us (Rain = Word + Spirit), He transforms us into His Bride, without spot or wrinkle. Paul states that praying in the Spirit is the key to revelation of Torah (Word). Paul did not bring new revelations, but the Spirit revealed hidden mysteries in the written Word (Torah + Prophets + Psalms = Tanak)

7. Tephillah - Praise

This word means; to pray a prayer, house of prayer, hear prayer, that which is empty, folly, and silly, foolish. It is first used in Scripture:

2Sa 7:27
“For You, O יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has taken heart to pray this prayer to You.

David, the king of Israel, had the desire to build YHVH a House. YHVH approved but because of the blood on David’s hands, Solomon, his son, actually brought this dream of his father into reality. David is known for his Psalms he wrote and the spontaneous prayers he blessed YHVH with. The first part of the word “tepillah” is the word “tofe” meaning; tumbrel, tambourine. The tambourine was used to sing praises to YHVH and David once danced out of his clothes, becoming foolish, praising YHVH. This gives us the type of prayer referred to here, a spontaneous prayer, full of praising and dancing before YHVH. These prayers can be danced on feast days to celebrate YHVH’s goodness and grace and victory.

David’s name is dvd meaning; beloved, beauty, loved one, love, pot, jar, basket, kettle. To pray to YHVH in this “Tephillah” way, is to be an empty jar or an empty house or room. David wanted to build a house for YHVH, to start praying this way, is to build a house without anything in it. To some, the house will look empty and silly, but as you continue to build this house for YHVH, (being an empty jar), His presence will fill it and it will become the most beautiful house, with filled rooms, filled with YHVH’s glory. In Ps 22:3 we see that YHVH ihabits the praises of His people.

Psa 22:3

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Start building YHVH a house and let He come and fill it. Also see the study on Dancing.

8. Athar - Worship

The word “athar” means; to burn incense in worship, to intercede, entreat, supplicate to be abundant, to be plentiful, worshipper, incense, crown, wreath. First used in Scripture:

Gen 25:21
And Yitsḥaq prayed to יהוה for his wife, because she was barren. And יהוה answered his prayer, and Ribibqah his wife conceived.

This is the true meaning of worship. Worship is an intimate form of prayer, giving yourself totally to YHVH and submitting your full being unto Him. It is the most intimate form of prayer and is compared to a man and a woman having sexual intimacy. This type of prayer is only meant for YHVH and no man should ever come this close to you. Spending time with YHVH in this manner is the time you receive His seed (Word), which will bring forth a child that will look like Him. It is a total surrender of your heart, trusting that the seed you receive from Him will bear good fruit.

This type of prayer is associated with the Golden Altar of Incense and is the medium for all your prayers. All the prayers you pray at the different places in the tabernacle pattern are flowing through this Altar and are lifted up with the fire of intimacy towards YHVH. If this part of your prayer life is not in place, you have no altar to offer all your other prayers in the Holy place. It is only the two prayers outside on the sacrifice and laver that will be lifted to YHVH through the work of the Messiah. To light this Altar, you need that coal from the outside Altar but it is you who put the oil of incense onto the fire through intimacy.

9. Chalah – Dead man pleading

Meaning; to be weak, to be rubbed or worn, sick, afflicted; to pain, make prayer, cake, cake (if pierced) First used in Scripture:

Gen 48:1
And after these events it came to be that it was said to Yosĕph, “See, your father is sick.” And he took with him his two sons, Menashsheh and Ephrayim.

Exo 32:11
But Mosheh pleaded with יהוה his Elohim, and said, “יהוה, why does Your wrath burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with a strong hand?

Jacob was weak and not much life was left in him. Even so, he still did what was expected of him, and he blessed his grandsons. This is not a context of prayer but of weakness of an old age. The second scripture gives us a better insight in the context of prayer, where Moses became weak before YHVH, pleading for Israel’s sin. To become weak before YHVH is to humble yourself in such a way that you feel like dying. It is where you are willing to give your life for the benefit of others. Some places we heard where men of Elohim fell to their faces in repentance and pleading before YHVH, this is the type of prayer described here. YHVH wanted to wipe out Israel and start all over again, but Moses intercede for them, becoming like a dead man before YHVH, pleading for His mercy upon them. What is interesting is that the Shabbat bread are called “Chalah” which represents YHVH’s Word. Y’shua is the bead of life Who became like a dead man for our sins so that through His pleading on the Stake, we could find mercy in the eyes of YHVH. Let this bread, every Shabbat, remind us of the pleading of Y’shua before YHVH so that we can live and have new Life in Him and receive the blessing of Manasseh (gentiles).

10. Tsela - Offerings

The tenth word found for ‘pray’ is the word “tsela” meaning; to pray. It has words that branch from the root word that means; to roast, shadow, to prosper, jar, bowl, to become dark, likeness, shadow of death, wound, first born, side (rib). This is first used in Scripture: Ezr 6:10. King Darius (Master) made a decree for the Temple to be rebuild. Anyone who was against this was hung from wood (tree) taken from his house. This is a picture of Y’shua’s sacrifice for paying the price spoken out by the king. He was hung from the wood from His Fathers House (Religion) and paid the price for the people that did not agree with the rebuilding of YHVH’s Temple according to His plan. His Temple moved from the physical one to a spiritual one, inside each and every believer.

He bore the curse spoken out by the King, for His people not accepting YHVH’s plan of His Temple. Prayer is connected to sacrifices from the words; roast, becoming dark, firstborn and shadow of death. All these point to the morning and evening sacrifices made every day in the Temple. Prayer is a means of drawing closer to YHVH as we know it today. Offerings made it possible for us to be heard by YHVH. Prayer is connected to sacrifices but does not substitute sacrifices. Sacrifices were needed for the people to draw closer to YHVH. The word for sacrifice and offering is related to the word “Qorban”, meaning; an offering, gift, to draw near. To pray is also a means to draw near to YHVH after the perfect Sacrifice of Yeshua teh Messiah. It is only the Christians that does not make the connection and teach that sacrifices are obsolete. One day in the New Jerusalem, when there shall be a Temple again, there will be sacrifices unto YHVH.


Next we will look at the five Offerings and what they mean to us today. Next to Offerings

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