Prayer — Old Testament Definitions & Kavvanah
That’s not Prayer!
Lately there’s been a move, it would seem, in some Facebook postings, to tell people that they should never plead to God for anything — that that’s not Prayer!
Or the only way to Pray… is to meditate!
Well, I’m here just to correct that, because there’s all kinds of ways to Pray and it doesn’t make one more right than the other, unless God tells you at that moment.
For example, God may tell you Decree or Declare that something is so. i.e. Decreeing Scriptures.
We do have Authority, so we don’t have to come to God as whiners, that’s true. But some people are acting as if it’s wrong to Pray what’s in our heart, or what God motivates us to Pray about.
Some people have even told us to stop crying and weeping, when in Jeremiah 9:17-19 The Word says to call for the weeping women.
So we need to know The Word, and The Word has much to say in the New Testament too, about bearing one another’s burdens.
When you walk according to the Spirit, The LORD puts it on your heart what to do.
My way into Prayer, so often, has been through Praise first, that way, The Presence of The LORD comes, and then He leads you in whatever you should Pray about, or whatever else He wants to do with or for and through you.
I’ve just read something on Facebook that’s telling people, “Oh… that’s not the way to war! You know, you don’t do warfare by taking authority over demons etc.” buy that , “You just enter do meditation.”
You can do that. You can focus on Jesus if you are attacked and have vision.
The trouble is, because of my background, I haven’t always had that kind of Vision. I can’t just picture things at will. I can’t just picture things at times — it’s just not there.
I can focus on The Word; on what He says. I can focus on a picture of Him that I have, but I can’t conjure it up in my brain.
Not everybody is the same. So do what you’re led to do by The Holy Spirit — and when people are trying to push methods, it’s always to me been a possible red flag.
In Hebrew they call this — Kavvanah
When you Worship and then pray in The Spirit, you then can be conjoined with The Holy Spirit, becoming Prayer.
In Hebrew they call this Kavvanah, per Wesley Campbell.
The rest of the world does not pray like Westerners, he said, they mostly pray out loud and all at the same time while they move or walk around. Westerners usually praise sitting down with the time relatively softly devoid of emotion.
In Nigeria, he went to a large Church gathering where thousands congregated, and when the leader said “Let’s Pray!” the whole place erupted, with everyone praying very loudly — all at once!
So he thought it was a cultural thing for Nigerians. But then he later traveled to Korea and it was the same. There, everyone prayed out loud simultaneously.
Then they went to The Prayer Mountain in Korea, where hundreds of prayer grottoes were carved into the mountain, and individual Koreans would lock themselves in these little 4ft.² (1.2m²) grottoes to pray.
As they walked by them, they could hear the rise and fall of their voices calling out to God.
In time they traveled over 50 countries, including major continents of China, India, Latin America, Southeast Asia and so on, where they usually found the same practice of prayer.
It was only in western countries that people pray differently — the rest of the world praise out loud.
During the days of Jesus life on earth, He offered a prayers and petitions with a loud cries and tears… and He was heard because of His reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7).
One idea from Rabbinical insight, is where Christian believers confirm the idea of Kavvanah — when a person is so touched by The Spirit of God, that not only are the person’s words Prayer, but it is said that he or she “becomes prayer.”
This “becoming prayer”, or touching God and becoming one with His Purposes and Desires, is to be our goal in Prayer.
Wes talks also about how Protestant Churches have a resource called The Book of Common Prayer, which has been around for about 500 years.
It was formed from Anglican and Episcopal traditions and helps believers to pray The Bible, because The Book of Common Prayer is saturated with Scripture; many lifted Word for Word from Scripture.
It also gives several ways in which you can pray through the Psalms, and it is intended to be prayed out loud.
It also recommends praying morning noon and night whether in small groups, Church or at home. The Rabbis, he said, have always taught that there are different levels of kavvanah, as well as methods to create it.
The basic level is understanding the text being prayed and from there the worshiper can move to identification.
He said they so entered the prayer, that their words connect with God’s words and as they pray or speak His intentions, signs and wonders actually occur.
Wesley Cambpell‘s book is called: Praying the Bible.
Note: I am not a Hebrew scholar who could likely give more clear explanation. I am just looking up the Letters in the book and depending on God to show me how to express it.
But the definitions for letters are from Jeff Benner’s book — “Ancient Hebrew Lexicon“.
The Ancient Hebrew understanding
Request : Strong’s 1039
Ancient Hebrew right to left is Bet, Ayin, and Hey.
1039 H (v) in Ancient Hebrew lexicon Means : swell, Request i.e. a swelling desire in KJV: boil, swelling, seek, enquire, ask, desire, pray, request.
Right to left:
Bet – is house or tent, Hebrews lived in nomadic tents, for family
Ayin – looks like an eye and Means, seeing, watching and window of knowledge
Hey– man w arms raised means Behold as in looking at a great sight and connotes revelation.
Pray : Strong’s 1173
1173 H (v) verb In Ancient Hebrew lexicon Means : Sick: sick, weak, grievous, diseased, wounded, pray, entreat, grief, sore, pain, infirmity
Right to left:
Hhets — tent wall – to protect occupants from elements
Lamed — shepherds staff symbol : moving something in a different direction like a shepherd would use his staff. Can also mean YOKE — staff on shoulders, like a burden
Hey — (looks like stick man) means to behold — connotes revelation
Created : Strong’s 1254
1254 J to have what you are without.
KJV: if, would, that, oh, Peradventure, PRAY. Strong’s 3808 and 3863
Right to left:
Lamed — shepherds staff symbol : moving something in a different direction like a shepherd would use his staff. Can also mean YOKE —- staff on shoulders, like a burden
Vav — tent peg – means peg or hook used for securing something. To add or secure.
Aleph — head of an ox — strength and power, can mean chief or leader, Oxen, yoke, learn (because they typically would take two oxen; one older and one younger so the older one could teach the younger)
Lamed and Aleph together (staff and the ox head) means strong authority, and are commonly used in the Hebrew Bible for God or any God = El (older- Al) The concept of ox and Sheppard staff it’s been carried over in modern times as the scepter and crown of a monarch — leader of a nation. The staff means authority and horns means strength.
Meditate : Strong’s 1330
1330 Meditate – a sweeping away in thought
KJV: talk, meditate, speak, complain, pray, commune, muse, declare!
Right to left:
Samech — a thorn is mostly used, meaning pierce, or sharp. It can also mean “shield” because thorn bushes were used during the night to protect flocks from predators. Another meaning is to “grab hold” as a thorn is a seed that clings to hair and clothing Sin, now in modern Hebrew
Yad — represents a closed hand. It looks like an arm bent. The meaning is work, make and throw, the functions of the hand.
Hhets — tent wall — “to protect occupants from elements” (Far left)
Plead : Strong’s 1380
1380 – PLEAD
JUDGMENT : to plead for intercession or outcome. To do a great action our of judgment
Right to left:
Pey — open mouth — To speak or blow
(There are several ancient pictographs none of which look like a mouth except a South Arabian pictograph!)
Lamed — shepherds staff symbol : represents authority moving something in a different direction like a shepherd would use his staff. Can also mean YOKE — staff on shoulders, like a burden.
Together they mean speak to authority.
Aleph — head of an ox — strength and power, can mean chief or leader, Oxen, yoke, learn (because they typically would take two oxen; one older and one younger so the older one could teach the younger)
Lamed and Aleph together (staff and the ox head) means strong authority, and are commonly used in the Hebrew Bible for God or any God = El (older- Al) The concept of ox and Sheppard staff it’s been carried over in modern times as the scepter and crown of a monarch — leader of a nation. The staff means authority and horns means strength.
Pray: Strong’s 1403
1403 PRAY
Pray: (Aramaic only) used 2x Strong’s 6739
Right to left:
Tsade: — man on his side Means —- side of something, hunting and chasing
thru idea of laying down in ambush. This Letter has Ts sound.
Lamed — shepherds staff symbol : represents authority moving something in a different direction like a shepherd would use his staff. Can also mean YOKE — staff on shoulders, like a burden.
Aleph — head of an ox — strength and power, can mean chief or leader, Oxen, yoke, learn (because they typically would take two oxen; one older and one younger so the older one could teach the younger)
As above — Lamed and Aleph together (staff and the ox head) means strong authority.
Whisper Prayer : Strong’s 2308
2308 Whisper Prayer
Kjv: Enchantment, orator, Earring, prayer, charmed.
Right to left:
Lamed — (shepherds staff symbol) : represents authority moving something in a different direction like a shepherd would use his staff. Can also mean YOKE — staff on shoulders, like a burden.
Hhets — tent wall – to protect occupants from elements
Shin — pictograph of 2 front teeth. Means: teeth, sharp, and press — from teeth when chewing and also can mean two,again, both or second (from pic of 2 teeth)
Intercede: Strong’s 2910
2910 Intercede: To supplicate on behalf of another. KJV; intreat, pray,
prayer. ( Strong’s 6279 )
Right to left:
Ghah — twisted rope pictograph in some semitic expressions. This letter no longer exists in the Hebrew — it was absorbed into the letter Ayin — looks like an eye and Means, seeing, watching and window of knowledge.
**To me a rope twisted would mean entwined so fits with Holy Spirit, being author of our prayers if we lean on Him = Kavannah.
Taw ( modern TAV): crossed sticks . Means mark, sign or signature.
Tav means mark.
Resh: head of a man pictograph. Means head, man , chief, top, beginning or first. God being author of our prayers when we lean into Him, Laying down our lives like Jesus did on the CROSS, submitting to His headship
~ Priscilla Van Sutphin
PRISCILLA VAN SUTPHIN is the founder of Upstream Ministries, California, online at www.upstreamca.org and blogtalkradio.com/ Upstream. Email: upstream.ca@me.com For Donations: send to ‘Priscilla Van Sutphin’ on envelope, but to Upstream if chk at 15660 Tustin Village Way #27, Tustin CA 92780 or https://www.paypal.me/UpstreamMinistries or Zelle thru using upstream.ca@me.com
Thank you Priscilla – such a great word!
God bless you and your family