what is the purpose of prayer?

An old Jewish folk tale tells the story of a rabbi overhearing a conversation about the purpose of prayer among some of the leaders of the Law. Each one had their own take:

Reb Shmuel Lieb said: The purpose of prayer is to recognize our Oneness with God.

Reb Feivel the Light said: The purpose of prayer is to attune body and soul.

Reb Feivel the Dark said: The purpose of prayer is to open up the heart and let the heart sing its praises to God.

Reb Sholem said: It seems to me that you have overlooked the most basic purpose of prayer, which is to become a servant to God. And if you can’t be a servant first, you don’t’ have the right to be a teacher or a lover or anything else.

Then Reb Hayim Elya spoke up and said: The whole purpose of prayer is to bring down blessings. For without these blessings, prayer serves no purpose.

Then Reb Aharon joined the discussion and said: The purpose of prayer is to perform repentance, for without repentance, what is the point of prayer?

After they gave their theories they look to the only rabbi that had not spoken, because they knew that he was wise and knew the most about prayer – and the rest of the story is his answer.

They were awaiting his judgement about who was right. But he would not give himself to judging them. Instead, the rabbi united each of them together to show how each one’s perspective was needed to lift the prayers of their generation.

Which leads us to believe that they were all right. And that the purpose of prayer is layered, deep and not found in isolation.

What if my relationship with God, as life-defining as it is, only reveals a sliver of the character of God? And what if I need everyone around me to help me understand more of who he is and how I can relate to him? And what if the prayers of our generation are lifted to the heavens when all of us bring our perspectives together and share in the unity of following God?