Welcome to the Daily Chizuk. Rabbeinu Yonah writes that when a person prays, he has to imagine himself as if he is standing in Shamayim (heavens), having a private meeting with Hashem, because that is what is really happening. We try all the time to get meetings with influential people, people we think could help us. Here, we have the opportunity whenever we want to have a meeting with the most influential being, the only one who could really help us. But the meeting depends on us. If you want it, it’s there. There’s just one condition: you have to show up, not just with your body, but with your mind and your heart. If you manage to make this meeting, the results can be wondrous. You have to have the feeling, and you have to really believe.
A woman emailed me. She has been working on a tefillah (prayer), and she has seen Hashem answering her so clearly. She said her husband’s boss was being unusually tough on him, putting him down and embarrassing him. Her husband was coming home upset, and it was ruining the peace in the home. She prayed every day that Hashem should let her husband find favor in the boss’s eyes, but she never told him. One month later, her husband said, “It’s like a miracle. I can’t believe the difference. One day, the boss just started treating me differently. He was still tough, with high expectations, but he said he addressed me with more respect and confided in me almost like family.” He couldn’t believe how things had turned around so suddenly.
She also said that just last week, her son’s yeshiva from Israel called, asking if they could give money or help raise money. She felt bad that she couldn’t give them that much, but she was so grateful to the yeshiva. Her son was really enjoying it, and she really wanted to help them. She said, “I’m going straight to Hashem,” and she started to pray: “Please, Hashem, let me give them money somehow. Please help me.” Two days later, she was handed a check made out to her son’s yeshiva from a big business. They said that they wanted to give to a yeshiva in Israel, and they thought of her son. They were hoping that she would know exactly where to send it.
Somebody else told me about a couple who have a young daughter who started to have anxiety about going to school. It got so bad that she wouldn’t go under any circumstance. She had to use the bathroom every three minutes. She was shaking, and her teeth were chattering. The principal said, “It looks like she’s going to need professional help.” The parents started looking into different psychologists, and in the meantime, they tried everything together to get her to go to school. They left her one day with the principal, and she just cried and cried. The parents were beside themselves. What are we going to do until she gets help? She can’t just stay home every day. So they both started to pray, knowing that Hashem could solve the problem in an instant.
The pasuk (verse) says, “Ki ani Hashem rofecha.” I am Hashem, your doctor. Hashem can cure problems, even with the mind. And when Hashem heals, it’s painless and it’s lasting. The next day, the parents were hoping for a miracle. They tried to send her off to school as usual, but they got the same response. This time, however, she ended up going later for a few hours. The next day, it was like a miracle. She went to the bus and, with just a little hesitation, got on. She stayed the whole day. Baruch Hashem (Blessed is Hashem). Tefillah works. Just pour out your heart and believe, and you’ll see wonders. Have a great day.