Welcome to the daily chizuk (encouragement). A person should never say, “How could I ask Hashem for something now? I’m on such a low level. He doesn’t want to hear me.” Hashem always wants to hear you, no matter what level you’re on.
The Midrash (rabbinic teaching) in Parashat Beshalach asks, “Why did Hashem trap the Jews in the desert at Yam Suf?” Because Hashem desired to hear them pray. While the Jews were in Mitzrayim, the Pasuk (verse) says, “They cried out to Hashem.” But after Hashem took them out, they stopped praying. So what did Hashem do? He brought Pharaoh back, and immediately the Jews cried out again to Hashem. Hashem said, “That’s the voice. That’s the voice that I missed.” It was the same voice He heard in Mitzrayim.
The Sefer Ki Atah Imadi brings this from a certain Chacham (sage). What was that voice? The voice that Hashem missed so much. The voice in Mitzrayim. It was the voice of the Jews on the 49th level of Tum'ah (impurity). No matter what level you’re on, Hashem is waiting to hear your voice.
The Kedushat Levi says we have to strengthen our emunah (faith) that even though Hashem is Melech (King), Malchei HaMelachim (King of Kings), He’s interested in your tefillot (prayers), and He desires them. He says, “Even if a person is on the lowest spiritual levels.” Rav Tzadok HaKohen says further that sometimes a person on a lower level has an even greater chance of being answered, because that person knows he’s really not worthy and is relying solely on the mercy of Hashem. Those are the greatest prayers.
The Chafetz Chaim once got up in public and said, “I promise you, Hashem is longing and awaiting all of your tefillot, every single person here.” Never think that because of your actions, Hashem doesn’t want to hear you. We don’t realize the power of the tefillot from even a simple Jew.
A man recently told me a story about how, when he was 60 years old, he was forced to close all of his stores. He said he found himself, for the first time in almost 50 years, without a source of income. How was he going to live now? He thought to himself that maybe he would sell his house and buy a smaller one.
The next day, after Shacharit (morning prayer service) in shul, he said he decided to stay in the shul after everybody left. He wasn’t learned. He didn’t know exactly how to pray properly, so he said he got down on his hands and knees and said, “Please God, I need your help. Please give me another job.” Those were his words. He got up, said a perek (chapter) of Tehillim, and left the shul.
As the man was walking home, a car pulled up next to him. It was the president of a very large company. The president asked the man, “What are you doing here so late in the morning?” He explained that he had sold his stores and was out of a job. The president said, “Wow, perfect. I need a new manager for a certain division. You would be the perfect man.” The man said he got the exact salary he needed and started work the next day.
This is the simple tefillah from a simple man. Never be discouraged from crying out to Hashem. No matter who you are, Hashem desires your tefillah. Have a great day.