How do I pray with heart?
How can I talk to Hashem using words that are written for me already by other people and be words of my heart?
How do I connect heart into my actions, my mitzvos?
The words of Tefilla are words of our Torah, The written Torah and the Oral Torah by Anshei Knesses Hagidola. All of Torah was was taught to the neshama before a person was even born. (Derech etz Hachaim, Ramchal). Therefore prayer are “the words of our neshama.”. Mitzvos are the words of our neshama. Torah is inside of us! It is a matter of connections..
I like these Kavanos in our Prayer to help me with my connections.
(1) In Ashrei: פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן
פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ -If I get an inspiration, or an insight, or I have a certain talent or ability, I want to first acknowledge it as Hashem’s expression of opening His Hand to me so to speak.
וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן- Ask Hashem to please make it so that I use and don’t waste. Meaning my heart connects with action.
(2) Use for someone who is ill or dealing with a physical limitation but has the desire to share Torah for example, and serve Hashem so badly.
פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ, “Hashem, Open Your Hands, Open the bonds placed on this person, so there is no physical restrictions ; וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן Satisfy his desire to fulfill Your Ratzon, Make it that he can fully connect his heart and actions without limitation.
(3) פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ , Open up Your Hands that formed all the letters of Your Torah and Make it that a person who desires Your Torah can access and connect with all of Your Torah and not suffer forgetfulness.
(4) פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן, Open Your Hands that created all healing and open up any paths, and directly send healing to a person, so the person can access absorb the physical healing You send in which ever form that satisfies , meaning absorbed and hits the spot for a Refuah Shlaima and for a spiritual healing that is satisfactory, of חַי רָצוֹן for a person who lives to attach to Hashem.
(5)For children: פּוֹתֵֽחַ אֶת־יָדֶֽךָ, Open Your Arms and give the gift of Children to this couple, (Prayer), and then accept my prayer into action, וּמַשְׂבִּֽיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצוֹן, and let it be Your Ratzon that share Your gift of life to this family for children. Meaning the prayer gets satisfied.