Prayer and Praying
By Yochanan Zaqantov
The Tanakh is a book filled with prayers. It gives us many examples of prayers we can model after to talk with Yehovah. Yet, it does not give us clear steps in how to pray. That is left up to the individual. Yet we do have examples of how people prayed then and how people pray now.
We are going to look at what is pray, prayer and praying. We will also review some of what is worship, which is covered in my other paper on “Worship in the Tanakh”.
One of the first Hebrew words we will look at is Na.
Na’ (Nun-Aleph) is reference number 4994. It is found in Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew English Lexicon (BDB) on page 609 and in the New Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance (NEHC) on page 781. It is a participle of entreaty or exhortation as defined in the BDB. We will examine how it is used in the Tanakh.
Bereshit/Genesis 12:11, 13
11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, [behold please] (hineh na’ הִנֵּה־נָא) “I know what a beautiful woman you are.” 12 If the Egyptians see you, and think, ‘She is his wife,’ they will kill me and let you live. 13 Please say (om’riy na’ אִמְרִי־נָא) that you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may remain alive thanks to you.”
Na as used here appears to show him saying “please” or “I pray” as in asking something of someone.
Bereshit/Genesis 24:23
23 “Pray (na’ נָא) tell me,” he said, “whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
Again asking not actually pray.
Bereshit/Genesis 27:19
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your first-born; I have done as you told me. Pray [rise] (qom na’ קוּם־נָא) sit up and eat of my game, that you may give me your innermost blessing.”
Yaqov is asking Yitchak to sit up.
Bereshit/Genesis 18:4,30
4 [please] Let (yuqah na’ יֻקַּח־נָא) a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree.
30 And he said, “Let not (please – al na’ אַל־נָא) adoni be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?” And He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
The Hebrew word Na is not translated here I have shown please here instead. It is a form of politeness in asking like please. You recognize that Avram realizes that here a people will be destroyed.
Bereshit/Genesis 32:10-12, 20
10 Then Jacob said, “O Elohim of my father Abraham and Elohim of my father Isaac, Yehovah, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you’! 11 I am unworthy of all the kindness that You have so steadfastly shown Your servant: with my staff alone I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 12 Deliver me, I pray (na’ נָא), from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; else, I fear, he may come and strike me down, mothers and children alike.
25 Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. 26 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. 27 Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 28 Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” 29 Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” 30 Jacob asked, “Pray tell me (haggidah na’ הַגִּידָה־נָּא) your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there. 31 So Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen a divine being (Elohim) face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”
First Yaqov asks to be delivered from his brother since he is in fear of his life. Later he is asking for the name of the divine messenger he wrestled. Both cases different situations if anything I pray or please is what is being said here. The earlier example is the one used with what appears to be a prayer.
Bereshit/Genesis 47:4
4 We have come,” they told Pharaoh, “to sojourn in this land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, the famine being severe in the land of Canaan. [let live] Pray (yes’vu na’ יֵשְׁבוּ־נָא), then, let your servants stay in the region of Goshen.”
Again asking for permission like with please.
Shemot/Exodus 5:3
3 They answered, “The Elohim of the Hebrews has manifested Himself to us. Let us go, we pray (na’ נָּא), a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to Yehovah Eloheynu, lest He strike us with pestilence or sword.”
Moshe is asking permission to leave with the Children of Yisrael.
Shemot/Exodus 33:13, 18
13 Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, [if] pray (im na’ אִם־נָא) let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is Your people.”
17 And Yehovah said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.” 18 He said, “Oh, (pray – na’ נָא) let me behold Your Presence!” 19 And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name Yehovah, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. 20 But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.”
Here Moshe is asking Yehovah first for him be with Moshe and the people. The second part He is asking for seeing Yehovah’s presence.
Shemot/Exodus 34:9
9 and said, “If I have gained Your favor, Yehovah, [if] pray (im na’ אִם־נָא), let Yehovah go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!”
Bamidbar/Numbers 12:12-13
11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Adoni, account not (al na’ tashet אַל־נָא תָשֵׁת) to us the sin which we committed in our folly. 12 [Not pray you] (al na teni אַל־נָא תְהִי) Let her not be as one dead, who emerges from his mother’s womb with half his flesh eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to Yehovah, saying, “Elohim, pray (na’ נָא) heal her!”
Here Aharon pleds to Moshe and Moshe
pleas to Yehovah.
Bamidbar/Numbers 14:17,19
17 Therefore, I pray (na’ יִגְדַּל־נָא), let my Adoni’s forbearance be great, as You have declared, saying, 18 ‘Yehovah! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’ 19 Pardon, I pray (selach na’ סְלַח־נָא), the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.”
20 And Yehovah said, “I pardon, as you have asked.
Moshe pleads for the forgiveness of
the people.
Devarim/Deuteronomy 3:25
23 I pleaded with Yehovah at that time, saying, 24 “Adoni Yehovah, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no Elohim in heaven or on earth can equal! 25 Let me, I pray (e’barah na’ אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּא), cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.” 26 But Yehovah was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. Yehovah said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!
Here we have seen that the word Na’ is used primarily as a pleading or to ask favor of someone whether Yehovah or a man. So when you see “I pray” you may be seeing someone asking for their favor in something. Thus this word is not what we are seeking for this study. We also see in this passage that not everything we plead for is give to us.
Next lets look at Tefillah.
Tefillah (Tav-Fey-Lamed-Hey) and is a feminine Noun from the root (Pey-Lamed-Lamed) which verb is Palal. This is reference number 8605 found in the BDB on page 813 and in the NEHC on page 1355. It means prayer.
This word is not used in torah but is first found in Shemu’el Aleph.
Shemuel Bet/2 Samuel 7:27
27 Because You, Yehovah of Hosts, the Elohey of Israel, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him, Your servant has ventured to offer this prayer (hatefillah הַתְּפִלָּה) to You.
David offers a prayer to Yehovah for allowing a descendant of his to build the House for Yehovah.
Melekhim Aleph/I Kings 8:28, 29, 38, 45, 49, 54
28 Yet turn, Yehovah my Elohay, to the prayer (tefillat תְּפִלַּת) and supplication of Your servant,and hear the cry and prayer (hatefillah הַתְּפִלָּה) which Your servant offers (is praying mit’pallel מִתְפַּלֵּל) before You this day.
29 May Your eyes be open day and night toward this House, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall abide there’; may You heed the prayers (hatefillah הַתְּפִלָּה) which Your servant will offer (yit’pallel יִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this place.
37 So, too, if there is a famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts or caterpillars, or if an enemy oppresses them in any of the settlements of the land.
“In any plague and in any disease, 38 in any prayer (tefillah תְּפִלָּה) or supplication offered by any person among all Your people Israel—each of whom knows his own affliction—when he spreads his palms toward this House,
40 so that they may revere You all the days that they live on the land that You gave to our fathers.
41 “Or if a foreigner (hanakeriy) who is not of Your people Israel comes from a distant land for the sake of Your name—42 for they shall hear about Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm—when he comes to pray (vahitepellel וְהִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this House, 43 oh, hear in Your heavenly abode and grant all that the foreigner (hinakeriy) asks You for. Thus all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and revere You, as does Your people Israel; and they will recognize that Your name is attached to this House that I have built.
44 “When Your people take the field against their enemy by whatever way You send them, and they pray (vahit’pal’lu וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ) to Yehovah in the direction of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name, 45 oh, hear in heaven their prayer (tefillatem תְּפִלָּתָם) and supplication and uphold their cause.
46 “When they sin against You—for there is no man who does not sin—and You are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and their captors carry them off to an enemy land, near or far; 47 and then they take it to heart in the land to which they have been carried off, and they repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captors, saying: ‘We have sinned, we have acted perversely, we have acted wickedly,’ 48 and they turn back to You with all their heart and soul, in the land of the enemies who have carried them off, and they pray (vehit’pal’lu וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ) to You in the direction of their land which You gave to their fathers, of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name—
54 When Solomon finished offering (praying –lehit’pallel לְהִתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah all this prayer (kal
hatefillah כָּל־הַתְּפִלָּה) and supplication, he rose from
where he had been kneeling, in front of the altar of Yehovah, his hands
spread out toward heaven.
Melekhim Aleph/9:3
3 Yehovah said to him, “I have heard the [your] prayers (tefillat’kha תְּפִלָּתְךָ) and the supplication which you have offered to Me. I consecrate this House which you have built and I set My name there forever. My eyes and My heart shall ever be there.
Here Yehovah accepts the prayer made by Shlomo.
Nehemyah/Nehemiah 1:6,11
6 Let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to receive the prayer (tefillat תְּפִלַּת) of Your servant that I am praying to You now, day and night, on behalf of the Israelites, Your servants, confessing the sins that we Israelites have committed against You, sins that I and my father’s house have committed.
11
Yehovah! Let Your ear be attentive to the prayer (tefillat תְּפִלַּת) of Your servant,
and to the prayer (tefillat תְּפִלַּת) of Your servants
who desire to hold Your name in awe. Grant Your servant success today, and
dispose that man to be compassionate toward him!” I was the king’s cupbearer at
the time.
Here
Nehemyah offers his prayer to Yehovah.
Nehemyah/Nehemiah 11:17
17 Mattaniah son of Micha son of Zabdi son of Asaph was the head; at prayer (latefillah לַתְּפִלָּה), he would lead off with praise; and Bakbukiah, one of his brothers, was his second-in-command; and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.
Here we see that prayer was lead off with praise.
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1:15
15 And when you lift up your hands,
I will turn My eyes away from you;
Though you pray at length (kiy tar’bu tefillah כִּי־תַרְבּוּ
תְפִלָּה),
I will not listen.
Your hands are stained with crime—
While the text reflects the prayers
given in a negative light, the actions support what they would have done. Lift you hands up and praying at length or
lift up you hand and say many prayers.
Though we see some prayers in tehillim/Psalms, which are very brief.
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 38:1-5
1 In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus said Yehovah: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.” 2 Thereupon Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed (veyit’pallel וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah. 3 “Please, Yehovah,” he said, “remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Hezekiah wept profusely.
4 Then the word of Yehovah came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: Thus said Yehovah, the Elohim of your father David: I have heard your prayer (tefillatekha תְּפִלָּתֶךָ), I have seen your tears. I hereby add fifteen years to your life
Here Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. Since he was in Jerusalem the direction of his prayer was where he was.
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:16
16 As for you, do not pray (tit’pallel תִּתְפַּלֵּל) for this people, do not raise a cry of prayer (utefillah וּתְפִלָּה) on their behalf, do not plead with Me; for I will not listen to you.
Yehovah is set to punish his people so he warns Yermiyahu not to pray for them. We see palel, which is pray, and we will look at this word later.
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 11:14
14 As for you, do not pray (tit’pallel תִּתְפַּלֵּל) for this people, do not raise a cry of prayer (tefillah וּתְפִלָּה) on their behalf; for I will not listen when they call to Me on account of their disaster.
Yehovah repeats the same statement later to Yermiyahu.
Yonah/Jonah 2:7(8)
8
When my life was ebbing away, I called Yehovah to mind; And my prayer
(tefillatiy תְּפִלָּתִי) came before You,
Into Your holy Temple.
Here
Yonah is dying and he says his prayer in his mind. It shows us we need not even move our lips but also think in a
situation we can not pray.
Daniel 9:3, 17, 21
3 I turned my face to Yehovah Elohim, devoting myself to prayer (tefillah תְּפִלָּה) and supplication, in fasting, in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed (va’et’pal’lah וָאֶתְפַּלְלָה) to Yehovah Elohay, making confession thus: “Yehovah, great and awesome Elohim, who stays faithful to His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments!
17
“O Eloheynu, hear now the prayer (tefillat תְּפִלַּת) of Your servant
and his plea, and show Your favor to Your desolate sanctuary, for Yehovah’s
sake. 18 Incline Your ear, O my Elohim, and hear; open Your eyes and see our
desolation and the city to which Your name is attached. Not because of any
merit of ours do we lay our plea before You but because of Your abundant
mercies. 19 Yehovah, hear! Yehovah, forgive! Yehovah, listen, and act without
delay for Your own sake, O my Elohim; for Your name is attached to Your city
and Your people!”
20
While I was speaking, praying , and confessing my sin and the sin of my people
Israel, and laying my supplication before Yehovah my Elohim on behalf of the
holy mountain of my Elohim—21 while I was uttering my prayer (umit’pallel וּמִתְפַּלֵּל), the man Gabriel,
whom I had previously seen in the vision, was sent forth in flight and reached
me about the time of the evening offering.
Here we see Daniel praying and while at prayer he would sometimes have visions.
Next let look at the verb root Palal.
Palal (Pey-Lamed-Lamed) and is a verb. This is reference number 6419 found in the BDB on page 813 and in the NEHC on page . It means judge in the Pi’el form of the verb. Other forms of this verb are translated as: Hithpael – pray, prays, prayed, praying.
To understand this the Piel is the Active or stative property as well it can be factive. Thus, it is like saying that someone put that person in a state of being judged. Whereas, The Hithpael is essential the same word judge but used as: the person put themselves in a state of being judged.
Pi’el
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 2:25
25 If a man sins against a man, the Elohim may pardon (judge upil’lu וּפִלְלוֹ) him; but if a man offends against God, who can obtain pardon (judge yit’palel יִתְפַּלֶּל) for him?” But they ignored their father’s plea; for Yehovah was resolved that they should die.
Here Eli is warning his sons to change their ways. He was telling them that by their actions they were being judged.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 16:52
52 Truly, you must bear the disgrace of serving as your sisters’ advocate (judge pilal’te פִּלַּלְתְּ): Since you have sinned more abominably than they, they appear righteous in comparison. So be ashamed and bear your disgrace, because you have made your sisters look righteous.
Here the city of Yerusalayim is portrayed as the judge of
her sister yet she is worst than they.
Tefillim/Psalms 106:30
30
Phinehas stepped forth and intervened (judged vayefallel וַיְפַלֵּל), and the plague
ceased
Here
Phinehas put himself in the position to be judged and was found to be in the
right.
Hithpael
Bereshit/Genesis 20:7, 17
7 Therefore, restore the man’s wife—since he is a prophet, he will intercede (pray/judge veyit’pallel וְיִתְפַּלֵּל) for you—to save your life. If you fail to restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.”
17 Abraham then prayed (vayit’palel וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל) to Elohim, and Elohim healed Abimelech and his wife and his slave girls, so that they bore children;
Avraham prayed for/put into a position to be judged Avimelekh.
Bamidbar/Numbers 11:2
2 The people cried out to Moses. Moses prayed (vayit’pallel וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah, and the fire died down.
Moshe interceded or put the children of Yisrael in a position to be judged as an advocate does.
Bamidbar/Numbers 21:7
7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned by speaking against Yehovah and against you. Intercede (hit’pallelהִתְפַּלֵּל) with Yehovah to take away the serpents from us!” And Moses interceded (yit’palel וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל) for the people.
Devarim/Deuteronomy 9:20, 26
20 Moreover, Yehovah was angry enough with Aaron to have
destroyed him; so I also interceded (va’et’pallel וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל) for Aaron at that time.
26 I prayed (va’et’pallel וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah and said, “Adoni Yehovah, do not annihilate Your very own people, whom You redeemed in Your majesty and whom You freed from Egypt with a mighty hand.
It appears that Yehovah was angry with Aharon and the people over an incident. So Moshe had to advocate for them. Thus they were in a state of being judged.
Shemu’el aleph/I Samuel 1: 10,12, 26, 27
10 In her wretchedness, she prayed (vatit’pallel וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah, weeping all the while.
12 As she kept on praying (hit’pallel הִתְפַּלֵּל) before Yehovah, Eli watched her mouth.
26 She said, “Please, adoni! As you live, adoni, I am the woman who stood here beside you and prayed (hit’pallel הִתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah. 27 It was this boy I prayed (hit’pallal’tiy הִתְפַּלָּלְתִּי) for; and Yehovah has granted me what I asked of Him.
Hanna prayed for a son she did it silently. Later shebrings back to boy (Shemu’el) who she swore to offer to serve Yehovah.
Shemu’el aleph/I Samuel 2:1
1
And Hannah prayed (vatit’pallel וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל): My heart exults
in Yehovah; I have triumphed through Yehovah. I gloat over my enemies; I
rejoice in Your deliverance.
Here
Hanna says she has victory (gloats) over her enemies.
Shemu’el aleph/I Samuel 7:5
5 Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray (ve’et’pallel וְאֶתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah for you.”
Here we see again Shemu’el as advocate or interceding for the children of Yisrael.
Shemu’el aleph/I Samuel 8:6
6 Samuel was displeased that they said “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed (vayit’pallel וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל) to Yehovah,
Shemu’el bet/2 Samuel 7:27
27 Because You, Yehovah of Hosts, the Elohey of Israel, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him, Your servant has ventured to offer (hit’palel הִתְפַּלֵּל) this prayer to You.
Melekhim aleph/I Kings 8:28, 29,30,33, 35, 42, 44, 48, 54
28 Yet turn, Yehovah Elohay, to the prayer and supplication of Your servant,and hear the cry and prayer which Your servant offers (mit’pallel מִתְפַּלֵּל) before You this day. 29 May Your eyes be open day and night toward this House, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall abide there’; may You heed the prayers which Your servant will offer (yit’pallel יִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this place. 30 And when You hear the supplications which Your servant and Your people Israel [they] offer (yit’pal’lu יִתְפַּלְלוּ) toward this place, give heed in Your heavenly abode—give heed and pardon.
33 “Should Your people Israel be routed by an enemy because they have sinned against You, and then turn back to You and acknowledge Your name, and they offer (tit’pal’lu הִתְפַּלְלוּ) prayer and supplication to You in this House,
35 “Should the heavens be shut up and there be no rain, because they have sinned against You, and then they pray (hit’pal’lu הִתְפַּלְלוּ) toward this place and acknowledge Your name and repent of their sins, when You answer them,
42 for they shall hear about Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm—when he comes to pray (hit’pallel הִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this House,
44 “When Your people take the field against their enemy by whatever way You send them, and they pray (hit’pal’lu הִתְפַּלְלוּ) to Yehovah in the direction of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name,
48 and they turn back to You with all their heart and soul, in the land of the enemies who have carried them off, and they pray (hit’pal’lu הִתְפַּלְלוּ) to You in the direction of their land which You gave to their fathers, of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name
54 When Solomon finished offering to Yehovah all this prayer
and supplication, he rose from where he had been kneeling, in front of
the altar of Yehovah, his hands spread out toward heaven.
This is the same text from before but this time we look at
the praying they will do who come to prayer at his house.
Tehillim/Psalms 5: 2(3)
3 Heed the sound of my cry, my king and Elohay, for I pray (et’pallel אֶתְפַּלָּל) to You
Tehillim/Psalms 32:6
6
Therefore let every faithful man pray (yit’pallel יִתְפַּלֵּל) to You upon
discovering [his sin], that the rushing mighty waters not overtake him.
How to pray?
I Kings 8:54 Hands spread, kneeling
54 When Solomon finished offering to Yehovah all this prayer
and supplication, he rose from where he had been kneeling, in front of
the altar of Yehovah, his hands spread out toward heaven.
Bowed (qadad) 6915 (qof-dalet-dalet)
Shemot/Exodus 4: 29-31
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron repeated all the words that Yehovah had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, 31 and the people were convinced. When they heard that Yehovah had taken note of the Israelites and that He had seen their plight, they bowed low in homage (yiq’du יִּקְּדוּ).
Nehemyah/Nehemiah 8:5-6 (standing up, hands raised then bowing down with faces on the ground)
5 Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; as he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed Yehovah, the great Elohim, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with hands upraised. Then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before Yehovah with their faces to the ground.
Bowed down (shachah) often in reference to worship. (from kneeling)
Bereshit/Genesis 18:2
2 Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,
Bereshit/Genesis 19:1
1 The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, as Lot was
sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and, bowing
low with his face to the ground,
Bereshit/Genesis 33:3
3 He himself went on ahead and bowed low to the ground seven times until he was near his brother.
Ruth 2:10
10 She prostrated herself with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why are you so kind as to single me out, when I am a foreigner?”
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 25:23-24
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted from the ass and threw herself face down before David, bowing to the ground. 24 Prostrate at his feet, she pleaded, “Let the blame be mine, my adoni, but let your handmaid speak to you; hear your maid’s plea.
Fall down (nafal) in reference to laying flat. Reference 5307 (nun-fey-lamed)
Devarim/Deuteronomy 9:25
25 When I lay prostrate before Yehovah those forty days and forty nights, because Yehovah was determined to destroy you,
So you can see some information about prayer in the Tanakh. It does not give you step by step because I believe prayer is a personal thing between our elohim and us. There is a time for formal prayers and a time for informal prayers. We also see some who simply talked to Elohim as a man talks to another man.