Pray And Get Others To Pray

Encouraging Prayer

On 1 Shevat 2488, Moses began the first of his three farewell addresses to the people. He began his first address by reminding the people how good G-d had been to them during the previous 40 years since the Exodus from Egypt.

May G-d, G-d of your forefathers add to you
a thousand times over. May He bless you as
He spoke concerning you. 

Deuteronomy 1:11

G-d had promised Abraham that He would multiply his offspring without limit. Why, then, did Moses seemingly impose a thousand-fold limit to G-d’s blessing?

The answer is that Moses knew that G-d desires our prayers and that our prayers and fervent desire are what elicits Divine beneficence. Moses therefore spoke this way in order to spur the people to ask for what they knew they had been promised, teaching them the power of prayer.

Similarly, we should never underestimate the power of our prayers. Moreover, like Moses, we should remind others of the power of their prayers, encouraging them to request G-d’s blessings whenever they are needed.

--Daily Wisdom Volume 3