Direction and Posture

Prayer within the movement is directed to God alone — no saints, intermediaries, or other figures are addressed. The practice of facing Jerusalem follows the pattern documented in Daniel:

Standing is the standard posture for the main body of prayer, understood as a posture of readiness and respectful address. Kneeling or prostration appear at moments of deep petition, confession, or mourning. Many women in the movement pray with head and face covered, treating this as an extension of daily modesty practice rather than a separate prayer-specific requirement.

The Three Daily Times

Three fixed prayer times are observed, following a pattern documented across the Psalms, Daniel, and consistent with the later Jewish prayer structure of Shacharit, Mincha, and Ma'ariv:

• Morning (Shacharit) — at sunrise or shortly thereafter. Opens the day with declaration of God's oneness and praise before requests are made.
• Afternoon (Mincha) — in the hours before sunset. A shorter, more focused interval of address, typically mid-activity.
• Evening (Ma'ariv) — after nightfall. Closes the day in review, gratitude, and confession.

Structure of a Typical Prayer

Spontaneous personal prayer is fully accepted, but most adherents maintain a structured core to ensure consistency across all three daily times:

• The Shema — the declaration of God's oneness (Deuteronomy 6:4), recited at minimum morning and evening
• Praise (Tehillim-based) — acknowledgment of God's character drawn from the Psalms, offered before any petition
• Petition — personal and communal requests, spoken plainly
• Confession — honest self-accounting before God, without an intermediary to grant absolution
• Thanksgiving — closing in gratitude; the tone is set by Psalm 100: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving"

The Sabbath Prayer Cycle

The Sabbath — from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall — expands the regular prayer cycle with specific markers:

• Candle-lighting (Kabbalat Shabbat) — performed by the woman of the household at sunset Friday, with a blessing welcoming the Sabbath
• Kiddush — a blessing recited over wine, sanctifying the Sabbath day at the start of the Friday evening meal
• Motzi — a blessing over two loaves of bread (challah) at the Sabbath meal
• Havdalah — the closing ceremony at Saturday nightfall, marking the boundary between the sacred Sabbath and the ordinary week using wine, spices, and a braided candle

Communal vs. Individual Prayer

Because the movement has no central synagogue structure, prayer is primarily household-based or in small gatherings. There is no fixed quorum requirement comparable to the Jewish minyan (ten adult males). Two or three people gathered are considered sufficient for communal prayer. When communal, one person leads while others respond; the Shema is typically spoken together.

The Manner Yeshua Taught

Yeshua prayed to the Father and taught his followers to do the same — sincerely, and without display:

He gave a simple model that gathers praise, submission, daily need, forgiveness, and deliverance into a few lines: "Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. Let Your Kingdom come. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…" (Matthew 6:9–13). His own practice fit the pattern already kept in Israel — withdrawing to pray, and lifting up prayer at set times. For a step-by-step guide, see: How-To.