Part 2 Chapter 5 The Longer Shorter Way...for G-d?

 And this is why we must think the correct name with which the Infinite Light garments itself into a particular Attribute, for through this we cause more the Infinite Light's garmenting and then He will more easily fulfil our request. And now we have answered the question of the Rivash... that it is necessary to direct G-d's Infinte Light to a particular Attribute with the specialized expertise in our request, through our praise, ...through which we are answered.

So what we do with our intentions is open up a channel, an easier and simpler way for G-d to bless us...

All these are necessary in order for G-d to agree to be humble enough to affect our world. If I'm willing to dress up and put a golden crown on my head - this is not an expression of my pride - nor if I dress up as a pirate, or as a king, an angel, or a demon... This is a humiliation. 

When we ask for healing, and we are asking on a very personal level, we first have to ask G-d to take our world seriously, so this is a big humiliation for Him, and he has to agree and say okay, kids, I'm willing to play this game with you and get dressed up. He Himself is High Above and Lofty. Nevertheless, we ask Him to play the part of a king, the part of a doctor... Once He's agreed, I can ask him also for my private needs, such as a 3% increase in my company's profits. He has trillions of worlds, yet He has to look not with a magnifying glass but with a microscope into one particular world and give one of the billions of people down there, namely me, this additional success. I have essentially construct a line or a path for this prayer to bring about the desired result.

In the prayer experience we are "helping" G-d to concern Himself with our petty affairs. Why does He "require" this help. Because any other form of the relationship between us would take away from our role as his partners in Creation. And so He needs for us to praise Him, to intentionalize because that's our role in this partnership.

(The text in italics are the words of Derech Mitzvosecha by the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek. The bolded words are Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary as heard on his shiurim on hashefa.co.il. The rest is my commentary. All rights reserved to Rabbi Steinsaltz. Pictures courtesy of Moshe Schlass.)