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Prayer requires intense concentration, and this takes time. It is impossible to move directly from the stresses and preoccupations of everyday life into the presence of eternity. Nor should prayer end abruptly. It must be internalised if it is to leave its trace within us as we move back into our worldly pursuits. Maimonides writes that because prayer needs mental focus, “One should therefore sit awhile before beginning his prayers, so as to concentrate his mind. He should then pray in gentle tones, beseechingly, and not regard the service as a burden which he is carrying and which he will cast off before proceeding on his way. He should thus sit awhile after concluding the prayers, and only then leave. The ancient saints used to pause and meditate one hour before prayer and one hour after prayer, and spend an hour in prayer itself.” (Laws of Prayer 4:16).

In the morning service, the Verses of Praise (Pesukei de-Zimra) are the preparation. In them, our thoughts gradually turn from the visible world to its invisible Creator. The Shema, Amidah and their surrounding blessings are prayer as such. The remainder of the service is our meditation as we leave the orbit of heaven and re-renter the gravitational field of earth.