Prayer is an ancient way of connecting with G-d and bringing G-d into our lives on a daily basis. It was prophesied that prayer would one day take the place of the sacrifices since the Jews would be without the Temple. Proper prayer takes practice just as anything else (such as sports or giving a good speech) takes practice. It is important to have kavanah - the proper mindset for prayer each time we pray. It is important to remind onesself that one is speaking to G-d with the intention to fulfill the mitzvah of prayer whenever one prays. Some people use liturgical melodies (nigunim) to help them come to a place of kavanah. It is important to free one's mind from distractions and concentrate on speaking to G-d. Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer. It is pemissible to pray in one's language but it is best to pray in Hebrew. Jewish prayer is overwhelmingly a communal act. It is permissible (and even encouraged) to pray on an individual basis but communal prayer is ideal (in fact, there are some prayers that cannot be said without a minyan). Observant Jews pray (daven) three times daily, every day: the Shacharit (morning) service, the Minchah (afternoon prayer) service and the Maariv (evening) service. It is believed that Abraham began the Shacharit service, Isaac began the Minchah service, and Jacob began the Maariv service. In addition to the prayers during these services there are specific prayers added during various Jewish holidays and synagogue services and lifecycle events. These prayers are collected in a prayer book know as a siddur (from the Hebrew root meaning order).

The oldest fixed daily prayer in Judaism, the Shema, consists of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. From ancient times, the commandment to speak of these matters "when you retire and when you arise" has been fulfilled by reciting the Shema twice a day: morning and night.

During the 6th century BCE, during the Babylonian Exile, the Jewish people had no Temple in which to offer sacrifices. Prayers were used as a substitute for these sacrifices. Therefore, the prayers were said three times a day according to the thrice-daily sacrifice times at the Temple. Additional prayers were added for Shabbat and some holidays in accordance with the additional sacrifices at the Temple on Shabbat and some holidays.

After the Exile, in the 5th century BCE, these daily prayer services continued. The Men of the Great Assembly composed a basic prayer, the Shemoneh Esrei--which means "18" and refers to the 18 blessings originally contained within the prayer. It is also referred to as the Amidah (standing, because we stand while we recite it), or Tefilah (prayer, as in The Prayer, because it is the essence of all Jewish prayer). This prayer is the cornerstone of every Jewish service.