א.

Everyone who prays a lot is answered.(ירושלמי, ברכות עמ’ פד ה”א)

ב.

אמר להם הקב”ה לישראל: Be careful in prayer, because there is no other mitzvah that is more beautiful than prayer, and it is greater than all Korbones… And even a person who doesn’t deserve it, his prayers will be answered
(מדרש תנחומא, וירא א’)

ג.

And if a person will say: why should I continue praying for a good Shiduch, if it has been decided from above that he will have a bad Shiduch, because his luck caused it?

You should know, my dear brother, that prayer stands above it, and everywhere the gates of prayer have not been locked. (ספר חופת חתנים)

ד.

על הפסוק “רוני עקרה לא ילדה וכו’- אמר על זה הבעל שם טוב זלה”ה כי כל התפילות עושים פעולה בעולמות העליונים ולפעמים בקצה הארץ וכו’ בהמשך הפסוק: “כי רבים בני שוממה” פירוש: התפילות שאתה סובר שהם שוממים- עושים פעולות יותר מראייתך הגשמית (דגל מחנה אפרים, כי תצא)

ה.

אמר רבי חמא בר חנינא: אם רואה האדם שהתפלל ולא נענה, יחזור והתפלל, שנאמר: (תהילים כז, יד) קוה אל ה’ חזק ויאמץ לבך וקוה אל ה’. אף על פי שרואה שאין תפילתו מועלת, אף על פי כן אל ימנע עצמו מן הרחמים, להעתיר תמיד אל ה’.(ברכות לב:)

והיינו מה שלמדנו על אדם המוריד דמעות מלפני הקדוש ברוך הוא, אף על פי שנגזר עליו עונש – יתבטל (העונש) ולא יוכל העונש ההוא לשלוט בו. (תרגום זוהר פרשת ויחי)

ו.

There is a person who is not entitled to have his prayer accepted, but because of the strength of his pleas and the tears in his eyes, even though he has no right and good deeds, God accepts his prayer. (ספר חסידים קל)

ז.

And you should know that the power of prayer is great, and even to change the nature, and to be saved from the danger and cancel the decree. (רבינו בחיי פרשת עקב)

ח.

When a person prays and prays over and over and still he is not been answered. He shouldn’t give up, and he should know that he may not yet have reached the number of prayers that need to be asked… and we do not know the number, so you should continue praying until the prayer is received. And we found that Moshe Rabbeinu prayed 515 prayers to be able to enter Erez Israel, and it is written in the Midrash that if Moshe Rabbeinu had prayed one more prayer, he would have been answered immediately, and therefore Hashem told him don’t continue talking to me about this.

Here’s a great chizuk for all those who are waiting for salvation who have prayed a lot and still have not been answered – they shouldn’t give up. And this is a wonderful advice to be strong and think maybe there is only one more prayer missing. Similar to a patient who was prescribed a certain number of pills and when he finishes taking them he will be cured.

ט.

It is written in the Zohar: “If someone prays and shouts and cries until he cannot move his lips, that prayer is with heart, and never returns empty. (Translation of the Holy Zohar, פרשת שמות)

י.

The rabbi used to warn and talk a lot that each person should pray for his needs and not say who am I, etc. (אמרי פנחס עמ’ צג)

יא.

… We learned from this the value of a person’s prayer he shouldn’t give up and say what am I that I will be able to pray before Hashem?, will Hashem hear my voice?, am I not very far from Him?, because the truth is not so, like it says: כי אני ה’ השוכן בתוך טומאתם, (ויקרא טז, טז) that even in our טומאה the Shechinah is with us.

יב.

It is allowed to formulate prayers in your own words, like the Chazon Ish writes: A person may formulate a short prayer for his needs, and even mention a Shem, at any time of the day, and there is no need to include it in the Shemoneh Esreh, he begins with “יהי רצון מלפניך”… (קובץ איגרות חזון אי”ש חלק ג’ סימן כ”ג)

יג.

Two main points should be prayed for:

1) That Hashem should send us our Shiduch as soon as possible.

2) That we will not be blinded by appearance, or meaningless things, and that details essential to the success of the Shiduch will not be hidden from us.