There is a verse in the Bible that reads, “In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death” (Heb. 5:7). No doubt that Jesus had a Jewish background in his praying. That is why tears and cries come to accompany Jesus’ prayers. Moreover, the Greek version of this verse ends this way: "and he was heard because of his reverence" (humility).

A form of prayer of freedom, such as speaking directly to God who was right in front of the one praying, could be found not only in the Hebrew tradition but also in many other tribal traditions. Whatever the tradition, unmistakably it is an expression of devotion. In the Old Testament, when Hannah, who was barren, came before the Ark of the Covenant and cried out and lamented, Samuel, the priest, thought that she had been drunk early in the morning! When the freedom of tears that a little child has in front of its parents become the external form of our prayer, it becomes more hearty and sincere. Moreover, when the prayer is for others, it is the intercessory prayer. Think about how sincere the prayer for others would be, when done with with tears and cries.

Prayer for others is not something of a light matter. It should be the outcome of great goodness. Before God, every prayer must be an act of sincerity.

But prayer does not always become complete in itself. Because we are not just spirits. We are bodiedspirits. Therefore prayer become sincere only when we also do what we can -materially and physically - and when we present our action and our inner longing before God.

Just praying for a neighbor who is seriously ill does not mean that that prayer must be true and effective. Only when you pray after doing what you can for his treatment, or taking upon oneself some responsibility on his behalf, does it become a sincere prayer. Because prayer is the act of the soul. Insincere prayer is self-deception. Prayer without responsibility is also self-deception.