The foundational element of Jewish prayer is known as the Beracha or Bracha. This means blessing. A bracha is a formulaic prayer that expresses thanks to G-d for a certain action or a certain condition.

For example, in the morning one of the first brachot (plural) recited is " Baruch atah Hashem, Elokaynu Melech haOlam notayn haTorah." This means "Blessed or Praised are your L-rd, G-d King of the Universe who has given us the Torah."

All brachot begin with the "Baruch atah Hashem, Elokaynu Melech haOlam" and then wording appropriate to the occasion or action is made.

The ideal goal of in Jewish thought is to recite 100 Blessings (Brachot) a day. The idea is that we should give thanks to G-d for everything we experience, understanding only because of G-d's mercy we are able to partake of these blessings.

So eating, awakening, and even relieving oneself should include a blessing. That last might seem rather strange to most, but ask anyone who has experienced severe constipation for days at a time and you might think differently.

The overarching view is to sanctify the mundane activities we do throughout the day and elevate them to a higher level.

Key Jewish prayers include the following:

• The Amidah (Shemoneh Esreh) It is said three times daily;
• The Shema which affirms belief and trust in the existence One G-d;

• Kaddish -there are several forms of this Aramaic prayer. It is most often associated with mourning but also serves as a marker to differentiate sections of the service.
• Alenu-praises G-d for allowing the Jewish people to serve Him, and expresses hope that the whole world will abandon idolatry
• Ein Keloheunu-recited at the end of services on Shabbat and holidays, this prayer extends G-d's uniqueness.

It might seem strange, but Judaism, at least according to Rabbi Moshe Berger places a unique emphasis on the individual and community on asking G-d for "things." That may sound self-centered and selfish but there is in actuality a deep spiritual component to this.

In one of the central prayers of Judaism, the Amidah (Standing Prayer) also known as the Shemoneh Esreh (18 Blessings), the prayer begins with elements of praise and ends with elements of thanksgiving. The middle section however includes various sections that can be termed as "bakashah" (i.e. requests). Why?

Because G-d is our Father in heaven and to whom else can we go to ask for our needs? The emphasis on requests in Jewish prayer actually reveals our understanding that we are dependent upon G-d for everything. As the Ribon Olam (master of the universe) He can supply our needs for parnasa (livelihood) and refuah shlemah (complete healing). In asking G-d for "things" we recognize how limited we actually are as human beings.