The Shmoneh Esrei Blessings above are copied from Mishkan T'filah. These include slight liturgical changes to make more accessible regarding gender and Jewish relations to the outside world.
ג) בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּיקַץ בְּסוֹף שְׁנָתוֹ מְבָרֵךְ וְהוּא עַל מִטָּתוֹ כָּךְ. אֱלֹהַי נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה אַתָּה בְּרָאתָהּ וְאַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ וְאַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה תְּלוּיָה בְּקִרְבִּי מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהַי רִבּוֹן כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים:
(ד) כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִים מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַנּוֹתֵן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָיְלָה. כְּשֶׁלּוֹבֵשׁ בְּגָדָיו מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַלְבִּישׁ עֲרוּמִים. כְּשֶׁמַּנִּיחַ סְדִינוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם עוֹטֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִפְאָרָה. כְּשֶׁמַּעֲבִיר יָדָיו עַל עֵינָיו מְבָרֵךְ פּוֹקֵחַ עִוְרִים. כְּשֶׁיֵּשֵׁב עַל מִטָּתוֹ מְבָרֵךְ מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. כְּשֶׁמּוֹרִיד רַגְלָיו מִן הַמִּטָּה וּמַנִּיחָם עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע מְבָרֵךְ רוֹקַע הָאָרֶץ עַל הַמָּיִם. כְּשֶׁעוֹמֵד מְבָרֵךְ זוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים. כְּשֶׁנּוֹטֵל יָדָיו מְבָרֵךְ אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם. כְּשֶׁרוֹחֵץ פָּנָיו מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמַּעֲבִיר חֶבְלֵי שֵׁנָה מֵעֵינָי וּתְנוּמָה מֵעַפְעַפָּי, יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁתַּרְגִּילֵנִי לִדְבַר מִצְוָה וְאַל תַּרְגִּילֵנִי לִדְבַר עֲבֵרָה וְעָוֹן וְתַשְׁלֵט בִּי יֵצֶר טוֹב וְאַל יִשְׁלֹט בִּי יֵצֶר רָע וּתְחַזְּקֵנִי בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ וְתֵן חֶלְקִי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וְתִתְּנֵנִי לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רוֹאַי וְתִגְמְלֵנִי חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים:
(ה) וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא אוֹמֵר קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס הִתְכַּבְּדוּ מְכֻבָּדִים קְדוֹשִׁים מְשָׁרְתֵי עֶלְיוֹן עִזְרוּנִי עִזְרוּנִי שִׁמְרוּנִי שִׁמְרוּנִי הַמְתִּינוּ לִי עַד שֶׁאֶכָּנֵס וְאֵצֵא שֶׁזֶּה דַּרְכָּן שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם. וְאַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ שֶׁאִם יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם אוֹ אִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם אֲפִלּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת:
(ו) כְּשְׁחוֹגֵר חֲגוֹרוֹ מְבָרֵךְ אוֹזֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּגְבוּרָה. כְּשֶׁלּוֹבֵשׁ נְעָלָיו מְבָרֵךְ שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לִי כָּל צָרְכִּי. כְּשֶׁמְּהַלֵּךְ לָצֵאת לַדֶּרֶךְ מְבָרֵךְ הַמֵּכִין מִצְעֲדֵי גָבֶר. וּמְבָרֵךְ אָדָם בְּכָל יוֹם בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי גּוֹי. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי אִשָּׁה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי עָבֶד:
(3) When he awakes, after he has completed his rest, he recites, while still on his couch, the following blessing: "O my God, the soul that Thou gavest me is pure. Thou didst create it, Thou didst form it, Thou didst breathe it into me, Thou preservest it within me, Thou wilt take it from me and wilt restore it unto me hereafter. So long as the soul is joined within me, I give thanks unto Thee, O Lord my God, Sovereign of all works. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who restorest souls unto dead bodies."
(4) When he hears the crowing of the cock, he recites the blessing, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe who hast given to the cock intelligence to distinguish between day and night." When he puts on his garments, he recites, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who clothest the naked." When he puts on his headgear he recites, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who crownest Israel with glory." When he passes his hands over his eyes, he recites, "Who openest the eyes of the blind." When he sits up on his couch, he recites, "Who loosest those that are bound." When he descends from the couch and puts his feet on the ground, he recites, "Who spreadest forth the earth above the waters". When he stands up, he recites, "Who raisest up them that are bowed down". When he washes his hands, he recites, "Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and given us a command concerning the washing of the hands". When he washes his face, he recites the blessing, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who removest the bands of sleep from mine eyes and slumber from mine eyelids. May it be Thy will, O Lord my God and God of my fathers to accustom me to religious duties and not accustom me to transgression. Let the good inclination have sway over me and let not the evil inclination have sway over me. Strengthen me in Thy commandments and grant my portion in Thy Law. Grant that I may be vouchsafed grace, loving kindness and mercy in Thy sight and in the sight of all who behold me, and bestow upon me loving kindnesses. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who bestowest loving kindnesses upon Thy people, Israel.
(5) When one goes to the toilet, he says before entering, "Honoured be ye, O honoured and holy ones, ministers of the Supreme. Protect me, protect me; tarry for me when I enter and till I leave; for this is the way of the children of men" After leaving, he recites the blessing, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and vessels. If one of these should close, or one of these open, it would be impossible to exist even for a single hour. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who healest all flesh and doest wondrously."
(6) When he fastens his girdle, he recites, "Who girdest Israel with strength". When he puts on his shoes, he recites, "Who hast supplied my every want". When he starts to go out, he recites, "Who hast made firm the steps of man". A male recites daily the following blessings, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast not made me a heathen"; "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast not made me a bondman"; "Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast not made me a woman".
"Some Laws of Liturgical Development" - Studies of Modern Theology and Prayer
by Jakob Petuchowski
"One generation's spontaneity becomes another generation's routine."
The ideal of Jewish prayer is the free outpouring of the human heart before God. The exigencies of communal worship demand fixed times of prayer and the crystallization of common prayer formulae. The history of Jewish Liturgy attempts to satisfy those two - apparently contradictory - claims.
As that history unfolds, we notice that, with a high degree of inevitability, the fixed prayer routine always gains the upper hand, at least in the sense that prayers which were meant to supplement the official prayer routine with the free outpouring of an individual human heart end up as components of a later generation's fixed prayer routine. Take, for example, the prayer par excellence of the classical Rabbinic period, that is, the Prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions. It was, according to a talmudic report, "fixed" around the year 100 C.E. by Simeon Hapaqoli under the auspices of Rabban Gamaliel II in Yabhneh. But what was "fixed" was the number Eighteen... The wording of the individual benedictions was not fixed.
...
Later, the wording of the Prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions did crystallize, or, to be more accurate, at least two different versions of that prayer emerged - a Palestinian one, and a Babylonian one. The latter actually contained nineteen benedictions, and it is the one which forms the basis of the versions of that prayer which are found in the different traditional Rites still in use in the twentieth century.
The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine
by Rabbi Marcia Prager
A simple Hebrew blessing is a powerful thing - a one-minute deeply meditative exercise exploring the nature of the Creative Force we call God and the dynamic relationship between God, human consciousness, and the unfolding universe. Far from a mindless mumble, each word of a Hebrew blessing is crafted to touch deep centers of awareness and receptivity within us. Each word is a stepping-stone inviting us to explore a rich treasury of images and associations.
Blessing offers us a personal consciousness-raising practice, a spiritual adventure bringing sensitivity and gratitude into the foreground of our lives. While we have moments when a blessing rises spontaneously to our lips, the path of blessing can become a way of life.
Through the practice of blessing we develop an ever-deepening receptivity to the abundant love and joy flowing through Creation. We learn to accept that love, absorb it into our souls, and offer it back to the source with joy. In this way we come to feel the Presence of God move within us and through us. The result is bliss.
(א) לא יטעום אדם כלום עד שיברך שנאמר (תהילים כד) לה' הארץ ומלואה הנהנה מן העולם הזה בלא ברכה מעל עד שיתירו לו כל המצות לא ישתמש אדם בפניו ידיו ורגליו אלא לכבוד קונהו שנאמר (משלי טז) כל פעל ה' למענהו.
(1) A person should not taste anything until he makes a Beracha (blessing) [on it], as it is said, “To Hashem is the Earth and its fullness…” (Psalms 24:1) [A person] who receives pleasure from this world without a Beracha makes inappropriate use of sacred property, until all of the Mitzvot (commandments) [that must be done over this object] will permit it to him. A person should use his face, his hands and his feet only for the honor of his Creator, as it is said, “Every creation of Hashem is for His sake.” (Proverbs 16:4)
It was taught, "Rabbi Meir used to say, 'A person must make one hundred ( meah) blessings each day, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what ( mah) does the Lord, your God, ask of you." Rav Ḥiyya, son of Rav Avya, would endeavour to make up this number by the use of spices and delicacies (for which a blessing is required).
"On Prayer"
by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
... it tends in our days to become a spectacle, in which the congregation remains passive, inert spectators. But prayer is action; it requires complete mobilization of heart, mind, and soul. What is the worth of attending public worship when mind and soul are not involved? Renewal of liturgy involves renewal of prayer.
There is, in addition, a malady indigenous or congenital to liturgy. Liturgy as an act of prayer is an outcome and distillation of the inner life. Although its purpose is to exalt the life which engenders it, it harbors a tendency to follow a direction and rhythm of its own, independent of and divorced from the energies of life which brought prayer into being. At the beginning, liturgy is intimately related to the life which calls it into being. But as liturgy unfolds, it enters a state of stubborn disconnection, even into a state of opposition. Liturgy is bound to become rigid, to stand by itself, and to take on a measure of imperviousness. It tends to become timeless, transpersonal; liturgy for the sake of liturgy. Personal presence is replaced by mere attendance; instead of erecting a sanctuary of time in the realm of the soni, liturgy attract masses of people to a sanctuary in the realm of space.
I do not wish to set up a dichotomy of prayer and liturgy. This would contradict the spirit of devotion. I merely wish to concentrate my thoughts on prayer as a personal affair, as an act of supreme importance.