Messiah

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon
        1135-1204

"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the mashiach, and though he may tarry, still I await him every day."
--a popular paraphrase of Principle 12 of Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith

"Nine red heifers were offered from the time that they were commanded to fulfill this mitzvah until the time when the Temple was destroyed a second time. The first was brought by Moses, our teacher. The second was brought by Ezra. Seven others were offered until the destruction of the Second Temple. And the tenth will be brought by the King Moshiach; may he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be G‑d’s will."

I think I have been praying incorrectly. Lately, I have had to re-evaluate, and re-prioritize in prayer.
There is nothing wrong with making our requests known to God:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests (root- to ask, beg, crave, desire) be made known to God."   Phil. 4:6
The meaning of the word "requests" tells me that whatever I bring to the Lord should be heartfelt. Hannah prayed so fervently, and with such deep emotion, that the priest thought she might be drunk. But when we are praying, what is it that we are begging for, craving, and desiring? It could very well be things that have nothing to do with what the Father wants to hear. Usually, I spend most of my prayer time praying for the needs of my household, or for the needs of others. Most of the time, these needs are financial, for provision, which always seems to be lacking. Sometimes these needs are serious and pressing, and I spend many words, and much time petitioning the Father over them. "Father, we need this", or "Father, we have great need for that. Please open a door, and make a way." 
However, I looked at this again, and went back to the Word, after reading the quotes above from Rabbi Maimon, also know as Maimonides. It turns out that there is something vitally important that I have been overlooking.
Jesus, in discussing prayer, assured us that the Father already knows what we have need of before He is even asked (Mt. 6:8). So, for what then should we be asking, praying, desiring, begging, craving? Let's look at what Jesus says NOT to do:
"...do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words."  Mt. 6:7
He describes these wordy, repetitious prayers as like heathens' prayers. That's not a good thing. He also says:
"For after all these things (everyday needs expressed in v.25-31) the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."  Mt. 6:32
So praying for these things, these daily needs over which we become so anxious, shows no greater understanding than the unknowing Gentiles. That's not good either. In Luke 12:29-30, Jesus talks about the same thing again as being things that the nations of the world seek after, and pray for, and again assures us that the Father already knows that we need these things. Jesus expresses this instruction three different ways! But these are the very things for which I have spent most of my time and effort praying!
So our prayers for our needs, which is often how we pray, are the same incorrect prayers of the heathens, the Gentiles, and the world. My prayers are like those of unbelievers, the uncircumsized, and the unsaved. That's really not good.
James says, "...Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." Ja. 4:2-3
James says we pray this corrupted way because we have lust and warfare in our hearts that come from our desires for pleasure, and our friendship with the world. He even calls us adulterers and adulteresses! He is not writing to unbelievers, but to Jewish believers ("the twelve tribes abroad", Ja. 1:1).
Paul also teaches this about prayer:
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."  Rom. 8:26-27
Jesus tells us that we are not praying correctly in many cases. James and Paul agree that we are not praying what the Spirit is praying, but rather what the world is praying.
So what then, do Jesus and the Holy Spirit say we should be praying first, and foremost?
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (which is in Jesus:see Rom. 5:21, 1 Cor. 1:30, 1 Jn. 2:1, Heb. 7:2), and all these things (the daily needs) shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  Mt. 6:33, and Lk. 12:31-32
Jesus, immediately after telling us how not to pray, says that we should be seeking first the kingdom of God. He says that it is the good pleasure of the Father to give it to us. Haven't I sought the kingdom in my love for Jesus and the Word of God? This is where I need to stop and ask, "What is "the kingdom"? The word used here means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule, the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah, the reign of Messiah", from the root meaning "leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king."
The kingdom is not a "what". It is a "Who". It is specifically, the Messiah and His triumphant rule, not only in heaven, but His rule and reign in me, and here on earth.
Jesus says this is to be our first priority. Among our requests (see above), the return of the Messiah to rule and reign, should be our greatest desire, begging, and craving.
What is the Spirit, who Paul says prays the will of God through us, praying from within us so earnestly and deeply? According to Revelation 22:17and 20, the Spirit is saying "Come". The Bride of Christ is to have this same prayer on her lips, and in the deepest desires of her heart, with fervent desire (Lk. 22:15), begging and craving. Jesus is saying, "Surely I am coming quickly", and the Revelator says in agreement, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
What about all of my needs, and the needs of the others for which I have been praying? Ultimately, our praying and seeking for the kingdom, and the reigning Messiah, works for our benefit. Jesus said that having prayed for, and sought the kingdom in this manner, all of these other things concerning our lives shall be added to us. The source of all of these things is in the triumphant rule and reign of Messiah, the Prince, and His kingdom.
Rabbi Maimon, was one of the most important figures in the history of Torah scholarship. According to the quotes at the top of the page, one of his most heartfelt desires was the coming of Messiah. He awaited King Messiah "every day", he said, and prayed that God's will would hasten His coming, in effect praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done." It is taught that whenever the Jews make even a mention of the Messiah, they are to also include a prayer for His soon coming, as Maimonides did. Shouldn't this be our most heartfelt desire also, we who have beheld Messiah's face, the face of Jesus? Shouldn't the return of our King, Messiah, be the most frequently and fervently expressed request in our prayers? Scripture says that if we will seek this first, our Father will give us all other things. That's how important this is in the will of the Father. Jesus said that we won't see Him again until we have fervently prayed and desired His return (Mt. 23:39, Lk. 13:35, Ps. 118:25-26).
God knows all those things that we need, but tells us to seek this first.

Our Father says to seek His kingdom, the rule of His Prince, His Messiah, first.

"Even So Come"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s0Zb189Sco