In the forward to Toward a Meaningful Life, Rabbi Simon Jacobson says the following:
Existence has no permanent viability on its own. It must be renewed in each moment. Like a stream of words, the physical universe is one of the manifestations of G-d "speaking," a form of energy that requires constant renewal. Life is fragile; the world could cease to exist at any moment. (Tanya chapter 20. Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah, ch. 1.)
excerpt from Toward a Meaningful Life, Simon Jacobson, page xii.
The Tanya is the Chabad textbook on Kabbalah. According to Kabbalah, the world is not good enough to last on its own without God speaking it into existence over and over again every instant.
This brings me to another topic; the speaking of the world into existence. For certain, it was by his word that God created all things. But I believe the truth of this is very different from the mystery that the Babylonian magic-practicers teach us. I believe it is quite simple. Because God is the All-father, the supreme authority, when he speaks, his servants jump to obey. When he said "Let there be light", a bunch of angels got busy and made the huge sheet of fluorescent light that orbits our earth even today. The word that God speaks does come true. Powerfully, but not magically. This also helps us to understand why we are here on earth, and why God doesn't just snap his fingers to fix our problems. God has a job for us to do, and those jobs are part of his plans. He does heal and help us, but he gave us his word, his instructions, our marching orders. He didn't tell us all the reasons for it. But if we aren't obeying him, then his plans aren't being carried out. We need to be obeying him, then we will see his plans unfold. He is our heavenly papa, but we are no longer infants.
In Pentecostals circles I've heard of the "private prayer language". Everyone who gets the genuine speaking in tongues also gets their own "private prayer language". This was described to me as a never ending stream of beautiful words in some unknown tongue. The tongue speaker hears them in the back of their mind all the time. They can tune in and out, but they can never entirely suppress the stream. If the Jews were right that God is speaking the universe into existence every instant, then I would expect those in tune with God to hear that very stream of words. Rocco Erico says that the origin of the word prayer means to "tune in". If you tune in your mind to God, you should hear his voice going on full speed as he recreates everything every instant.
I find it interesting that Pentecostal experience matches up so closely with Jewish philosophy.
Why don't I believe in the private prayer language or in the continual creation of the universe? Several reasons. Firstly, on the seventh day, God rested from his labors. Why would he have to recreate something he had already declared "very good" and rested from? Secondly, if God were always talking to his spirit filled servants (and Pentecostals do say that he does) then why did he make a point of going to tell Abraham face to face about the coming destruction of Sodom and Gommorah? Couldn't Abraham have just "tuned in" to the voice of God running constantly in his head and known about it?
Let us pray for the restoration of the true gifts of the spirit, and a lifting of the scales of blindness that are upon us and our people. May Yehowah's enemies perish forever, and his name be lifted up in song over all the earth.