The Shema
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהֹוָה אֶחָד
Sh'ma Y’israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.
The Shema is one of the most well-known prayers in Judaism. In fact, it's likely you're already familiar with it and have read it in your Bible! Shema (שְׁמַע) means "hear" and is a shortened form of the full prayer, which appears in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21, as well as Numbers 15:37-41.
The first book of the Talmud (a central Jewish text) discusses at length when the Shema needs to be recited. The Shema itself clearly says "when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deut. 6:7) which is generally interpreted that the blessing should be recited in the morning and in the evening. This is the case for many observant Jewish people. For example, Orthodox Jews include the Shema in their morning and evening prayer services.
The Shema is also written on a tiny scroll inside each mezuzah to fulfill the biblical commandment found in Deuteronomy 6:9 that says to "write the words of God on the gates and doorposts of your house." Most mezuzot are decorated with the Hebrew letter shin (ש) on the case, the first letter of shema (שמע).
It is customary that many Jewish people cover their eyes while reciting the first line of the prayer in order to that they're not distracted. Reciting the Shema is considered to be a mitzvah (good deed).
While the Shema is technically not a prayer to God; it is considered to be a "blessing." It is a reminder to the Jewish people of God's covenant with them and their relationship with Him as His Chosen People.
Our purpose in sharing things like this is not to imply that these traditions have to be followed by believers in Jesus/Messianic Jews, but in order to help others better learn about and understand their Jewish neighbors and friends so that they can better build bridges and connections with them. In the case of the Shema, many Messianic Jews do recite it! It is a beautiful reminder of God’s covenant with the Jewish people.