Will the Real Me Please Stand UP?

One of the more commonly asked questions about the notion of institutionalized prayer is -

Isn't Tefila a personal expression between me and Hashem? Why pray from a Siddur?

Rashi and Rav Hirsch point out a foundational truth about the nature of Tefila.

פלל is one of the words used in Yaakov's blessing to Yosef.

There are 2 types of mixtures. לערב is to mix in a way that the 2 substances mix with each other and appear to be one new creation. However, the compound may be split back into its original 2 forms via a process. Contrast בלל [like בלבול] is a mixture that once formed creates a new substance that cannot be separated. פלל and בלל are interchangeable.

One of the terms for prayer is להתפלל. The idea is that when I pray I am not expressing a prayer of a personal nature. The "Direction of Influence" is actually one of an external to internal direction. Prayer, specifically, the prayer of the siddur, holds the keys to the eternal truths that exist outside of us. When I pray, I am actually changing myself by ingesting these truths. This change is one that is more of a mixture that changes the essence of who I am. It is not a facade of 1 element that is in truth 2 separate entities.

It is the New Me.