295. Adding to Shemoneh Esrei

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 6:2

A person who is davening with a congregation should not make his prayers excessively long, though one may do so when davening alone. If, after davening, one wishes to add on to his prayers, he may do so. This is even true of the Yom Kippur confession. Similarly, one may add a relevant thought to each of the middle brachos of Shemoneh Esrei if he so desires.

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 6:3

The implication of this halacha is that if there is a sick person, one may request mercy for this person in the bracha of healing, doing so as eloquently as he can. If one needs help earning a living, he should request it in the bracha for prosperity. This is equally true for each of the other brachos. If a person wants to ask for all his needs in the bracha of Shomeiah tefillah (that God hears prayer), he may do so. No requests may be made in the first three or last three brachos.