Avos 2:15: Personal prayer and personal Service

Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the recitation of the Shema and the prayers. When you pray, do not regard your prayers as a fixed obligation(keva) but rather as [the asking for] mercy and supplication before G-d, as the verse states, 'For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, great in kindness, and relenting of the evil decree' (Joel 2:13). Do not be wicked in your own eyes."

The emphasis on not making one's prayer into a "fixed" obligation seems to conflict with the entire institution of prayer with its set times, requirement for a minyan and communal nature. It underscores to what extent the shift to the individual had taken hold by the time of R. Shimon. He was not the only one. 

Mishna Brachot, 4:3-4 and Talmud Brachot, 29b

Prayer is no longer something that is a substitute to a sacrifice and a public activity, where showing up is the person's main contribution. Now it requires the individual to put in inwardness and sincerity. This is also underscored by the verse that R. Shimon chooses as proof. Undoubtedly his audience immediately grasped that in context, this verse speak of a public gathering and a fast. Although R. Shimon could have brought an almost identical verse from Jonah, he chose the verse in Joel instead. This was, I conjecture, to highlight the shift in meaning from the communal to individual nature of prayer. Compare the two verse and their context.

R. Eliezer says, if one makes his prayer "fixed" ("Keva"), it is not considered a supplications.

What is "keva"? Rabbi Jacob ben Idi taught in the name of Rav Oshiya: Anyone whose prayer is like a heavy burden on him. The Rabbis taught: Whoever does not say it in the manner of supplication. Rabba and Rav Yosef both taught: Whoever is not able to add something new into it.

 "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity(Joel 2:13).

He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.(Yonah 4:2)

Which would have been a more appropriate verse about prayer unless you were making a point?

Finally, R. Eliezer points out that one should not suffice with the public participation in a ritual but in private never pray. 'Do not be wicked when alone". Being a part of righteous nation is great but it is not enough. Prayer is individual and an individual must pray, with passion, with his own unique and elevated heart, even when alone.

 

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