The Jews did what they did because the OT directed them to do it. The OT was to point them to Messiah. Christians have Christ and look back to Messiah. We have both OT and NT. We have the complete revelation. We have Christ as the object of our worship and adoration.To say that if the Jews did it then that makes it wrong is not reasonable thinking. The Jews had prayer, was prayer wrong? The Jews were custodians of the OT, was the old testament wrong?
Worship in Spirit and Truth. Prayer is to be worship in Spirit. Will it be corrupted by mans desire to make it a ritual?
For the cause of Christ
Roger