I believe that a person can get closer to God even if he does not at all understand the meaning of what he says during praying - he should just be aware that he is speaking to God.
Kai hatta ma idan har mutum bai san ma'anar abubuwan da yake fadi ba, wato ko kadan bai san ma'anar abubuwan da yake fadi din ba, to amma ya fahimci cewa lalle fa yana magana ne da wani, yana magana ne da Allah, to kuwa hakan yana kusata mutum ga Allah.