OUR PRAYER POSTURE
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6
Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the greatest presidents our country ever had. His term of presidency was during one of the most difficult times in American history. Lincoln’s days were filled with problems, headaches, and heartaches. Perhaps that’s why he once said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
Like Abraham Lincoln, many people today follow the practice of kneeling when they pray. Some churches kneel during prayers. Many Christians kneel and pray at their bedsides. Kneeling during prayer is a wonderful thing to do. It shows our helplessness as we come before God’s throne as humble, miserable sinners who must rely on him for grace and mercy to carry us through.
The prophet Daniel is a perfect example of kneeling for prayer. Even when living in a strange, unknown, and pagan land, Daniel prayed daily. Sadly, there came a time when the king forbade prayer to anyone but himself. However, as God’s faithful child, Daniel refused to obey the command. The Bible says, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows were opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Dan. 6:10). That was Daniel’s daily routine, and he wasn’t about to change. Three times each day he continued to fall to his knees to pray. What a marvelous example for us.
Abraham fell down on his face and prayed. Moses lifted his hands to heaven, and Solomon got down on his knees. Kneeling, lying prostrate, bowing, standing or sitting, looking up to heaven with hands raised or toward the ground with folded hands—prayer from a faithful heart will be heard. Different occasions may call for different postures in prayer. Whatever the position, prayer is an important part of our relationship with God and gives us the opportunity to come before him with our heartfelt praise, problems, and petitions.
Think of the different prayer postures you use each day. There are probably more than you realize.
From The Gift of Prayer