“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:6
Perhaps one of the greatest presidents our country ever had was Abraham Lincoln. He served during the Civil War, some of the most difficult years our country ever faced. It was a time when our country was broken apart, and each side was trying their best to destroy their fellow Americans. Lincoln’s days were filled with problems, headaches, and heartaches. Maybe that’s why Abraham Lincoln once said: “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
Like Lincoln, many people still follow the practice of kneeling when they pray. Perhaps you kneel during the worship service at your church. Maybe you get down on your knees each night to pray at your beside. Kneeling during prayer is a wonderful practice. It shows our helplessness as we come before God’s throne as humble, miserable sinners who rely on God’s grace and mercy to carry us through.
The prophet Daniel serves as a perfect example of kneeling in prayer. Daniel was taken to a foreign country against his will when he was just a teenager, but he continued to serve the Lord faithfully even while living in that ungodly land. Daniel is best known for the story of when he was thrown into a den with hungry lions. Do you know why that happened? It was because the king signed a decree that for 30 days no one in the land was allowed to pray to anyone except himself. Daniel refused to obey. 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” (Daniel 6:10). Three times every day Daniel knelt to pray. What a marvelous example that is for us.
Although kneeling for prayer isn’t commanded by God, it is still a good practice to follow. It gives us an opportunity to humbly come before God with our heartfelt praise, problems, and petitions. That’s why the Psalm writer wrote in Psalm 95:6: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”
As now Your children lowly kneel,
And all for mercy pray,
O Father, make us truly feel
The solemn words we say. Amen.
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