Is posture important in prayer? Why or why not?

[Wynona]

I think this question could yield some good discussion.

Ill not give my opinion yet, I want to see what people come up with.

 

[JazzyJeff15]

I believe its best to pray on your knees if possible but sometimes ill be praying while Im driving

 

[Nancy]

Hi Wynona,
Funny you should bring this up! My brother and I were speaking of this very thing this morning. He said he was convicted about laying back with his legs crossed, all comfy and praying. He got on his knees, and that is a posture of reverence IMHO. No, I do not always get on my knees...I can be washing dishes, mowing the lawn, doing anything at all when a prayer pops into my mind. But if we have an attitude of reverence to Him, I think were good
xx

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Attitude is more important than physical posture.

I know some folks that are big kneels and it helps them focus- great for them. I personally greatly dislike kneeling because I find it uncomfortable and distracting. I like praying in bed because I’m relaxed. I totally acknowledge that other people just fall asleep. Etc.

 

[Pearl]

Does it say anything about prayer posture in the bible? I know it says to pray continuously so to me that rules out the need to kneel. So wherever we are and whatever we are doing we can pray i.e. talk to our heavenly Father. I sometimes kneel but I'm old now so it's very uncomfortable. Mostly I sit relaxed on my sofa to engage in a specific time of prayer but as God is everywhere and hears us wherever we call out to him it really doesn't matter. Too often I have felt inhibited about praying because this person says do it like this and another do it like that. Do it however feels right for you. No big deal!

 

[amadeus]

@Wynona
How important is to you? Does it matter to God what we think about it? Does God love us?

For years early in my walk with God I prayed on my knees a lot but never always.

It has been many years now that I have not routinely gone to my knees in prayer. I usually sit down or I stand.

Getting on my knees for even a short time causes me pain and if there is nothing solid to grab hold of and/or the strong arm of another person available to help me get back up...? Getting up is no easy or painless task for me. Does our physical discomfort or pain matter at all? What is God's will for us?

What was God's will for Jesus when the man knew that his cup was to be one of pain and suffering? No, getting on my knees would not make me suffer as Jesus suffered, but neither has God told me to always pray on my knees... nor had He told me to 'fall on my face' [not lately anyway]!

"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matt 26:39

As for drinking from Jesus cup consider his answer to the mother of Zebedee's children

" But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup,...prepared of my Father." Matt 20:22-23

They had to drink also of that cup from God, but what would it contain for them? Whips and crucifixions? What will it contain for us? God knows and He may or He may not share with us beforehand... Just keep on listening to Him. As His sheep will we not hear what we need to hear? We should be careful about choosing our own way and calling it His Way or choosing our own suffering and saying that it pleases God!

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matt 6:34

 

[Ziggy]

I believe God hears us in whatever posture we are in.
I believe the first to kneel in the Bible was Daniel.
He prayed on his knees three times a day as was his custom.

Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Hezekiah faced a wall:
Isa 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

Hannah stood beside Eli and prayed:
1Sa 1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

I don't know what posture Jonah was in when he prayed from inside the fish's belly:
Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

Hugs

 

[Wynona]

@Amadaeus

Im actually not sure where we get the tradition of kneeling on our knees to pray from.

I do it, equating it to another famous Christian's comment that our posture affects us spiritually.

When I think of the Bible, I don't see kneeling unless you're talking about how every knee will one day bow in acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord. But I do see bowing being linked to worship.

Because we are to pray without ceasing, I don't think you always have to pray in a certain posture.

Like JazzyJeff, I often pray in the car.

I do think posture matters a bit. I just am not sure where we get the kneeling from.

Take this verse for instance:

1 Timothy 2:8 KJV

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

You see that men were to lift up their hands. So I do think these things are somewhat meaningful.

But where do we get kneeling from?

 

[Wynona]

I believe God hears us in whatever posture we are in.
I believe the first to kneel in the Bible was Daniel.
He prayed on his knees three times a day as was his custom.

Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Hezekiah faced a wall:
Isa 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

Hannah stood beside Eli and prayed:
1Sa 1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

I don't know what posture Jonah was in when he prayed from inside the fish's belly:
Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

Hugs

Thanks Ziggy for those verses. I was wondering if kneeling was in the Bible

 

[Ziggy]

Thanks Ziggy for those verses. I was wondering if kneeling was in the Bible

There is a lot of kneeling in the NT.
I just posted the OT to see where it may have originated from.
I personally can't kneel, I would never get back up. Same with sitting on the floor.
I am not opposed to any that do kneel though. If they are doing it for the Lord and not to be seen of men.

Why Do We Kneel in Prayer? - Anglican Compass
Why Do We Kneel in Prayer? - Anglican Compass
Kneeling in such contexts is far more than keeping to tradition or the status quo, it is the intentional decision of the individual and parish to honor the Lord verbally and physically. To kneel is to submit, it is to worship, and it is to recognize that He is King and we are not.

Maybe kneeling has a particular time and place moreso than everyday communication with the Lord.
Like when one first comes to Christ and recognizes him for the first time as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
It is this recognition and submission perhaps?
I also remember that Jesus calls us friends and we should greet each other with a brotherly kiss.
I don't see much kissing going on nowadays..
And I don't remember much kissing before the rona either.

In days long past when Kings and Queens ruled the world, perhaps like kissing it was a "sign" to show where their true allegience lay.

Just thoughts
Hugs

 

[amadeus]

@Amadaeus

Im actually not sure where we get the tradition of kneeling on our knees to pray from.

I do it, equating it to another famous Christian's comment that our posture affects us spiritually.

When I think of the Bible, I don't see kneeling unless you're talking about how every knee will one day bow in acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord. But I do see bowing being linked to worship.

Because we are to pray without ceasing, I don't think you always have to pray in a certain posture.

Like JazzyJeff, I often pray in the car.

I do think posture matters a bit. I just am not sure where we get the kneeling from.

Take this verse for instance:

1 Timothy 2:8 KJV

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

You see that men were to lift up their hands. So I do think these things are somewhat meaningful.

But where do we get kneeling from?

Well I for one grew up in the Catholic Church where there was always lot of kneeling. The people in the congregation simply did it as they had always done it following sometimes the example of the priest saying the mass. I never saw anyone enforcing kneeling. I attended a whole lot of catechism classes where the nuns taught us the proper etiquette or way to act during mass, and so we did it that way. On the other hand as a altar boy, kneeling at exactly the right times was considered essential... so I did it. I was a sold out Catholic at the time.

I suspect that many who left the Catholic Church brought this part, this kneeling part, with them. I certainly did even though there were 15 years elapsed years from my last devout Catholic participation [1961] to my first devout non-Catholic participation [1976]. I did not throw out all that I learned in Catholicism and I doubt that anyone else did. People who were never Catholics, probably learned much catholic from those who had come out of Catholicism... although likely unknowingly.

Since 1961 then I forgot or unlearned much which I had known as a Catholic. I have learned much that is new from people and from scripture in the non-catholic church meetings since 1976.

Some other things I had never experienced in Catholic Churches and had to learn, some with difficulty, such as raising my hands above my head to worship. LOL, I also only started to dance and shout in non-Catholic meetings. I have a few testimonies about such things.

For many years the rejoicing in the Lord always and the praying without ceasing has been part of my focus. I have never spent 24 hours a day on my knees in prayer. How long have I spent praying without ceasing? God knows!

 

[Ezra]

I believe its best to pray on your knees if possible but sometimes ill be praying while Im driving

i pray a lot while driving i do like to kneel in prayer but i dont get up as well as i use to

 

[Ezra]

Does it say anything about prayer posture in the bible? I know it says to pray continuously so to me that rules out the need to kneel. So wherever we are and whatever we are doing we can pray i.e. talk to our heavenly Father. I sometimes kneel but I'm old now so it's very uncomfortable. Mostly I sit relaxed on my sofa to engage in a specific time of prayer but as God is everywhere and hears us wherever we call out to him it really doesn't matter. Too often I have felt inhibited about praying because this person says do it like this and another do it like that. Do it however feels right for you. No big deal!

you can pray standing sitting laying down eyes closed eyes open . its from the heart not the body position

 

[Mayflower]

I put somewhat, but my real thought is sometimes. I think praying unceasingly takes all postures. I pray everywhere. But I believe those times just getting down on my knees, eyes closed and head bowed in reverence, I believe posture speaks praise also. In worship (singing), I do not believe that one should just be standing there like a tree. I do not judge the heart of one doing so, but God gave His all to us. We need to give our all to Him.

I hardly pray on my knees, but when I do it is out of reverence

 

[marks]

The Pharisee stood, the publican fell on his face, Sometimes I stand, sometimes I fall on my face. Uh-oh!

Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven. Elisha prayed laying on top of a dead boy. I love to pray looking into the sky! I've never prayed laying on a corpse.

Solomon stood praying, his hands outspread toward heaven. Elijah prayed with his face between his knees.

I like to remember that God is always right here with me, just like Tony, my co-worker is here, except more so. And so I want to talk with Him always, about everything.

What become more important to me was to work out in my head, how do I conceptualize my praying to God?

For a long time I imagined God in a faraway heaven, as my prayers ascended up through the sky up to Him. Sometimes I've imagined that my prayers are the feeble pleas of someone who has no right, and should have no expectation.

But I know that He is here with me, His attention towards me, He's here, watching, listening, sharing, speaking, guiding, loving. He's here with me, sharing with me as I'm writing to you.

It occurred to me, I constantly have that chatter going on inside my head, what if I were to personalize that, turn my constant thought life into non-stop prayer to God?

God is BIG. So I imagine Him filling the center space of wherever I am. I think of Him right here in front of me, as I face Him, fully exposed to Him, all my secrets, all those deep hidden things, and He loves me.

Much love!

 

[Ezra]

I hardly pray on my knees, but when I do it is out of reverence

amen

 

[quietthinker]

If there are enough votes we could start a new church....'The Right Prayer Posture Church'......just imagine the good we could do with all the collected funds......and of course there's the tax free status.......special prayer clothes and ascension robes?....whadyathunk?

 

[Mayflower]

If there are enough votes we could start a new church....'The Right Prayer Posture Church'......just imagine the good we could do with all the collected funds......and of course there's the tax free status.......special prayer clothes and ascension robes?....whadyathunk?

Hahaha. Very funny.

 

[dev553344]

I think this question could yield some good discussion.

Ill not give my opinion yet, I want to see what people come up with.

Hi @Wynona I used to pray on my knees and I even fasted for three days in prayer on my knees. But now days I'm directed differently. Just offering up my thoughts and feelings.

 

[Pearl]

Do you raise your hands in prayer, do you pray in tongues, do you bow your head or lift it? I believe whichever posture we choose is irrelevant. What matters is that we connect with God.