Is posture important in prayer? Why or why not?

[farouk]

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

@Ziggy I thought of this passage:

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3.14-21)

It would be interesting to know whether Paul, in using the phrase 'bow my knees' was speaking literally or figuratively.

 

[farouk]

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.

@devin553344 Romans 8.15 speaks of crying 'Abba, Father' by the indwelling Spirit; prayer is not primarily an outward matter but an inward and spiritual matter of the heart, as led by the Spirit of God.

 

[Ziggy]

@Ziggy I thought of this passage:

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3.14-21)

It would be interesting to know whether Paul, in using the phrase 'bow my knees' was speaking literally or figuratively.

A lot of words flashed across my mind..
Honour
Respect
Reverance
Adoration
Devotion
Humbleness
Nobility
Awe

I believe one can both literally and figuratively bend their knee to the Lord, Straight from the heart even if the body is unable.
Perhaps Paul felt the same?
Hugs

 

[farouk]

A lot of words flashed across my mind..
Honour
Respect
Reverance
Adoration
Devotion
Humbleness
Nobility
Awe

I believe one can both literally and figuratively bend their knee to the Lord, Straight from the heart even if the body is unable.
Perhaps Paul felt the same?
Hugs

@Ziggy: Thoughtful comment!

It would be inaccurate for anyone to say, however, that if one bows one's knees, then this fulfills all reverence requirements, or that if knees are not literally bowed, this supposedly indicates a lack of reverence. In religious ritual, there can be an unhealthy emphasis on the outward rather than on the inward and spiritual.

 

[Ziggy]

@Ziggy: Thoughtful comment!

It would be inaccurate for anyone to say, however, that if one bows one's knees, then this fulfills all reverence requirements, or that if knees are not literally bowed, this supposedly indicates a lack of reverence. In religious ritual, there can be an unhealthy emphasis on the outward rather than on the inward and spiritual.

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

I try to be careful and not point a finger at any particular religion or belief and what their traditions or practices are,
because no one knows what's in the heart of the person.
Do they feel it is a requirement only?
Are they looking for acceptance from others?
Will I be judged if I do not conform to a particular tradition?

Only the one kneeling or not kneeling knows the answer to these questions.
And God already knows the answers.
That's why it is best for us not to judge others.
HUGS

 

[farouk]

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

I try to be careful and not point a finger at any particular religion or belief and what their traditions or practices are,
because no one knows what's in the heart of the person.
Do they feel it is a requirement only?
Are they looking for acceptance from others?
Will I be judged if I do not conform to a particular tradition?

Only the one kneeling or not kneeling knows the answer to these questions.
And God already knows the answers.
That's why it is best for us not to judge others.
HUGS

@Ziggy Great post!

 

[Curtis]

I would think the tradition of kneeling for Christians would come from Jesus praying on His knees in Gethsemane.

 

[HeartNSoul19]

People across the world might have different ways of communing with their Creator; what matters is the sincerity of that prayer. Who am I to say that any particular ways of praying is the correct way or more effective than others.

 

[Mayflower]

People across the world might have different ways of communing with their Creator; what matters is the sincerity of that prayer. Who am I to say that any particular ways of praying is the correct way or more effective than others.

What do you believe HeartNSoul? Welcome to CB by the way! I've read some of your posts. We have a friend called Heart2Soul.

 

[Mayflower]

A lot of words flashed across my mind..
Honour
Respect
Reverance
Adoration
Devotion
Humbleness
Nobility
Awe

I believe one can both literally and figuratively bend their knee to the Lord, Straight from the heart even if the body is unable.
Perhaps Paul felt the same?
Hugs

Right. All goes back to the heart.

 

[amadeus]

@Ziggy: Thoughtful comment!

It would be inaccurate for anyone to say, however, that if one bows one's knees, then this fulfills all reverence requirements, or that if knees are not literally bowed, this supposedly indicates a lack of reverence. In religious ritual, there can be an unhealthy emphasis on the outward rather than on the inward and spiritual.

Similar perhaps to "hearing" the Word of God. Can physically deaf person "hear" the Word of God?

 

[Ziggy]

Similar perhaps to "hearing" the Word of God. Can physically deaf person "hear" the Word of God?

I believe God speaks to the heart.
Hugs

 

[amadeus]

I believe God speaks to the heart.
Hugs

Amen! And while the Bible is useful and used by God, He is certainly not bound to speak to a person only through its written pages!

 

[Daniel Veler]

What about the person with no legs? What about a person with no arms? It is not the position that God sees but the heart of man. The inward man. Man judged by what he sees but God judges the heart.

 

[Ziggy]

Amen! And while the Bible is useful and used by God, He is certainly not bound to speak to a person only through its written pages!

It's amazing how old the scriptures are, and yet they never get old.
They are new every morning.
And it's not like an engineering manual where it only is understood by engineers.
It's universal to every human.
It speaks to every heart and mind.
Some it brings comfort and others conviction.
How many times have attempts been made to destroy it, and yet it remains just as fresh as yesterday.

Sometimes I wish I could memorize the Bible like some people do.
I can't, I've tried.
But what does happen when I'm thinking about a topic, is verses or stories will just come into my mind.
I will write something.. and then find the verse that I'm thinking of.

I can't imagine standing at a podium preaching to an assembly, saying..
hold on, I'll find it, I know it's in here... lol
But that is how God talks to me. He jogs my memory. He brings things into rememberance.
Not only things written in the Bible but things that I have experienced outside the Bible.

Sometimes it's just a word. And I have to do a word search to find the verse that that word fits into.
There is a verse or a meaning for everything.

And they are trying so hard to get rid of it again today.

Hugs

 

[amadeus]

It's amazing how old the scriptures are, and yet they never get old.
They are new every morning.
And it's not like an engineering manual where it only is understood by engineers.
It's universal to every human.
It speaks to every heart and mind.
Some it brings comfort and others conviction.
How many times have attempts been made to destroy it, and yet it remains just as fresh as yesterday.

Sometimes I wish I could memorize the Bible like some people do.
I can't, I've tried.
But what does happen when I'm thinking about a topic, is verses or stories will just come into my mind.
I will write something.. and then find the verse that I'm thinking of.

I can't imagine standing at a podium preaching to an assembly, saying..
hold on, I'll find it, I know it's in here... lol
But that is how God talks to me. He jogs my memory. He brings things into rememberance.
Not only things written in the Bible but things that I have experienced outside the Bible.

Sometimes it's just a word. And I have to do a word search to find the verse that that word fits into.
There is a verse or a meaning for everything.

And they are trying so hard to get rid of it again today.

Hugs

They can destroy all of the paper Bibles and they may even be able to delete or block access to all of the online Bibles, but...

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matt 24:25

 

[farouk]

Similar perhaps to "hearing" the Word of God. Can physically deaf person "hear" the Word of God?

Reminds me of the verse: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10.17) In the end these things are spiritually discerned.

 

[farouk]

It's amazing how old the scriptures are, and yet they never get old.
They are new every morning.
And it's not like an engineering manual where it only is understood by engineers.
It's universal to every human.
It speaks to every heart and mind.
Some it brings comfort and others conviction.
How many times have attempts been made to destroy it, and yet it remains just as fresh as yesterday.

Sometimes I wish I could memorize the Bible like some people do.
I can't, I've tried.
But what does happen when I'm thinking about a topic, is verses or stories will just come into my mind.
I will write something.. and then find the verse that I'm thinking of.

I can't imagine standing at a podium preaching to an assembly, saying..
hold on, I'll find it, I know it's in here... lol
But that is how God talks to me. He jogs my memory. He brings things into rememberance.
Not only things written in the Bible but things that I have experienced outside the Bible.

Sometimes it's just a word. And I have to do a word search to find the verse that that word fits into.
There is a verse or a meaning for everything.

And they are trying so hard to get rid of it again today.

Hugs

@Ziggy : 'Thy Word is truth' (John 17.17).

 

[Berserk]

Best prayer posture? A farmer once testified in church, "I did my best praying, head-down at the bottom of a well!"