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Prayer is one of the most important activities of the Christian life. It is a blessed privilege by which we commune with God our Father.
Prayer has been referred to as the "skylight" of the soul, by which we look upward. Because of God's grace, we have this privilege;
therefore, it is called the "throne of grace" (Heb. 4: 16).
The objective of this lesson is to look at the various postures of prayer. Posture is defined as the position of our bodies or a way of
holding our bodies. In the pages of Scripture there are many different postures mentioned. Some of the more frequently used ones are:
bowing, looking up, lying on the face, standing, and kneeling.
The first posture we shall consider is bowing down. A careful study of scriptural references on prayer reveals that this posture was often
used as people prayed. Evidently this posture had its origin with those who felt so unworthy before God that they dared not look up toward
His heavenly abode. When we pray, we generally bow our heads toward the earth and then lift our hearts to God in prayer. Such a
posture should reveal a reverential attitude of heart. Remember the publican and his humility; he is an example of such an attitude. Jesus
said, "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). As he recognized his sinful condition, he felt his unworthiness to approach God, so when he
prayed he bowed his head. Surely we all recognize that not all who bow their heads in prayer share the humility of that publican. Yet
when the bowed head is expressive of the humble heart, it is a beautiful and meaningful posture in prayer.
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The second posture is looking up. It is easy to assume that if bowing the head is a sign of humility, looking up is a sign of arrogance
and pride; however, such an observation is not necessarily true. We know that not all who bow are humble; neither are all who look up
proud. I believe that Stephen prayed looking up toward God in heaven. Read Acts 7:55-60 and you will observe that Stephen, looking
up into heaven, saw the glory of God with Jesus standing on His right hand. His description of this glorious experience so enraged the
people that they cast him outside the city to stone him to death. The last two verses tell us of his prayer, and we may conclude that he
was still looking up, since the Scripture does not inform us of a change in posture. If I had seen God, I know that I would have wanted to
look up as long as life remained!
The third posture we shall consider is lying on the face. This position was taken by Moses and Aaron, as recorded in Numbers
16:22. It seems that Jesus also took this position in prayer as he prostrated Himself before His Father. Shortly before His arrest, He
went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The Bible says, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, 0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Mt. 26:39). The
expression "fell on his face" indicates a position that is beyond kneeling. From the examination of other Scriptures such as Mark 14:35
and Luke 22:41, it seems that at first Jesus dropped to a kneeling position and then later dropped the upper part of His body face down
upon the ground. This is about the lowest position you may take in prayer. It is literally to cast oneself down before the Lord, and from
this lowest position to lift one's heart to the lofty throne of God. In some religions this position is openly practiced during prayer time,
but in Christianity it is probably used in private more than in public.
The fourth position is standing, which is obviously the opposite of the posture just considered. This position is often the posture of
public prayer. Let us recall that the publican previously referred to (Luke 18:13) not only had his head bowed but was in a standing
position for prayer ("standing afar off"). In 1 Kings 8:22, Solomon was not only standing while he prayed, but he also had his hands
spread toward heaven. We can assume that he probably looked up also. It was in that instance a position of public prayer, for he prayed
before all the congregation of Israel. Both prayer and forgiveness are enjoined in Mark 11:25, when Jesus said, "And when ye stand praying,
forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." According to this Scripture
Jesus approved of the posture of standing to pray; therefore when a person is called upon to offer prayer in church services, often he
will rise to his feet. When a person chooses to pray in this position, let us not think that he lifts himself above others but that he simply
views standing as one of the many acceptable postures of prayer.
The last posture for consideration is the position of kneeling down. It is a position that is frequently used because it is between that of
standing and falling on the face. It allows us to lower ourselves before God without falling completely upon the ground. It is a beautiful
position for praying and one that was frequently used by ancient patriarchs. The Bible says of Daniel that "...he kneeled upon his knees
three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime" (Dan. 6: 10). We remember also that Jesus took this
position before he fell upon His face. Luke 22:41 says, "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and
prayed ... " Some make such an issue of this position of prayer that it would appear that no other posture is acceptable with God; this
is evidently not the case. While kneeling is a beautiful and expressive position for prayer, not all may take it. There are crippled and bedridden
saints who are not physically able to bend their knees in prayer, yet we know that their prayers ascend to God as surely as do those
of people who kneel to pray. The beauty of this posture is in the humility expressed, but if one kneels in a haughty spirit, his prayers
are still unacceptable.
From these observations it is clear that there are many postures for prayer which are taught in the Bible; however, it should be equally
evident that it is not the posture but the purpose of heart that is most important in praying. I am fully persuaded that a person may occupy
none of the mentioned postures and still engage in prayer. What position is left? Sitting is one and I pray in that position often, in
homes, riding down the highway in my automobile, and in church services. Many who are sitting in the pews are praying in their hearts,
and God most surely hears their prayers.
In conclusion let us remember that prayers may be offered in a variety of different postures. Regardless of our posture, let us pray
in the Spirit (Rom. 8:26) and pray the prayer of faith Games 5: 15). It matters not to God whether we pray in a solitary place (Mk. 1:35)
or in a crowded sanctuary (Mt. 21:13), but we ought to pray (Lu. 18:1). The prayer may be a silent one in our closet (Mt. 6:6) or an
audible prayer such as the one Jesus taught His disciples (Mt. 6:9). Whether we work, walk, or worship, it is the prayer and the purpose
of the person's heart that matter most with God. Thank God for the wonderful privilege of prayer and for the flexibility He so graciously
grants in its holy use.
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