Positions of Prayer

'...He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed...' Matt 26:39

When life knocks you on your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray.

~Anonymous

In Gethsemane, Jesus’ positions of prayer were fluid. Is there a right posture in which to pray?

I was a zealous 15 year old full of the power of the Holy Spirit. It was an orthodox church night prayer meeting. Nobody particularly taught me to, but I stood up to pray and began to pace. My eyes were open and my hands were in my pockets. Maybe I didn’t want to sleep. Maybe I was feeling cold. Anyways, I paced, eyes open, hands in pockets. A Reverend Gentleman saw me and got furious. He slapped my hands out of my pockets, sternly instructed me to stay in one place and shut my eyes. In His mind, I was disrespecting God. Was I? Is there a right posture in which to pray? 

In Matthew 26:39 and Mk 14:35, we glimpse Jesus prostrate before God in prayer- the traditional posture for intense supplication. Certain African cultures use this posture to show respect before kings and elders. Small wonder that when we lie down before the King of kings in worship he is honoured. Some of my most intimate moments in prayer are flat on my face before Majesty. We find Joshua, Daniel and many other saints in this prayer position before God.

I remember one Sunday in our untiled church auditorium when we were sharing testimonies. A woman had had a delay in child bearing and was considered barren for 13 years. Her relatives and in-laws took her everywhere in search of a child- spiritists, mediums, priests, prophets...She had bathed in rivers, worshiped mermaid spirits, ate various concoctions and potions including crushed rat droppings. After much searching, she came to her breaking point and said, ‘God, if You will not give me a child, I do not want one.’ When she stopped seeking alternatives and focussed on God, God showed up. She got pregnant without knowing it. She gave birth to a wonderful boy full of energy. As she shared her story with tears in her eyes, this miracle mother neatly dressed in impeccable, immaculate white began to roll on the unfinished rough cement floor giving glory to God. She got up dirty, but God must have been pleased at her undignified worship. True worship is usually not far from the floor.

Still in the garden, Luke 22:41 tells us that Jesus knelt down to pray. Kneeling is the traditional posture for requesting favours from a king. It implies humility and submission.

In Mark 11:25 and then in John 11:41, before the grave of Lazarus, we see Jesus standing and looking up in prayer.

Luke 18:10 describes another man standing in prayer, only this time looking down possibly with hands clasped at the waist. This is the traditional posture reminiscent of a shackled prisoner of war brought before a conquering king and is used in submissive, penitential prayer. The man was not proud of his deeds and was approaching God’s throne for mercy.

The Jewish pattern of prayer found scattered throughout the scripture is that of lifting up the hands with both palms facing upwards. Paul writing to Timothy confirmed it as a New Testament practice when he said in 1 Timothy 2:8, “I would that all men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.” Standing, looking up with eyes open and hands uplifted is the oldest posture for prayer.

In 1 Kings 18:42, Elijah was in intense repeated intercession for rain upon a sunburnt earth which had seen no rain for 18 months. He cast himself on the earth and put his face between his knees. Try it! Acrobatics in prayer didn’t start with the Pentecostals.

In a daze David sat down before the Lord to pray after receiving a prophetic word that would position his entire generation for the throne. In wondrous amazement, 2 Sam 7:18 says he sat before the Lord and prayed, “Lord, who am I?” Sitting down to pray routinely began only shortly before the time of the reformation when the church introduced pews into houses of worship. We must never lose the wonder of sitting before God our King.

We can lie in bed to pray. 2 Kings 20:2 shows us King Hezekiah of Judah lying in bed with his face to the wall and communicating with God. The Psalmist says, “Let them (the saints) sing aloud on their beds.”

What is the lesson?

a. It is the position of your heart that first matters to God.

You may sit, stand, lift up your eyes, kneel, lie, roll, rock or meander. God hears prayer in any position; he can give you a nation even if you pray hanging upside down. Just let your heart be properly positioned before God. There is the story of the boy who was standing on the church pew whose father repeatedly asked to sit down. After a threat he sat down. Dad was happy, but the boy said, “Daddy, I may be sitting; but inside, I’m still standing!” I may be kneeling in prayer, but my heart is standing in defiance. I may make a show of lying down before God, but when he checks my heart, he may find me standing in rebellion. It is the position of your heart that first matters to God.

b. Genuine fervent prayer fuels expression.

Fervent God-chasers physically position themselves in prayer according to the fervency of their heart. I’ve seen people pray doubled-up. Bent over. With hands on their heads. On their backs with feet in the air. Rolling around on the floor. Jumping up and down. Clapping. Shaking their heads. Banging their heads against a wall. Stomping. Punching the air. I don’t blame them. Their burdens are simply fuelling their expression and posture. Be real in prayer. Let fervency fuel your expression.

c. Christ's positions of prayer were fluid; our positions of prayer should be fluid.

In Gethsemane alone, Jesus knelt to pray and then in agony fell prostrate. In prayer, our positions should be fluid. It will not do to be rigid in our expression or positioning. We too should learn to be fluid.

Whether we stand, sit, walk, kneel or bow in prayer, let our hearts first be positioned properly before God.

NB. Reverend, I was NOT disrespecting God. I was keeping awake!

Prayer: Father, teach us to be real in our positions in prayer. When we kneel, may our hearts kneel before you. When we bow, may our hearts bow to you. When we stand and lift up our hands, may they be clean before you, in Jesus Name.