“Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven…” 2 Chronicles 6:13
I’m not trying to sound too “hippy” or “new-agey” here, but there is something about engaging all our senses in prayer. Historically, monasteries have always echoed with the chanting or singing of Psalms, High Church traditions commonly include the smells of burning incense in their worship, and seasons of intentional prayer are often paired with seasons of fasting.
All that to say, there is a purposeful precedence to lighting a candle and turning on some instrumental worship tunes in the background as you come before the Lord. For whatever reason, engaging the body clears a path for the soul.
That’s often led me to consider my physical posture in prayer—is there a connection between how I pray physically to how I pray spiritually? Is there a difference between praying, groggy, and cuddled under the blankies while dozing off, compared to praying out loud, in a room with people, where the energy is palpable?
I think so.
Notice how the Bible portrays Solomon praying in 2 Chronicles 6:13—
“Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven…”
Imagine the scene: the king of Israel before a mass of people, on his knees with his hands up. He’s the most revered man on earth, and yet he drops to His knees before the true King and Maker of the earth. And if you go on to read his prayer, it is neither short or timid. In fact, after he prays the glory of the Lord fills the temple. All that to say, there seems to be a power that comes from posture.
Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to pray curled up on the recliner. God absolutely meets and ministers to you there. But I do think there is a boldness in prayer that is encouraged when the knees hurt and the backaches from kneeling. I think there is a dependence in prayer that is only reached when you’re on day 6 of no food. I think there is an intimacy with others that is only achieved when you’re laying hands on them. I think the reason a lot of our prayers can feel dull and unmotivated is because we’ve gotten too comfortable before starting.
So, this morning, if you want to shake things up, join me on your knees. For 21 minutes, let you’re posture match your prayers. Embrace the aches, acknowledge your weakness, and let it fuel impassioned, honest prayers! You never know—it might lead to praying bigger and bolder than ever before!
