Why kneel during prayer

Psalm Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire Hebrews Kneel in prayer for the purpose of acknowledging God's holiness. Romans implies that our knowledge of God is never-ending, his ways incomprehensible. But we know there is none holy like the Lord 1 Samuel A natural transition that occurs upon time spent with God, prayerfully and in his Word.

Without such conviction, kneeling in prayer can seem like an uncomfortable waste of time. But with it, kneeling can again become a physical and tangible display. Furthermore, since kneeling encompasses the spirit of submission, reverence, and humility , it exhibits the attitude our most holy God is due.

The precise attitude his presence naturally reveals within the heart that seeks him, and the attitude he ultimately requires. A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks John For I am lost; I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King Kneel in prayer for the purpose of intention. As far as the Lord is holy, man is… not.

Maybe this is one reason Jesus taught his disciples to pray in secret, behind closed doors, himself frequently withdrawing to pray Luke Presumably, He also knelt to do so, though it was only visibly recorded once see Luke Either way, it's in quiet solitude where Christians can more easily pray, with uninterrupted intention.

Even benefiting from the increased focus that comes with kneeling, and its rewards like no other. Go into your room and shut the door and pray… And your Father who sees in secret will reward you Matthew For thus says the One… who inhabits eternity Truth is, physical posture has a way of affecting mindset while mindset has a way of affecting posture.

Likewise, kneeling in prayer has a way of connecting the body, heart, and mind. This is why a kneeling prayer posture is uniquely able to enforce intention, facilitate confession, and promote humility.

All while supporting an attitude of meekness Matthew , weakness 2 Corinthians , and reverence Hebrews Each of these, a vital component to biblical worship and prayer, and each of these, modeled ever so nicely in the kneeling approach to prayer.

A part of being re-evangelized ourselves, even as we reach out to others, is understanding what we do when we worship God on Sundays. One gesture that we make during Mass is to kneel.

We need to better grasp its significance. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the diocesan Bishop determines otherwise. Blessed are those called to the supper of the lamb. The new translation is closer to the Latin and to Matthew There, the centurion says that Jesus does not have to come to his house to cure his servant. Obviously, we then stand to be a part of the procession to receive holy Communion. There is a laudable practice of the whole community remaining standing until all have received Communion.

However, the Holy See has made it clear that this posture cannot be mandated. Whole-Bodied Worship It cannot be overstated that liturgical worship is participatory and whole-bodied in nature. Share This! About the Author: Porter Taylor. The Rev. Porter C. Taylor is a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen where he is writing his dissertation on liturgical theology. Porter lives in Kansas with his wife and their three sons. Alexander Schmemann , published by Pickwick Publications and his writing can be found on his website, www.

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