1. The familiar postures and positions of prayer are valuable not so much for their importance to God as for the aids which they give to us, or for the testimony which they bear to others; and they are to be insisted on only so far as they maintain and quicken the devotion in ourselves, or are necessary to make the requisite confession to the world.
In Essex, in the year 1550, a number of religious persons who had received the Word of God as their only rule of faith and conduct, and who therefore differed in certain particulars from the dominant party in the Church, met to confer on the ordering of worship. The chief point in debate related to the attitude which one ought to observe in prayer—whether it were better to stand or kneel, to have the head covered or uncovered. The decision arrived at was that the material question had reference not to the bodily posture, but to the direction of the mind. It was agreed that that attitude is most seemly which most fitly expresses the desires and emotions of the soul. [Note: D. M. McIntyre, The Hidden Life of Prayer, 61.]
2. Scripture is exceedingly abstinent in legislation about the external circumstances of God’s worship. Often as the subject of prayer comes up, and copious as the sacred writers are regarding the duty and privilege and due manner of prayer, there is an almost entire absence of authoritative directions regarding its external accompaniments. Accordingly, you will find no absolute rule laid down anywhere in Scripture regarding the right posture in prayer. The point is not utterly trivial; prayer is such a vital element in the Divine life that nothing relating to it can be absolutely without importance. Doubtless one posture is more favourable to a right frame of mind in prayer than another. Yet not one word is said on the subject in Scripture in the way of authoritative prescription. God has laid down no inflexible rule; no doubt for this very good reason, that the posture should vary according to varying circumstances. There is a time to pray standing; there is a time to pray sitting; there is a time to pray kneeling; there is even a time to pray reclining, for we know that many an acceptable prayer has gone up to heaven from the invalid’s couch.
The posture most frequently mentioned in Scripture in connexion with prayer is prostration. The worshipper approached God with the same deference as he showed when presenting a petition to an earthly superior. Unfortunately the Hebrew equivalent for “he prostrated himself” is usually rendered in the English Bible by “he worshipped”. The prostration, with the face to the ground, was commonly preceded by the bowing of the head, and it is sometimes described as a falling to the earth upon the face. Thus Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw the glory of Jehovah in the plain, and in this attitude he offered his brief intercessory prayers. Jesus, too, falls on His face in Gethsemane, and it is thus that the angels in the Apocalypse (Rev_7:2) offer their praise to God. It is adopted in prayers of gratitude as well as of supplication. A very peculiar posture is that of Elijah, who, on Mount Carmel, put his head between his knees. The context suggests that this may have been the attitude of one who prayed for rain.
Prayer could also be offered kneeling. In point of fact most references to kneeling appear to belong to the later books. Daniel, Stephen, Peter, Paul knelt: these prayers are all petitions or intercessions.
Sometimes, however, the worshipper stood. It was standing that Hannah prayed for a son, that Solomon blessed the people, and that Jeremiah interceded for them. The “hypocrites” in Jesus’ time stood at prayer, but He presupposes the same attitude for His own disciples. The Pharisee offered his prayer of gratitude standing; so also did the publican his for mercy; and in Rev_7:10, a great multitude in heaven stands to praise God. Thus this attitude could be adopted alike in prayers of petition, of intercession, and of thanksgiving. It has been suggested, with some probability, that ordinarily prayer was offered kneeling or standing, with prostration at the beginning and the end.
Sitting does not seem to be a particularly natural attitude in prayer: but it occurs at least once, in David’s prayer of gratitude, and possibly another time, in a context of sorrow.
Kneeling is the attitude of humility, of confession, of entreaty, of worship. Some have gone further, and thought that kneeling in prayer is a symbol of man’s fallen state, that he can no longer stand erect before God, but is broken and crushed in the presence of Jehovah. Certainly kneeling is the natural position of man before the Almighty and All-Holy Creator. So the holiest and highest of men have approached God. Solomon, the greatest, except David, of all Jewish kings, upon the day of the dedication of the Temple, knelt down before all his people and presented his prayer to God. Ezra, the priest, on receiving news of the people’s sin, tells us: “I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God”. Daniel, the prophet, when, in the city of idolatry, he heard of the decree forbidding prayer, except to the king, for thirty days, went into his house and “kneeled upon his knees” as before. [Note: J. W. Ewing, The Undying Christ, 70.]
3. In the early Church to pray kneeling was associated with humiliation, penance, and fasting; and so we find that, during the joyous season between Easter and Whitsuntide, not only were the regular fasts—on Wednesdays and Fridays—not observed, but also prayers were said standing. The same difference in the attitude of those praying was also made on Sundays, and Tertullian speaks of “some few” who abstained from kneeling on Saturdays also, the Jewish Sabbath. “As to kneeling in prayer different customs are permissible. There are some few who do not kneel on the Sabbath (Saturday). . . . We, however, as we have been taught, on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection only, ought to be free not merely from the humiliation of kneeling, but also from all that entails anxiety and all serious duties, putting off even our business for fear we should give place to the devil. The same also applies to the interval between Easter and Whitsuntide, which we mark with the like solemn exultation.” So,” on the Lord’s Day we consider it wrong to fast, or to pray on our knees. We enjoy this same liberty, from the day of the Passover right on to Pentecost.” On the other hand, kneeling is customary at other times, at early morning prayers, on fast days and “station days”.
No matter when or where it is uttered, the Moslem formula of prayer is unvarying. The prescribed series of positions—standing, bowing, kneeling, with the head at times bent to the earth and the hands in various positions: hanging at the side, folded on the stomach, stretched out from the lobes of the ears, touching the knees, or spread on the earth—these positions, with the accompanying ejaculations and quotations from the Koran constitute a rak’ah, or prostration. [Note: F. J. Bliss, The Religions of Modern Syria, 201.]
Bishop Latimer, the martyr, towards the end of his life used to spend so much time kneeling in prayer that he had to be assisted to rise. He forgot his troubles when pouring out his soul before God. [Note: J. W. Ewing, The Undying Christ, 71.]
4. Yet the idea that we can pray only when kneeling is one of the things that hinder us in prayer. Many would probably spend a much longer time in communion with our Lord than they do if they could bring themselves to believe that standing, walking, sitting, and even lying down may be attitudes of prayer. All are brought under the Apostle’s injunction that we should “pray without ceasing”. It is much to be wished that the same variety of posture should be employed in private as in public, that so we might learn not only to make the half-hour or hour spent with Him as restful as possible, but to associate with Him every attitude that we adopt.
In prayer to God, men do with the members of their bodies that which becometh suppliants, when they bend their knees, when they stretch forth their hands, or even prostrate themselves on the ground, and whatever else they visibly do, albeit their invisible will and hearts’ intention be known unto God, and He needs not these tokens that any man’s mind should be opened unto Him: only hereby one more excites himself to pray and groan more humbly and more fervently. And I know not how it is, while these motions of the body cannot be made but by a motion of the mind preceding, yet by the same being outwardly in visible sort made, that inward invisible one which made them is increased: and thereby the heart’s affection which preceded that they might be made, groweth because they are made. But still if any be in that way held, or even bound, that he is not able to do these things with his limbs, it does not follow that the inner man does not pray, and before the eyes of God in its most secret chamber, where it hath compunction, cast itself on the ground. [Note: St. Augustine.]
I very seldom venture to kneel at prayer in secret. At night it leads almost invariably, and very speedily, to sleeping on my knees, and even in the morning hour, I know not how, recollectedness and concentration of heart and mind are usually quickened in my case by a reverent standing attitude as before the visible Master and Lord, or by walking up and down, either in-doors or, as I love to do when possible, in the open air. A garden may prove a very truly hallowed oratory. [Note: Bishop Moule, All in Christ, 82.]
In answer to questions sent to many persons requesting to know their habits in prayer, one answers: “In my secret prayer I always sit (I am unable to kneel), but I sit with my face turned heavenward and often hold my hands above my head”. Another answers: “Frequently walking is most effective. Kneeling is probably more habitual in times of relaxing; walking, when any intense personal problems are to be worked out. In morning, sitting or walking is perhaps more indulged in; at evening, kneeling.” [Note: F. O. Beck, in American Journal of Psychology, ii. 117. ]
