Our Sunday evening family service had just finished. Attendance was light that evening, so I decided to be brave and ask my question. I walked over to our preacher and asked, “Why do we pray with our heads bowed? Isn’t God in heaven above, not down below? Shouldn’t we be looking to Him as we pray?”
In our church, the typical way to pray was sitting, head bowed and hands in your lap. I’d been in other churches where you kneeled to pray. Neither of those felt appropriate to me in that moment. I wanted to look up and talk to God. I began to wonder is there a right position for prayer?
What is the right position for prayer? Sitting, standing, kneeling? Looking up or head bowed?
How do you pray? Do you bow your head, kneel, stand and look with outstretched arms, lay prostrate on the ground? Or, like me, have you wondered how you should be praying? Maybe questioning as you look around at others praying, wondering why so many different positions for prayer and which is the right one?
Each prayer posture has significance and may have a time and place in your own prayer life. I’ve learned to connect more deeply to God in prayer when I use different body positions, sometimes laying face-down on the floor when I need to fully submit to Him about something or looking up to the cross or to heaven while raising my hands when I’m praising Him with great joy.
How To Use Your Whole Body in Prayer to Amplify Your Experience
Standing, with arms outstretched, looking to heaven
This is the oldest prayer position. This position acknowledges our faith in God as supreme, eternal, transcendent. It’s a form of praise and worship of our Heavenly Father. Stretching our arms out is a way of asking for God’s blessings and mercy.
You’ll see this form of prayer as the standard in many Eastern churches and Jewish synagogues. It’s also used by priests in many Western churches as they bless the Eucharist for communion. Perhaps the most common place you’ll see this – and may want to use it – is during praise and worship music. Singing is a form of prayer, so maybe you sing your prayer to God while standing with outstretched arms, looking at the cross or up to heaven.
So here’s what you tell them; here’s what I want to see: Men, pray wherever you are. Reach your holy hands to heaven—without rage or conflict—completely open. (1 Timothy 2:8 VOICE)
Kneeling
There are different forms of kneeling prayer positions. You may look downward with hands clasped. Others may look up, with palms lifted up to God.
Traditionally kneeling indicates humility and submission. It is a sign of respect when coming into the presence of a king, especially if you’ve come to make a request of the king. By kneeling, we acknowledge God as our Lord and King, humbling ourselves in His presence.
This is perhaps the most common posture for prayer in the Western church, where many churches have kneelers in the pews. I’ve come to love this one and use it the most to show submission to my Lord and Savior, to humbly make my prayer requests, and to reaffirm my commitment to follow Him.
[Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:41-42 NIV)
Laying Prostrate
This is a position for your most desperate, penitent, and fervent prayers. For those times when you just need to throw yourself at the feet of God and lay your whole heart before Him.
Then [Jesus] said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:38-39 NIV)
Sitting, with hands clasped
Interestingly, sitting for prayer is a newer form, introduced in the Middle Ages when churches began installing pews. Even sitting, though, you can use your head and hands to assume a posture of praise and thanksgiving (palms up, head looking up) or one of humility and supplication (hands clasped, head bowed).
Is there a right position for prayer?
There is no “right” position for prayer. I encourage you to try each of these positions for prayer and see how they feel to you. Try them with different types of prayer and see for yourself which prayer position feels most appropriate to you when saying prayers of praise and thanksgiving versus prayers of repentance or intercession.
Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. “Kneeling is definitely best,” claimed one. “No,” another contended. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.” “You’re both wrong,” the third insisted. “The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate, face down on the floor.” The repairman could contain himself no longer. “Hey, fellas,” he interrupted, “the best prayin’ I ever did was hangin’ upside down from a telephone pole.”
PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Pray in each of these positions and see for yourself how each feels in your prayers. Journal about your experience.
This post is part of the “Pray Deep” series. For more information on the series or to download a complete set of printable prayer cards, click HERE.
Resources:
Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}
Sit, Stand, or Kneel? What is the Right Position for Prayer? – Prayer & Possibilities
Our Sunday evening family service had just finished. Attendance was light that evening, so I decided to be brave and ask my question. I walked over to our preacher and asked, “Why do we pray with our heads bowed? Isn’t God in heaven above, not down below? Shouldn’t we be looking to Him as we pray?”
In our church, the typical way to pray was sitting, head bowed and hands in your lap. I’d been in other churches where you kneeled to pray. Neither of those felt appropriate to me in that moment. I wanted to look up and talk to God. I began to wonder is there a right position for prayer?
How do you pray? Do you bow your head, kneel, stand and look with outstretched arms, lay prostrate on the ground? Or, like me, have you wondered how you should be praying? Maybe questioning as you look around at others praying, wondering why so many different positions for prayer and which is the right one?
Each prayer posture has significance and may have a time and place in your own prayer life. I’ve learned to connect more deeply to God in prayer when I use different body positions, sometimes laying face-down on the floor when I need to fully submit to Him about something or looking up to the cross or to heaven while raising my hands when I’m praising Him with great joy.
How To Use Your Whole Body in Prayer to Amplify Your Experience
Standing, with arms outstretched, looking to heaven
This is the oldest prayer position. This position acknowledges our faith in God as supreme, eternal, transcendent. It’s a form of praise and worship of our Heavenly Father. Stretching our arms out is a way of asking for God’s blessings and mercy.
You’ll see this form of prayer as the standard in many Eastern churches and Jewish synagogues. It’s also used by priests in many Western churches as they bless the Eucharist for communion. Perhaps the most common place you’ll see this – and may want to use it – is during praise and worship music. Singing is a form of prayer, so maybe you sing your prayer to God while standing with outstretched arms, looking at the cross or up to heaven.
Kneeling
There are different forms of kneeling prayer positions. You may look downward with hands clasped. Others may look up, with palms lifted up to God.
Traditionally kneeling indicates humility and submission. It is a sign of respect when coming into the presence of a king, especially if you’ve come to make a request of the king. By kneeling, we acknowledge God as our Lord and King, humbling ourselves in His presence.
This is perhaps the most common posture for prayer in the Western church, where many churches have kneelers in the pews. I’ve come to love this one and use it the most to show submission to my Lord and Savior, to humbly make my prayer requests, and to reaffirm my commitment to follow Him.
Laying Prostrate
This is a position for your most desperate, penitent, and fervent prayers. For those times when you just need to throw yourself at the feet of God and lay your whole heart before Him.
Sitting, with hands clasped
Interestingly, sitting for prayer is a newer form, introduced in the Middle Ages when churches began installing pews. Even sitting, though, you can use your head and hands to assume a posture of praise and thanksgiving (palms up, head looking up) or one of humility and supplication (hands clasped, head bowed).
Is there a right position for prayer?
PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Pray in each of these positions and see for yourself how each feels in your prayers. Journal about your experience.
Resources:
Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}