Different postures in life are associated with different attitudes or actions. For example, sitting with your arms folded and your eyes wandering usually means you’re bored. Standing with your arms straight up is a sign of surrender, even in the context of a worship service. Holding your arms out with palms up show that you are offering something. Sometimes that offering is nothing more than welcoming arms to someone who needs to be comforted. Prayer is often times associated with kneeling and that is the posture I found myself in yesterday.
My uncle had asked for some help getting some work done at our cabin, so my brother and I went up for the afternoon. I took the job of sanding the floor upstairs which meant I would be on my hands and knees most of the day. As I crawled around the floor with the belt sander I couldn’t help but think about how I rarely find myself on my hands and knees.
That isn’t to say that I spend any time in prayer, I just haven’t found myself in the posture that many associate with prayer. I think your posture can directly affect the action associated with that posture. For example, if you are engaged in a conversation with someone, leaning in can directly affect your connection with that person. If you are sitting back in your chair with arms folded you might become distracted more easily or make the other person feel as if you don’t care about what they are saying. In contrast, if you are physically leaning in, you are more focused on the other person and there’s a good chance that they will be more open to you as they feel that you care about what they are saying.
That same concept can be applied to prayer. I’m not saying that God cares less about your prayers if you are not on your knees, but your attitude in prayer can be drastically different when you’re not just sitting casually around the dining room table. As I was coming to the realization that I am rarely on my knees, I felt like God was reminding me that it is a posture that I need to put myself in more often. As I was kneeling there sanding, breathing sawdust and thinking about my posture, I began to pray. I found myself praying for those who do not have a relationship with Him. I prayed for the people of the world that do not have the freedom to worship God as we do. I prayed for my family, that God would bring each of us closer to Him. If I hadn’t found myself in that posture, I probably would have gone about my day without entering a real conversation with my Maker. Instead, God led me to my knees and I found myself connecting with Him on a more intimate level than I had in a long time.
If you find yourself struggling in your prayer life, during worship at church, or even in your everyday relationships, I want to encourage you to try changing your posture. There’s a chance that it won’t change anything, but you might be surprised at how a physical posture can change your mindset and heart in certain situations.