Monday · May 4
Getting Down On Our Knees To Pray
When something goes wrong in our lives, most of us talk about it with a friend. When we have good news, we share it with someone. We can do the same thing with God. “Prayer is talking to God the same as we would talk to a friend.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, page 93, adapted.
Prayer keeps us connected to God. When we pray, we show the devil we belong to God. When we kneel to pray in the morning, our prayer is an announcement that we choose God this day. God sends angels to our side when we pray. God also gives us strength and protects us from Satan ( Psalm 91 ).
When we kneel, we show that our hearts are empty of all pride. For sure, we can pray when we sit in a chair or lie in bed. But when we kneel, we show that we are ready to serve God with all our hearts. Our bodies and our words announce that God is in control of heaven and earth, and that we are His children.
Read Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Acts 9:40; and Acts 20:36 . What do these verses tell us about the people who knelt when they prayed?
In Bible times, people often stood when they prayed ( 2 Chronicles 20:5, 6, 13; 1 Samuel 1:26; Job 30:20; Luke 18:11, 13 ). The Bible also gives us examples of people who sat when they prayed ( 2 Samuel 7:18 ). Other people lay with their faces on the ground ( 1 Kings 1:47; Mark 14:35 ).
How do you pray? The Bible doesn’t command us to pray standing up or on our knees. But what we do with our body when we pray is important. What we do shows the feelings that are in our hearts. Some people can’t kneel. So, in the end, the thing that matters most is our hearts. Maybe you don’t often kneel. But if you can, why not kneel the next time you pray? How does kneeling change your time with God?
The Bible invites us to “pray at all times” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, EASY). We must “be ready for anything” ( Colossians 4:2, ERV ) and “always continue to pray” ( Romans 12:12 , EASY). Today, as you stand, sit, lie, or walk when you pray, talk to God as your Friend. Start right now.