CHRISTIAN LIFE & GROWTH

Praying Prostrate

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Joshua — "When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries?' And he said, 'No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped and said to him, 'What does my lord say to his servant?'" (Joshua 5:13-14).

Ezekiel — "Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking" (Ezekiel 1:28).

Wise men (Magi) — "And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him" (Matthew 2:11).

Angels — "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God" (Revelations 7:11).

Jesus — "And going a little farther, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).

From these examples, we see that praying prone certainly offers a beautiful and powerful option, especially for times of:
● Overwhelming awe and adoration of and for our Lord (like Ezekiel, the Magi, and the angels);
● Deep, heart-wrenching contrition and joy at being forgiven (like the Israelites);
● Intense intercession, either for others (like Moses) or for ourselves (like Jesus);
● Soul-searching and seeking to know and do God's will (like Joshua).

This is why, years ago, I had decided to adopt this prayer posture for myself, and I found myself prone on the floor on behalf of someone close to me who had made a terrible choice which resulted in some devastating, but not life-threatening consequences. Thankfully! I got on my face, pleading with God, to use the situation to reach deep into this person's heart, to refine them, to draw them more closely to Himself and conform their character to His. I felt that the situation was that serious to warrant a prone posture of prayer.

However, praying prone is purely optional. And preferential. There are other prayer postures we can certainly take: bowing, kneeling, standing, even raising our hands and arms. As Christian Blogger Tim Challies says in his article "The Posture of Prayer":

...God is far more concerned with the content of our prayers than the posture of our prayers. It is far more important to examine the heart than to examine the feet or the hands. At the same time, there is no doubt that our bodies can be an expression of our hearts...

Praying prone is simply a physical expression of a heart's inner vulnerability and humility. And that's why I decided to adopt it. Not every day. I still sit on the couch most days during my devotions. It's just when I have a more pressing need or a more urgent request, even a contrite confession that I adopt the prone position. It just seems a more fitting, given the gravity of such circumstances.

And it was strange at first, I have to admit. Awkward, really. At the back of my mind, I kept wondering, What if someone comes in and sees me like this? Would they think that something was wrong, like I had passed out, or even something worse?

But, honestly, it doesn't really matter. I'm with my LORD, in deep, deep communion with Him. That's really all that matters.

And I can't describe the feeling I have when I am praying prostrate. It's beyond explanation. Heavenly, other-worldly, in a sense. All I know is that it has taken my relationship with my Father, my Abba Daddy, to a different and deeper level. And it seems natural now.

I can't think of a better position to be in — prostrate before my God!

Image Credit: Gadini; untitled; Creative Commons

Tags: Biblical-Truth | Christian-Life | God-Father | Personal-Life

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Published on 10-10-16