The Posture of Prayer

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father

—Ephesians 3:14—

When the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, nothing is mentioned in the passage about the physical posture (see Luke 11:1–4). This means our physical posture is immaterial: it’s not the primary concern of prayer. When Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them to pray, He did not say one word about physical posture.

The most important posture for us to take in prayer is not physical, but spiritual — it is the posture of humility (see Isa. 57:15; 66:2; James 4:6–10; 1 Pet. 5:5–7).

God’s word does not impose upon us one kind of posture to assume in praying—bowing down, or bowing the knee is common (2 Chron. 6:13; Psalm 95:6; Matt. 17:14; Mark 1:40; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; Rom. 14:11; Php. 2:10). Other postures are mentioned — standing (Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11–13); falling on our face (Mark 5:33; Luke 17:16).

One brother put it this way: “Bowing the knee is an expression which expresses spiritual attitude much more than physical posture” (Colly Caldwell).

Allow me to make this point — if physical posture matters, then those who are immobilized on beds of affliction because of disease or injury are helpless in prayer. We can’t imagine telling someone who is laid flat on their back in a hospital room that their prayers are going to go unanswered because they cannot kneel or maybe even bow their heads.

The importance of prayer is in the disposition of one’s heart as we pray (see Luke 18:9–14; Matt. 6:5–6).