Do you kneel when you pray?

zoidar · Oct 6, 2019

devin553344 said:
We had another thread in which we discussed going to church. And I realized I started kneeling when praying in private before I was Catholic, and noticed that Catholics kneel together in worship, which I thought was pleasant. So I was wondering about this, there are many bible verses that address this topic. I'll post a couple:

Psalm 95:6

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker

Romans 14:11

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

I got the passages from here: 32 Bible verses about Kneeling

I voted that I do, because sometimes I do, but most of the time I don't. Sometimes I pray walking or bicycking, other times sitting or laying in bed. I kneel when I feel I want to kneel. There is really no rule in prayer.

seeking.IAM · Oct 6, 2019

Folks in my church kneel during prayer, although the rubrics in our Book of Common prayer say the people may "stand or kneel." Since "stand" is listed first, it is considered to be preferred yet my congregation kneels anyway.

At the same Council of Nicaea (325 AD) that gave us the creed, canon law was also passed about prayer posture.

"20. prohibition of kneeling on Sundays and during the Pentecost (the fifty days commencing on Easter). Standing was the normative posture for prayer at this time, as it still is among the Eastern Christians. Kneeling was considered most appropriate to penitential prayer, as distinct from the festive nature of Eastertide and its remembrance every Sunday. The canon itself was designed only to ensure uniformity of practice at the designated times." (Source - Wikipedia, The Council of Nicaea)

Our former priest taught that kneeling was an act of penitence and in most appropriate during Lent just as the early Church decided at the Council. Seems that nobody listened to him, though.

Chris V++ · Oct 6, 2019

Not always, but sometimes when no one is around I bow (like a Muslim.) It's more instinct than anything learned.

Mountainmanbob · Oct 6, 2019

I pray throughout the day
and should kneel more often
except when driving.

I pray a lot in the morning while driving down off the mountain.

Mostly grateful.

M-Bob

Toro · Oct 6, 2019

I spend most time with God in silence and introspection.... all through out my day.

As such most of my prayers are done while standing, in secret, where even a coworker or even my wife may not know I am in prayer.

However, I am not "above" putting my face down to the ground. IF I had a pride or an arrogance about me that I felt I need not ever put my face to the ground... I would be seriously concerned about my salvation.

I dont believe that kneeling is necessary, but IF I believe that I am above or too good to kneel with my face down before speaking to the Almighty God, I would believe there is an issue of pride in my heart that needed to be dealt with.

After all, the harshest words Jesus spoke, were NOT to the sinners, but to the proud.

bèlla · Oct 6, 2019

Greetings,

No, I never kneel. Sometimes I’ll lie prostrate on my face as an act of contrition. But in most instances I’m sitting upright in bed and conversing with the Lord.

~Bella

devin553344 · Oct 6, 2019

Prostrate prayer is somewhat new to me and maybe I should have added "prostrate" to the options. I will add it now

bèlla · Oct 6, 2019

devin553344 said:
Prostrate prayer is somewhat new to me and maybe I should have added "prostrate" to the options. I will add it now

Devin,

I often do it in difficult moments when I’m in great need or confessing something serious. The position is based on my recollection of Catholic novitiates. It is a sign of humility and surrender that I utilize in my worship.

~Bella

devin553344 · Oct 6, 2019

LaBèlla said:
Devin,

I often do it in difficult moments when I’m in great need or confessing something serious. The position is based on my recollection of Catholic novitiates. It is a sign of humility and surrender that I utilize in my worship.

~Bella

View attachment 264510
View attachment 264511

Thanks for explaining that. I think prostrate sounds similar to kneeling then.

66 Books · Oct 6, 2019

"prayer is not a position, it is a disposition" - Leonard Ravenhill.

Christ is Lord · Oct 7, 2019

Chadrho said:
As a Catholic, I'm probably not the right protestant to ask. I would go with what Gracia Singh says above.

For me, I cross myself as a reminder of the Triune God that I worship and to mark the sacred moment of prayer I am about to enter into.

Being Protestant I started making the sign of the cross when I prayed and when I woke up in the morning as part of the liturgy of the hours.

Christ is Lord · Oct 7, 2019

I try to kneel but I can't for too long because it causes pain in my knees. However, I do pray prostrated at times as this doesn't cause pain in my knees.

Rebecca4Christ · Oct 7, 2019

I wasn't sure which to choose because I pray most of the time...meaning all day long.So sometimes I kneel,sometimes prostrate,but most often walking,driving,sitting,etc.

RaymondG · Oct 7, 2019

It would seem that one who is particularly concerned about outward appearances and physical gestures made around prayer, may not be the best inquiry agents on the subject....nor would they make a best first choice for when we need a prayer sent and answered.....

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

RaymondG · Oct 7, 2019

devin553344 said:
Yes I especially pray when driving. I worry about accidents whether my fault or someone else.

These two sentences negates each other. When one prays to the living God.....there is no worry in it.
It is like having a bill due and knowing that you have the money in your account to pay it.....you would only worry about it, if you felt you did not have the money to pay it.......if you know it is there....there is no reason to worry....therefore you wouldnt.

This is how we ask amiss.

devin553344 · Oct 7, 2019

RaymondG said:
These two sentences negates each other. When one prays to the living God.....there is no worry in it.
It is like having a bill due and knowing that you have the money in your account to pay it.....you would only worry about it, if you felt you did not have the money to pay it.......if you know it is there....there is no reason to worry....therefore you wouldnt.

This is how we ask amiss.

I both fear and love God. Please forgive me though, I've been dropped as a child of God a few times

RaymondG · Oct 7, 2019

devin553344 said:
I both fear and love God. Please forgive me though, I've been dropped as a child of God a few times

Yes, we are to fear and love......That is why when He said to believe that you have received what you pray from......I listen.

And dont worry....We are have all been dropped a few times.....and for understandable reasons.......babies are slippery dudes.

devin553344 · Oct 7, 2019

RaymondG said:
Yes, we are to fear and love......That is why when He said to believe that you have received what you pray from......I listen.

And dont worry....We are have all been dropped a few times.....and for understandable reasons.......babies are slippery dudes.

Yeah Satan doesn't like me, that's for sure. He did the dropping. God has always been nice to me.

RaymondG · Oct 7, 2019

devin553344 said:
Yeah Satan doesn't like me, that's for sure. He did the dropping. God has always been nice to me.

I understand......Satan use to hate me as well......When I was extremely religious and I blamed everything on him. Late for church? , I'd testify "Satan did not want me to make it here on time but i made it anyway!" Cant pay a bill?, got a headache?, stubbed my toe?: "Satan is really after me today!" I'd say.

But, i;ve found that, for me........ now that I've taken responsibility for my own shortcomings and mistakes, he leaves me alone.

And yes, The One who is Love and never shown me anything less than that....as well

devin553344 · Oct 7, 2019

RaymondG said:
I understand......Satan use to hate me as well......When I was extremely religious and I blamed everything on him. Late for church? , I'd testify "Satan did not want me to make it here on time but i made it anyway!" Cant pay a bill?, got a headache?, stubbed my toe?: "Satan is really after me today!" I'd say.

But, i;ve found that, for me........ now that I've taken responsibility for my own shortcomings and mistakes, he leaves me alone.

And yes, The One who is Love and never shown me anything less than that....as well

I originally started to kneel in prayer to God as a desperate attempt to appeal to him in repentance when I was suffering from panic attacks and depression and felt abandoned by God.

My life got good after I joined church for a while (about 10 years), but then my disabilities caught up with me and things turned bad. God's reached out to me with the Holy Spirit though in peace, love and joy along the way, which has been nice. I was homeless for a short while (thanks to God for it being a short while).

Do you kneel when you pray?

Do you kneel when you pray?

Yes physically

I kneel in spirit

I don't kneel in body or spirit

I pray prostrate

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