O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before Jehovah our maker. – Psalm 95:6
And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. – 1 Kings 8:54
This verse is an example of someone in the Bible kneeling in prayer. The Hebrew word used here is Kara. It means kneel in reverence. Now reverence means to stand in awe of, be awed, to fear, honor, respect. Kneeling can be a sign that we are in awe of, fear, honor, and respect God.
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? – Mark 10:17
This is another example of someone keeling. This is the story of the Rich Young Ruler. The Greek word used here is Gonupeteo. It means the act or imploring aid, and of expressing reverence and honor. I believe that the rich young ruler was imploring aid, as he had a question for Jesus. Kneeling can be a sign of imploring aid, expressing reverence, and honor.
So all in all to kneel in prayer can mean many things. We can kneel in awe of God. We can kneel to express our honor and respect. We can kneel before God to implore his aid.
I think that kneeling in prayer shows a humbleness of spirit. We humble ourselves before God. It helps us to remember He who is greater.
What others say:
"It is our duty to glorify God with our bodies by the outward expressions of reverence, seriousness, and humility, in the duties of religious worship." – Matthew Henry Complete Commentary
"Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. As suppliants must we come; joyful, but not presumptuous; familiar as children before a father, yet reverential as creatures before their maker. Posture is not everything, yet is it something; prayer is heard when knees cannot bend, but it is seemly that an adoring heart should show its awe by prostrating the body, and bending the knee." – C. H. Spurgeon's Treasury of David
Do you kneel when you pray? If so, why?
True 
Lifetime
Comments (23)
When I can, I do because it does show a sign of reverence and respect to God.
I would like to second what Dylan_Disast3r said.
I would like to 3rd Dylan_Disast3r... My church's congregation kneels during our corporate confession of sin, I am one of the ones you will find not kneeling because I have a knee condition that hurts like all get out if I stay kneeling to long, but I am kneeling in spirit.
I personally don't kneel when I pray but if you are more formal you might, I believe its a sign of respect to God.
I grew up Presbyterian, learning that God listens to you whether you're sitting, standing, kneeling, walking, doing headstands, whatever. However, I like when I go to Catholic mass and we kneel, because the physical position helps me focus more on prayer and less on other thoughts. I also like that we bow when we say/sing the trinity in my Lutheran services. (Yeah, I'm a Presbycatholutheran...)
i'd like to 4th it! (if thats possible...) :)
i kneel because thats what i have been taught at church, and its like bowing down to god when you speak.
@BalletdBeth@xanga - I like that: kneeling in spirit. That's what God wants of all of us. Isaiah 66:2b.
----
One thing to remember is that we can kneel and go through the motions and yet not be kneeling in spirit, truly having a humble heart.
I think the rich young ruler is an example of that. He showed outward respect but not an inner, genuine humility, since he was not able to accept Jesus' words.
I pray while sitting, standing, walking, lying prostrate and also kneeling. Yet I do find that kneeling or prostrating myself before God does make a real difference in my attitude, my spirit toward God, humbling me before Him.
Love the Matthew Henry and Spurgeon quotes...
Thanks for this post!
It seems like a sign of submission. If you're into that, good for you.
I strongly believe that being on your knees shows ultimate respect and reverence to God. I had always prayed on my knees, but I seen that some people pray while laying in bed or sitting on it with head down, and hands clasped, so I decided to try it. The one sitting on the bed was okay, I could dig that, and still do sometimes, but one day I tried the laying in bed thing, and ...I don't know why, but it just felt so weird. Even in my most tired times I tried doing that, but wound up getting right back on my knees! Then Again...I have been doing that since I was a little girl so it could be a religious thing, b/c God hears you everytime you speak. So I just choose the knees, it feels more comfortable to me. :)
i don't kneel. i usually pray while i'm driving or when i'm laying in bed right before i go to sleep.
Good post
I don't usually....although I'm not against that
Kneeling to pray is a primitive ritual associated with the cult called Christianity. It is akin to other tribal rituals where they paint their faces and break open gourds and dance in circles and whatnot. It's all done to please their mythical Gods.
@memo2662 - "It seems like a sign of submission."
You're right. A person too proud to kneel would not make a very good Christian, or person, for that matter.
There is a beauty in praying which is even more special when done kneeling.
I kneel when I pray.
For me, personally, it's a way of physically humbling myself before God, and opening myself emotionally--I feel more vulnerable when I kneel, and it just feels more...homey, I guess.
Occasionally. Or I'll lie down or whatever.
Kneeling = humility. Playing off the whole high/exalted and low/humble thing.
The Hebrew word translated worship means to bow down/prostrate oneself.
I kneel or squat or bow or kneel with my face on the floor 95% of the time.... it helps me to focus on just me and God and I like humbling myself... I think that it is pleasing to God. I do however pray standing if I am doing something and need to pray RIGHT then.
I hardly ever do it when I pray
In our services (Reformed Presbyterian), we always stand to pray. I asked my pastor about that once. We have warrant to sit, stand, or kneel during since there are examples from Scripture of the OT church and NT church doing that (Ps. 95 and others).
I also have a knee condition, but I choose to kneel anyways. It's a humbling submission to God. It shows respect and awe. It also helps me to focus my thoughts and to pray with my body, mind, and heart. Finally, I unite my physical pain with that of Christ, particularly when I kneel before the Eucharist.
Over all...I really find that God draws me to my knees quite frequently.
I always kneel when I pray. We do at school and at Mass at church and I do at home except when we say a blessing before meals. That is probably the only exception. We kneel to pray for the same reason that we genuflect when we enter church, or approach the alter. It is a sign of reverence in God's home and in the case of the Eucharist, reverence before the presence of Christ.
@mini_mayfield@xanga - Yawn.
As human beings, we are both body and soul. The posture of our body often reflects our intentions.
At Holy Mass, (and other liturgies and prayer services) we kneel for various reasons, stand for others, and sit for others. For corporate prayer as a worshipping, petitioning body, we stand. But when it comes time for the Eucharist... we kneel. The King of the Universe, Lord of All Creation is about to enter into our midst... and thus we kneel in worship, adoration and humblest respect.
One day, at the name of Jesus, we all, above the earth, on the earth, and under the earth, shall all kneel, wheter we claim Jesus as our Savior or not. I choose to claim Him, and to kneel and adore my King now.
I also agree that I pray many times walking, commuting or sitting. However, I feel that there is something so very unifying with God when I kneel. It's a way for me to completely focus, and show my respect. =)