Adopting Proper Postures in Prayer

The Holy Mass presents the Catholic faithful the opportunity to pray with others as we participate in this high form of communal prayer. This divine worship is a communal celebration in which we take part in an ongoing dialogue. During the Mass we take different postures like standing, sitting, kneeling down, and in special cases, lying prone.

We also make use of liturgical signs and gestures throughout the Holy Mass. All these become an intrinsic part of the rite, as each body or hand position says something different. My desire is to take all this into my private prayer, to help me go deeper in my conversations with God.

I pray that my prayer in secret with the Father will intensify my relationship with Him, and be evident in my prayer with others. I understand that my faith is always personal, but never private. My faith should always spark the faith of someone else. Thus, when I come into the community, having already been nourished by God in private, I should bring that same fire into other people’s lives.

Praying Anytime and Anywhere

As a Christian, I know that I can pray to my Heavenly Father at any time, anywhere. I also know that He hears me always. For the Christian, prayer is being in conversation with God. This is where I seek fellowship with Him in hope that He gives that fellowship to me. This is when I admit not knowing what to do about my situations, and yet be willing to just sit before Him in silence and wait for Him to speak life into my living.

I do appreciate that I don’t always hear something from Him right then and there, but I nonetheless remain open to hearing from Him. Then somehow and someway, whether it be in a Scripture that I read, or in a word from a friend, or directly by Him sooner than later, He reveals the answers to me. So, when I enter into His presence beyond the veil that He tore for us, I don’t just talk at Him. No, I enter into fellowship with Him.

A Proper Prayer Posture?

I do appreciate that a proper prayer posture is not about the position of my body. It is about the status of my heart and my spirit. If I am humble in spirit, I come to Him in humility. As the Psalmist so aptly states,

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:17 ).

I realize that the Lord God does not delight in sacrifice; neither does He take pleasure in burnt offering. It is clear that more than any other, God desires brokenness over my own sin. The first step that I take in reconciliation with God is to agree with Him on how bad my sin is. That daily examen which I conveniently forget to undertake is supposed to guide me in this. When I do it, having invited the Holy Spirit to reveal all my faults, I shall not try to justify, or make excuses, or rationalize the evil of my own heart. I must face it and come to repentance as the doorway to the freedom that I am searching for.

Although I may feel remorseful and come to regret, these are not sufficient substitutes for true and sincere repentance. I must learn from Esau, who even afterward could not inherit the blessing and remain rejected because he found no place for repentance in his heart, despite seeking for it with tears (cf. Hebrews 12:17). The Old Testament records times when the Lord is reported to be tired of hypocritical sacrifices and refused to accept them (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8, and Isaiah 1:11-17). The people were instead summoned to have a personal relationship with God so that the Lord God would cleanse their sin. Thus, when I come into personal prayer, I will employ the main body postures already in use at the Mass, like standing, kneeling, sitting, and even lying prostrate.

On My Knees

This is how I express devotion, humility, adoration, and recognition. I must recognize my human unworthiness, but still, appeal to God’s divine mercy and totally submit to His will.

For this reason, I bend my knees before the Father (Ephesians 3:14). 

In penitence, I will kneel as this serves as the principal gesture of reverence. I will take up the invite to come to bow down in worship and kneel before the Lord our Maker. And confess that He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand (cf. Psalm 95:6).

On my Bed

Without expecting or pretending to have a deep and long prayer when I get too comfortable, I may many times pray while lying down. But I am taking the cue from King David…

Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still (Psalm 4:4).

If I curl up and cover myself into a toasty and warm bundle, it is unlikely that this praying will end with an “Amen!” Nonetheless, I want first to be gently caressed and cared for as I speak my heart to the Lord. So, I might start off talking to Him plainly but then even as I am not able to finish praying a Hail Mary, I will enjoy a wonderful rest, falling asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus.

Praying Out Loud

Psalm 34:6 speaks of this poor man who cried (out loud) and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. There are occasions when I nod off while praying silently, or when I climb into bed and pray till I fall asleep. But when I pray out loud, I rarely succumb. Praying out loud focuses my mind and heart on what I am saying. And my voice in turn reinforces my thoughts and prevents distractions. So, like David wrote…

I cry out with my voice to the Lord; With my voice, I implore the Lord for compassion (Psalm 142:1).

There are some thoughts and emotions that are almost negating to silent prayer. These just have to be spoken or even shouted out. Feelings of joy, rage, confessions, and confusion are best expressed and emphasized when the vocal cords and the tongue join with mind and heart in the act of praying out loud. When thoughts are combined with words, they form memories. Praying out loud helps me to remember the things and the people I need to pray for. When I feel overcome with disappointment and discouragement, I remember that…

My help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth (cf. Psalm 124:8).

I pray those words repetitively, both softly and loudly until I find myself believing them. Praying aloud, and especially praying with Scripture, revives and increases the faith of the person who is praying. We know that it is unhealthy to hold in our emotions. Sometimes praying silently just doesn’t give full expression to what we are feeling. Praying aloud relieves our burdens and releases our emotions in healthy ways. Remember how David sang,

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer (Psalm 32:3-4).

Silent Prayer

I understand that I do not pray silently because I am embarrassed to be heard praying. But there are some circumstances where silent prayer is most appropriate. For example, when I pray for something that needs to stay between myself and God only, or when I pray for someone who is present. Also, when I want to be attentive or to contemplate, I will sit silently in His Presence (cf. King David in 2 Samuel 7:18).

A good example in the Bible of silent prayer is in Hannah’s inaudible petition (cf. 1 Samuel 1:10, 13). We know that Hannah’s prayer was answered. I believe the Lord hears our thoughts just as easily as He hears our words. So, I am not afraid to ask Him to search me and know my heart; to put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts (cf. Psalm 139:23).

Then I can ask Him like Prophet Jeremiah to take care of my enemies. For He knows me and sees me; He examines my heart’s attitude toward Him (cf. Jeremiah 12:3). The Lord Jesus demonstrated this when He rebuked the Pharisees (cf. Matthew 12:24-26 &  Luke 11:17). There is nothing that I do, say, or think, which is hidden from God. He does not need to hear my words so as to know my thoughts. He has access to all prayers that are directed to Him, whether they are spoken or not.

With Hands Lifted

I will keep this portion short because I would like to write a bit more on this posture at a later time. Nonetheless, I will lift my hands when I pray and praise because the Bible shows me clearly why:

• So, I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name (Psalm 63:4).
• Hear the sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help, when I raise my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (Psalm 28:2).
• My eye grows dim from misery;I have called upon You every day, Lord;I have spread out my hands to You (Psalm 88:9).
• And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; and I will meditate on Your statutes (Psalm 119:48).
• Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord (Psalm 134:2).
• Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me! Listen to my voice when I call to You! May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the raising of my hands as the evening offering. (Psalm 141:1-2).
• We raise our hearts and hands toward God in heaven (Lamentations 3:41).

In so doing, I emulate many who have gone before me – King Solomon (cf. 2 Chronicles 6:12-13), Ezra’s prayer of confession on behalf of the nation (cf. Ezra 9:5), and St. Paul’s exaltation (1 Timothy 2:8).

With Eyes Open

I am not sure that there is a mention in the Bible about praying with eyes closed. And there are times when it may be best to pray with eyes (wide) open. Like when I go prayer walking, I need to keep my eyes open to avoid bodily injury. During praise and worship, prayer seems richer with eyes open. When speaking a blessing on someone. When praying anonymously for a stranger on a bus or a passer-by in a garden. When witnessing suffering or injustice as we pray. And anytime that I want to make my prayers more pointed and powerful. I am certain, knowing that I will be taking the cue from the Lord Jesus,

Jesus spoke these things, and raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You” (John 17:1).

With Head Bowed

Bowing is representative of a show of reverence. We find it first when Abraham sees the three heavenly visitors and recognizes that they represent God, he bows to the ground in welcome (cf. Genesis 18:2). Bowing and kneeling have long been associated with worship and reverence (cf. 2 Chronicles 6:13, Psalm 138:2 & Daniel 6:10).

Prostrate

This is rarely used in daily or weekly Mass. But on special occasions like Ordination or at the Good Friday Service, we see this. In the olden days, Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the Lord, and His glory overshadowed them (Numbers 20:6). And Ezekiel fell facedown in grief, crying out to the Lord, and the Lord answered him (Ezekiel 11:13–14). The Lord Jesus, at the time of His agony in the garden,

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will”(Matthew 26:39).

Standing

The Levites were to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and to do the same in the evening (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:30). As for me, to demonstrate my confidence in God’s love for me and in my place in His adoptive family, I will stand before Him. And I will approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that I may obtain mercy and find grace for help at the time of my need (cf. Hebrews 4:16).

In a Nutshell

I know that I can never tell God what to do, but I do have direct access to Him. In my quest to pray unceasingly, I must find a way to be in a constant state of God-consciousness. Here I will take every thought captive to obedience to Him (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:5) and bring every situation, plan, fear, or concern before His throne. Therefore, my spoken whispered, shouted, sung, and silent prayer will be made kneeling, sitting, standing, lying down, with hands open, folded or lifted up, with eyes closed or open,..in whatever posture that the Holy Spirit will direct me in as much as I remain reverent to the Lord.