Bend and Lift

Do you know the proper way to lift weighty objects from the floor? To protect your back, you should “bend and lift”. A squatting or kneeling posture puts you in a position to use your leg muscles to bear the weight and to keep your back straight, preventing undue and injurious strain.

Our choir recently presented a lovely musical selection, “Bow The Knee”. The lyrics told of struggles which confront us, and that such situations should cause us to “bow the knee” in prayer. Now we know it’s not really important to get down on our knees to pray…or is it? Certainly, God hears prayers from us while we are standing, sitting, walking, driving, or tending to daily activities. But there is something about getting on our knees, and bowing before God’s holy presence. The bodily posture of kneeling portrays our inner being - our will - bowing in humble surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Sometimes that position is needed to break our stubborn self-sufficiency as we newly relinquish the control of our lives to Him.

“Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there.
Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him…”
Mark 5:22-23

This is just one scriptural reference that depicts people kneeling or even prostrating themselves before the Lord. A thoughtful study of such passages shows this to be the norm, not an occasional happening. And on a future day, according to Philippians 2:9-11, every person who has ever lived will bow before the One whom God has exalted “to the highest place”. Since that is the case, now is a good time to get in practice! So if you aren’t accustomed to kneeling, and can physically do so, give it a try, and see how it affects your prayer life. May you be blessed as you “bend and lift” your prayers to the Lord.

Scriptures for further study: Daniel 6:10, Luke 17:11-19, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, James 4:6-10,
Psalm 95:6-7