What a comfort and blessing it is to be able to talk to an “authority” when we have a question. We gain insights and get to hone our knowledge or understanding of a subject. If we think having an earthly being help us is a blessing, how much a greater blessing to have the ability to talk with the absolute authority – God, the Almighty, our heavenly Father! God knew that weak humans needed divine guidance and so He provided the avenue of prayer Jeremiah 10:23). Not only did our Father give us the avenue of prayer but He wrote a book in which we have examples of prayers from godly men and women who have lived on this earth and experienced many of the same situations we face. In the preface of All the Prayers of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer the writer says there are no fewer than 650 prayers recorded in the Bible with 450 of them receiving an answer. That is amazing! As I read through that book, I would say that some passages they call “prayer” may not be what we would think of as a prayer, but one should still be amazed at the number of prayers that are recorded.
The Bible never officially defines a prayer, but it is usually described as a conversation one has with God. This definition is faulty in that prayer is not actually a conversation because a “conversation” usually consists of two or more people talking to each other. Today, one may talk to God, but God does not talk to us in an audible voice. He speaks to us through His word (Hebrews 1:1-3). Our prayers are “one-sided” conversations where we pour out the thoughts of our hearts to God. Volumes could be and have been written about prayer but below are a few thoughts on this grand subject.
First, prayers should be address to the Father through our mediator, Jesus. When Jesus trained His disciples how to pray, He began by teaching them to say, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2). When the Son of God put on human flesh, He became the “God-man.” That made Him the perfect mediator. Since He is God, He understands situations from God’s perspective; Since He is man, He understands situations from the human perspective. Thus, Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). This is why the one leading the prayer expresses the idea that his thoughts are “through Jesus.”
Second, prayer should be spoken in one’s normal language and tone. That is what men and women did in the Bible. There is no special “language” in which one must approach God. There are no particular words that have to be used. We need to speak to Him just as we would speak to anyone. It is so refreshing and inspiring to hear “new converts” talk to God in their simple language. Sometimes the longer we have been Christians, the more “canned” our prayer become. We ought to pour out our heart’s concerns in our own language.
Third, there is no particular body position which we must have in order to talk to God. As I was growing up, everyone knelt when leading a public prayer. That was great! That is still great, but there is no command from God as to what one’s body position must be when prayer is offered whether public or private. I don’t know that I have found all the various body positions of people in the Bible when they prayed, but here are the ones I have found: (1) Bowed low with their faces to the ground (Exodus 4:31; Nehemiah 8:6,) (2) Lying down (2 Samuel 12:16), (3) Stood with hands raised, (I Kings 8:22), (4) Spreading hands toward Jerusalem (I Kings 8:38), (5) Facing a wall – while lying on one’s bed (2 Kings 20:2), (6) Lifting one’s hands (Nehemiah 8:6), (7) Standing, (Nehemiah 9:3), (8) Kneeling (Daniel 6:10; Ephesians 3:14; Acts 7:55-60), (9) Prostrate (Matthew 26:39), (10) Reclined at the table [Sitting] (Luke 22:14-17), and (11) Looking upward – maybe standing (John 17:1)
One might ask, “Do I have to close my eyes?” I agree with Mitch Simpson who wrote, “In searching the Scriptures, I have not found anyone who is said to have shut his/her eyes to pray. Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven when He prayed, and the publican in Jesus’ parable was too humbled to raise his eyes, but none are said to close their eyes (John 17:1; Luke 18:13). There is nothing wrong with closing one’s eyes in prayer as far as I know. It can aid in concentration, to shut out the sights of the world around you” (What the Bible Says about Prayer, p. 325).
Conclusion
From these few thoughts let’s learn that one does not have to have a special language or body position to approach our Heavenly Father. We just need to express our thoughts in our own language as respectful as we can be because we are approaching the creator of the universe and the One in whose image we have been created (Genesis 1:26).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6
Wayne Burger