The Bible has a lot to say about the posture of prayer, specifically bowing and kneeling. Though prayer can take place in any posture, Scripture emphasizes bowing and kneeling as acts of reverence, humility, and submission before God. Let’s explore some key biblical passages on this topic:
Examples of Bowing and Kneeling in Prayer
There are many examples in the Bible of godly men and women bowing or kneeling when they pray. Here are a few:
- Abraham bowed himself to the earth as he prayed before the Lord (Genesis 18:1-2).
- Moses bowed his head and worshipped when he prayed after leaving Pharaoh’s presence (Exodus 4:31).
- Solomon knelt before the altar and spread his hands out toward heaven as he prayed to dedicate the temple (1 Kings 8:54).
- Ezra fell upon his knees and spread out his hands to the Lord as he prayed in confession for the sins of the people (Ezra 9:5).
- Daniel knelt down on his knees three times a day to pray and give thanks before God (Daniel 6:10).
- Jesus bowed His face to the ground as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).
- Stephen knelt down and prayed as he was being stoned, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).
- Peter knelt down and prayed before raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40).
- Paul knelt down and prayed with the Ephesian elders before leaving them (Acts 20:36).
These examples showcase believers who were expressing devotion, humility, and reverence before God through the posture of bowing and kneeling.
Bowing as an Act of Reverence and Humility
In Scripture, bowing down is frequently associated with reverence, worship, and humility. Here are some verses that connect bowing with reverence for God:
- “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6)
- “Bow down to the Lord, all you descendants of Israel!” (Psalm 22:27)
- “Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; holy is He.” (Psalm 99:5,9)
- “Kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6)
Bowing down is a way for us as humans to physically demonstrate humility and honor before our holy, exalted God. It accompanies worship and prayer as a posture that aligns our hearts with God’s greatness.
Kneeling as Submission and Dependence
Kneeling in prayer is often associated in Scripture with submission, need, and dependence on God. Consider these examples:
- “Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:14)
- “When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.” (1 Kings 8:54)
- “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb” (Revelation 5:8)
Kneeling or falling down in Scripture often accompanies cries for help, confessions of sin, pleas for mercy, and expressions of desperation. It is a way for God’s people to demonstrate their dependence on Him.
Bowing and Kneeling Encouraged but Not Required
While the Bible contains many examples of godly men and women bowing and kneeling in prayer, Scripture does not command that believers must pray in these postures. 1 Kings 8:54 notes that Solomon arose from kneeling to stand and bless the people. Psalm 95:6 parallels kneeling and standing together when it says, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker!” This indicates that bowing and kneeling are appropriate expressions during prayer and worship but not rigid requirements.
The Bible records people praying in many different positions – standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, looking upward, lifting or spreading hands, and even lying prostrate. The posture of prayer is far less important than the heart attitude of reverence, humility, and devotion to God.
Bowing and Kneeling as Outward Signs of Inward Realities
While necessary spiritual attitudes matter more than physical postures, our postures can at times reflect and shape our hearts. Bowing down and kneeling in prayer can be helpful outward signs of the inward submission, reverence, and humility that ought to characterize our relationship with God. As physical beings, symbolic postures like kneeling can align our bodies with spiritual realities and strengthen our awareness of God’s grandeur.
Here are a few verses that emphasize this connection:
- “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6)
- “But You are holy, O You who inhabit the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
- “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” (1 Peter 5:6)
Bowing and kneeling demonstrate an inward humbling of ourselves before the majesty of God. These postures align our bodies with the humility, reverence, and submission that should mark our hearts as we approach our Maker.
Cautions Regarding Bowing and Kneeling
While bowing and kneeling can reflect positive spiritual postures, the Bible also contains cautions about them:
- Bowing down can symbolize idolatry (Exodus 20:5). Our hearts must be guarded against false worship.
- Outward bowing and kneeling mean nothing without genuine inward humility and devotion (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 6:5).
- We are not to bow down in worship to any created thing, angelic being, saint, or other person (Revelation 19:10).Worship is to be directed to God alone.
The prophets and Jesus strongly warn against empty external religious practices that are not accompanied by repentance, obedience, and spiritual reality. Bowing and kneeling should reflect genuine reverence and humility, not empty ritual or outward appearance.
Freedom Regarding Posture
While Scripture encourages appropriate use of bowing and kneeling, God also grants freedom in prayer postures. Standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, lying prostrate, and other positions are all represented. The tax collector stood to pray, yet Jesus affirmed his prayer (Luke 18:9-14). Paul writes that praying with hands uplifted serves as a sign of unity and blessing (1 Timothy 2:8).
The Bible does not prescribe required postures or outlaw others. This freedom allows people to pray according to ability, custom, and appropriateness to the situation. What matters most is that prayer comes from a spirit of dependence, humility, and devotion – postures of the heart that may find expression through physical postures.
Bowing and Kneeling Bring Blessing When Done with Godly Motives
Though not rigidly commanded, bowing and kneeling in prayer please the Lord and bring blessing when practiced with godly motives. Scripture connects blessing with kneeling in passages like these:
- “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, who keeps our soul among the living, and does not allow our feet to be moved.” (Psalm 66:7-8)
- “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” (Ephesians 3:14-15)
Bowing the knee and prostrating oneself in prayer are portrayed as marks of devotion that bring delight to God’s heart when done in sincerity. Along with other prayer postures, they are appropriate physical expressions of honor and submission to God.
Jesus: Our Model in Posture
As in all areas of life and faith, Jesus Himself demonstrates what it means to pray with godly postures. We see this in passages like these:
- “And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray.” (Luke 22:39-41)
- “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.” (Mark 14:32-35)
Jesus prayed with reverent postures that aligned with his life of perfect submission to the Father. He knelt, fell prostrate, and anguished in prayer. As the perfect Son of God, Jesus models ideal prayer that involves our entire being – spirit, emotions, mind, and body. The way we pray matters, but our heart condition matters most as we follow Christ’s example.
New Testament Silence on Required Posture
Interestingly, the New Testament contains little instruction regarding required physical posture in prayer. Jesus condemned those who prayed loudly on street corners to gain admiration (Matthew 6:5). But other than this, the Epistles contain minimal reference to specific prayer postures.
The relative silence of the New Testament on posture may emphasize that ritual is inferior to inward relationship with God. Our posture is far less important than whether we approach God with humility and faith, through the access granted by Jesus Christ.
The freedom and simplicity of worship “in spirit and in truth” replaces Old Testament ceremonial laws and rituals. With the veil torn and the Holy of Holies accessible through Christ, New Testament believers draw near to God directly and freely, not based on ritual.
Bowing and Kneeling in Revelation
The book of Revelation provides some additional perspective on bowing. It depicts heavenly beings and elders kneeling and prostrating before God’s throne (Revelation 4:10, 5:14). This models submission appropriate for created beings in God’s presence. Revelation also warns against worshiping the beast by bowing to his image (Revelation 13:15).
Overall, Revelation affirms that true worship centers on God alone. Created beings bow before Him, but God alone is worthy of the worship and devotion symbolized through postures like bowing and kneeling.
Conclusion: The Posture of Worship Aligns Our Hearts
In summary, Scripture shows bowing and kneeling as appropriate prayer postures that can reflect and strengthen reverence, dependence, and submission to God. As physical beings, symbolic postures like kneeling humble our bodies before the One before whom every knee will eventually bow (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). Yet the freedom of worship in the New Testament also demonstrates that God desires devotion far more than ritual.
Bowing, kneeling, standing, sitting, lifting hands, and other postures all have their place. Most importantly, our hearts must be bowed low, our knees bent in dependence, showing honor and awe for the King of Kings. More than outward positioning, God desires us to “worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29) with our whole beings.