Standing with hands clasped at the waist, head bowed, and eyes averted or closed.
This is the traditional posture of a shackled prisoner of war who is brought before the conquering king. The hands are clasped at the waist as if they were shackled in chains. The eyes are averted—in ancient times, since looking directly at one’s captor was insolent and a good way to get killed on the spot. This posture is for submissive petitions or for intercessory or penitential prayer, as we see in Luke 18:10-13.
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I want to thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
Prayer:
This is your day GOD
I will use it to honor you
I will stand here and inhale your air
I will feel the sunlight and the wind on my face
I will sing your songs
I will praise your name
I will remember you in all things GOD
When the sun goes down today I will remember you
I will thank you for the gift of living another week
I will thank you for getting me through the last one
Thank you for my family and my friends
Thank you for your patience
Thank you for the faith you put in me even when I let you down
Thank you for your kindness
Thank you for your peace that is beyond my understanding
Thank you for your forgiveness
Thank you for the Joy that You’ve given me
Thank you for your love GOD
I am your servant
Amen
4 comments:
Thanks for this prayer. Simple, humble, clear. I appreciate the encouragements to my prayer life that these thots on posture have brought.
That was really cool. It never occured to me that was actually a prayer posture. Now I can be conscious of that when I pray.
Hi Soulpastor, Could you let me know what posture we'll be practicing next Sunday so I can decide if I'm coming or not??!? Just kidding... actually I think this is awesome. I had never known why folding our hands and closing (or averting) our eyes was taught to me growing up. This brings meaning to it, and a reason to teach my kids to do that as well. I had actually dismissed that posture a few months ago when my kids asked my why we should pray like that. I couldn't think of a better reason than "Because I told you so", which is a good reason for kids to obey, of course, but I wanted to have an actual reason and I lacked it. Thanks for the good teaching... it's bringing life and meaning to traditions that appeared lifeless and hollow.
Stephanie
AWESOME!
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