TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT
I Am a loving Father waiting for you to come converse with me. I miss you when we don’t talk. No matter your posture, come. I will listen whether you’re standing or sitting, running or walking. I hear you.
MADLY IN LOVE
Some believe there is only one position for prayer, head bowed, eyes closed, sitting still. I beg to differ. I got saved when I was 19 and I had no idea how to talk to God, so I just approached Him like I was talking to my earthly father.
When I was a little boy, I approached my daddy by looking up and reaching up. I still find myself doing that today. For some reason, I’ve always equated looking up to heaven as being expectant and it just feels right for my relationship with Abba.
Christ himself prayed in several different positions. Standing was common. It’s easy to dismiss that but He stands in several places. He doesn’t stop what He’s doing and take a different stance. His prayer is an extension of what’s going on. Case in point:
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed…” – John 17:1
Jesus prayed in the typical Jewish manner, looking up to heaven with His arms raised. Paul refers to this in 1 Timothy.
“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hand in prayer…” – 1 Timothy 2:8
Now, there’s no mandate saying that’s the only way you can pray, but Church culture is sometimes not Kingdom culture. We should have been taught this because it’s in the Bible, it is normal Kingdom stuff. Amen.
Somehow, a cookie cutter bow-your-head-close-your-eyes and fold-your-hands formula has crept into the church. While it’s reverent, it’s not very relational. What do you think God is happier with – your reverence or your openness? I can tell you, God loves relationship and everything in the Kingdom is relational before it’s functional.
Can we just dive all the way in, be madly in love with Jesus and say yes to the Lord? Approach God in the way that opens conversation and has meaning to you. Looking up might be for glory, looking down might be for submission and humility. Standing while looking up might show confidence in Papa while laying prostrate might show humility or desperation.
Regardless of how you stand or don’t stand, look up or look down, the point is pray! It’s all about falling madly in love with His presence.
“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.” – Psalms 34:15
FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – REVIVAL