There was a desire that rose up in my heart today to do something that I haven’t done in a long time. It is something that is usually done in a quiet place. It is a position that is sometimes accompanied by tears. It is a posture that is equated with humility and surrender.

It is praying on my knees.

I confess, I haven’t been there in a while. My knees have not felt the carpet and my soul has not bent down in surrender to my Lord. Tears of joy and love have not coursed down my cheeks, and the words “Thy will be done” have not been uttered. I haven’t not positioned myself in humility in the presence of my God.

Today I am hearing Holy Spirit whisper: “Why have you not been on your knees?”

Why pray on your knees? It isn’t as comfortable as sitting on a cushy couch or laying in your bed or reclining in your stress-less lounger on your back porch. Depending on your age, it can be hard to get down to the floor and even harder to get back up, because gravity isn’t helping but it’s fighting against you. And if you are on your knees for a while, you feet fall asleep and tingle and ache.

The truth is that floor is hard and cold and not a comfortable place to be.  Are you familiar with these sensations? And if not, why not?

“Why have you not been on your knees?”

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:5

Being on your knees or on your face before God is a position of humility. The word humble means “to be made low.” When you bow down and are made low before God, your pride bows as well. You physically acknowledge how big God is and how little you are. You surrender the direction of your life to His divine plan. You hand over control of your life to your creator.

We find Solomon kneeling in prayer in 1 Kings 8:54:

“When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven.”

And even Jesus, the Son of God, knelt in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:

 …He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:41-42

“Why have you not been on your knees?”

Holy Spirit is asking me why I haven’t been on my knees, and here is my honest answer:

I haven’t been on my knees lately because I have wanted little to do with God. I haven’t wanted to hear God speak because I don’t want to obey. I haven’t wanted to witness or pray for others or be bold or be anything. I’ve just wanted to do my own thing and to be in control of my life.  I want what I want and when I want it.  I’ve wanted to do what is comfy and safe and easy and what will not lead to me being hurt.

I’ve been sitting on the throne of my life in place of God. But today I feel a longing to get on my knees. Even if I have no words to say, I can just get down there and sit. My souls feels the faint tug to surrender…to relinquish control…to once again acknowledge that it’s not all about me, but about Him and His plan for all to be saved.

Do you feel the tug to be on your knees?

I had an elderly neighbor, Ms. Ivy, who impacted my life in the few years that I knew her. She lived alone in her early 90s and she had all of the aches and pains that you would expect a 90 year old to have. She did not move quickly and she was no longer agile.

But she prayed on her knees. Every day.

If she could, why can’t we? Can we take just a moment to physically acknowledge the greatness of our God and to surrender our day to Him? Can we kneel down, for just 30 seconds, to allow our soul to bend down low before Him?

We can, and friends, we should.  I encourage you to ask yourself, like I am asking myself,

“Why have I not been on my knees?”

And then,
get down low
before Him
so that you can answer that question
with these simple words,

“I have.”

I’m starting today.

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