Why I Never Pray on My Knees

I’ve been pondering knees lately.  My knees, my husband’s knees,  even the “bees knees” (whatever that old expression means).

I’m not exactly sure why knees are on my mind.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much football and all those kneel-downs before the game or as time runs out (like THE Ohio State Buckeyes did on their way to winning the College Football Championship last week–oops, how did that get in here?)

Our posture–whether standing, sitting or kneeling–often can reveal the intentions of our heart.

Many years ago I heard a humorous story about a little girl who was reprimanded at school for repeatedly standing up in class. Her teacher insisted she must sit down, which the girl finally did, while loudly muttering “I’m still standing up on the inside!”

Kneeling can symbolize many attitudes–surrender, reverence, repentance, humility. Desperate prayers of weary folks often are voiced on bended knees.

Image by Yvonne Huijbens from Pixabay

The New Testament doesn’t command kneeling, but does mention many examples of it.

Servants falling on their knees begging for mercy.
A kneeling mother asking Jesus to favor her two sons.
A rich young ruler on his knees inquiring how to inherit eternal life.
A gratefully kneeling, no-longer-hemorrhaging woman.
The Apostle Paul on bended knee, crying out for a blessing on God’s people.
Peter kneeling in prayer petitioning God to heal a little girl.
Jesus refusing to kneel down and worship Satan.

Kneeling days are long gone for my 78-year-old husband and me. He’s had three knee replacements (not a typo–one had to be done twice because of an infection) and can’t put full weight on all that metal, ceramic and  plastic.

Thankfully, I haven’t had to have any knees replaced–nor do my 71-year-old knees hurt–but for the past several years I’ve had an issue with my psoas muscle (yeah, I never heard of it either). Despite spending a couple thousand dollars on imaging, physical therapy and chiropractic, I cannot go down on my knees without causing severe lower abdominal pain which lasts for days.

I still bow my head and my heart in thankfulness to start and end each day, but now you know why I never pray on my knees. 

Perhaps you do literally pray on your knees. Or maybe you’re like my husband and me and physically unable to. Or you don’t go down because you know you can’t get back up!

Take heart, a new day is coming when our hearts and knees will be bowed:

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

In the meantime, I’ll be sitting down as I surrender myself to the Lord. And I’ll stay seated while I cry out for His grace, mercy and healing on friends, family and weary folks around the globe whom I don’t even know.

But I can tell you that even if I’m sitting down…on the inside I’m still kneeling.
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Open in your browser to hear the song “Fight on My Knees” by Evan Croft.