X

Positions of Prayer

I want us to begin a thrilling and open discussion of the “Positions of Praying”.

Now at first I know some may say the usual thing, “It doesn’t matter what position you are in what is important is the heart’! In one sense this it true but this does not close the matter. Over and over again the Bible takes the time to record the position of the person praying. Many times it is clear that the writer wants to make an important statement to this effect. Words are not idly dropped into the scripture.

Some of the most important information about a story of prayer in the Bible is the position the person was in when they prayed. For instance when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane He fell on His Face! This gives important information on the praying of Jesus.

I am going to take my time on this column and cover the subject comprehensively. You will be enriched and blessed in so many ways. You may share this with your prayer group or prayer ministry team. We will all study this together from the word of God and from our experiences. You may even want to have this as a Bible Study for your home group or Internet chat room.

As I will be covering this subject in the next several columns and you will have time to give some input.

You may e-mail me your thoughts and ideas on the subject of positions of prayer.

Please share with us your favorite position of prayer and why?

From the Bible what is the most often mentioned position of prayer?

What is the favorite position of prayer in your church or prayer group?

Please let me know if I can use your first name or full name. I will not be using your e-mail address.

Just click on the link and e-mail me.

I think many of you are going to be shocked and surprised with what you find out from this subject.

The most common position of prayer in most churches and groups is:

“Heads bowed and eyes closed”

Are these two positions ever mentioned together in the Bible as a position of prayer?

“Does the Bible ever speak of “folding of hands” in prayer?

Now I am doing something different in this column. I am opening it up for discussion and information.

I have done some web searching on the Internet and looked at my commentaries and found very little information on the subject. Together we can probe this subject and grow together.

I am going to date this column. I do not want someone a few months from now or a few years from now working and searching and then e-mailing me long after this discussion is finished. This is the week of August 8-15, 2004. I will be covering the subject, God willing, over the next few weeks.

Now as for me, Arthur Blessitt, I love to pray! As you may have noticed at the end of each week’s column and almost always under my signature when I write a letter or such I add Luke 18:1.

“Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that people ought always to

pray and not to faint.”

I pray anytime and anywhere. This is thrilling and awesome.

I pray as I walk carrying the cross. This gives me thousands of hours of prayer and conversations with Jesus.

Perhaps one of my most favorite places to pray is while walking with the cross around the world. As I have walked the roadsides of the world people come up and I stop and talk. Then the time comes to pray and the cross is the altar. The cross is like a portable church! I love it.

Much of my praying is also done in bed. I may awake in the night and for hours I pray and visit with God.

Some of my most profound times in prayer and revelations have been as I’m driving. I love to pray in the car or van or camper. A dear friend of mine evangelist Ricky Hobbs prays for me very time he crosses a certain bridge on his way home. This is almost daily.

You can pray anytime anywhere about anything.

So I pray walking, driving, sitting and laying down.

In 1981 Jesus spoke to me and told me to pray laying face down and He would speak to me and lead me. I am to become nothing and He is to become everything.

One of the most touching things in my life was when my wife Denise pointed out to me one day that the carpet in our bedroom was worn where I lay praying. Every night and every morning I lie on the floor and pray. Jesus speaks to me and I visit with Him as I lay on the floor. There is a darkened stain on the floor with the carpet matted and pressed down from my head and body lying on the floor. It is a physical mark of my prayer life that only I am only sharing with you now.

Wherever I am you can be sure I am in prayer. I pray in every position and in every place.

Most of all I want to learn what the Bible teaches and conform my life to His! Glory.

I am looking forward to your input. Please take the time to e-mail me and become a part of this study. I look forward to hearing from you. Tell your friends and let them join in this.

Next week I will get into the Bible and show you what it says about the positions of prayer.

Let’s look at kneeling, heads bowed, laying face down, standing, hands up, etc.

I will give you the scripture for every reference to every position of prayer in the entire Bible. Then you can read them and look at your life and let the Lord lead you.

Oh, I promise you, you will be surprised. I will give the ranking of every position of prayer in the Bible.

In 1991-92 I went through the entire Bible and wrote out every scripture to every position of prayer in the Bible. I have been waiting for the time to share this glorious understanding.

God bless you and please pray! Let the Lord teach you and teach me.

All glory to God.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1