Do We Have to Kneel to Pray?

Does it matter what we do with our bodies when we pray? Yes! And No. How can both answers be true? First, the “No” answer: we can pray no matter what we are doing. If you are riding your bike and you want to ask God to help you not be afraid of bullies, you don’t have to kneel down or close your eyes. You can keep on pedaling and you had better keep your eyes open! God will still hear you. Now for the “Yes” answer. Closing our eyes and bowing our head (and other things like folding our hands and kneeling) are all ways to show we respect God. We can respect God by getting rid of distractions while we pray and by showing with our body that we are humble before God. In the Bible, God’s people showed humility in prayer sometimes by standing and sometimes by lying down with their face in the dirt! Our hands can also help show whether we are asking, waiting, or praising God. What we do with our bodies while we are praying can say a lot!