Prayer Posture: Lying Down or Standing Up
Biblical texts and Christian tradition describe various physical postures for prayer, reflecting different aspects of reverence, humility, and earnestness. While prayer is fundamentally an "intercourse of the soul with God" [1], the physical stance can be an outward expression of inward devotion.
One common posture is kneeling. The Psalms instruct, "Come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our maker" [2]. This act signifies humility and submission [8]. The Apostle Paul also describes prayer as "bowing the knees" in Ephesians 3:14 [1, 7]. Adam Clarke notes that kneeling is the "proper posture of a supplicant," embodying both humility and submission [8].
Prostration, where the body is fully extended with the forehead touching the ground, is another posture found in scripture. This was a common form of adoration in ancient Near Eastern cultures and was used in the worship of Jehovah [5]. John Gill, commenting on Mark 14:34, notes that Jesus "fell on the ground, and prayed," which was a recognized praying posture in Jewish tradition [9]. This posture is described as stretching out hands and feet until one is "cast upon his face to the ground" [9].
Standing is also presented as a posture for prayer. The Pharisee in Luke 18:11 is described as standing while he prayed [10]. While Jesus criticized hypocrites who loved to pray standing in public places "that they may be seen of men," standing itself was an ancient and accepted practice for prayer in both Jewish and early Christian traditions [11]. The Lord is also depicted as standing to plead and judge in Isaiah 3:13 [6].
Lying down is another posture mentioned in scripture. Samuel was instructed by Eli, "Go and lie down... and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place" [3]. Psalm 4:4 also suggests communing with God "upon your bed, and be still" [4]. This indicates that prayer can occur in moments of rest or quiet reflection.
Other descriptions of prayer in scripture focus on internal disposition rather than external posture. These include "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:15), "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5), "drawing near to God" (Psalm 73:28), "lifting up the soul" (Psalm 25:1), and "lifting up the heart" (Lamentations 3:41) [1, 7]. These emphasize the spiritual nature of prayer, regardless of the physical stance. The variety of postures demonstrates that while physical expression can accompany prayer, the core act is direct address and intercourse with God [1].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- Psalms “Psalms 95:6 (Geneva1599) — Come, let vs worship and fall downe, and kneele before the Lord our maker.”
- I Samuel “I Samuel 3:9 (BSB) — “Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
- Psalms “Psalms 4:4 (Webster) — Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Adoration — The acts and postures by which the Hebrews expressed adoration bear a great similarity to those still in use among Oriental nations. To rise up and suddenly prostrate the body was the most simple method; but, generally speaking, the prostration was conducted in a more formal manner, the person falling upon the knee and then gradually inclining the body until the forehead touched the ground. Such prostration was usual in the worship of Jehovah, (Genesis 17:3; Psalms 95:6) it was the formal mode of receiving visitors, (Genesis 18:2) of doing obeisance to one”
- Isaiah “Isaiah 3:13 (Geneva1599) — The Lord standeth vp to pleade, yea, hee standeth to iudge the people.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 20:36: He kneeled down and prayed - Kneeling is the proper posture of a supplicant, it argues at once both humility and submission; and he who prays to God should endeavor to feel the utmost measures of both.”
- Mark (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Mark 14:34: And he went forward a little,.... About a stone's cast, Luk 22:41, and fell on the ground, and prayed; he fell on his face to the ground, which was a praying posture. One of the Jewish canons concerning it, is this (a): "worshipping, how is it done? after a man has lifted up his head; he bows it five times, he sits upon the ground, and "falls upon his face", "to the ground", and supplicates with whatsoever supplication he pleases: worshipping, or bowing, is the stretching out of hands and feet, until a man is found cast upon his face to the ground.'' See Gill on ”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 18:11: The Pharisee stood,.... Standing was a praying posture; See Gill on Mat 6:5 nor is this observed, as if it was something amiss: but the sense is, either that he stood in some place of eminence, that he might be seen of others; or he stood in a set, fixed posture, in a very grave and solemn manner, showing great devotion and seriousness; or he stood with great boldness and confidence: and prayed thus with himself; the phrase, "with himself", may be read either with the word "stood", as it is in the Syriac version; and then the sense is that he stood alone, apart from ”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 6:5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt--or, preferably, "when ye pray ye shall." not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets--(See on Mat 6:2). that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have, &c.--The standing posture in prayer was the ancient practice, alike in the Jewish and in the early Christian Church. But of course this conspicuous posture opened the way for the ostentatious.”