CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: POSTURE IN PRAYER

 

I Kings 18:1, 41–45 NKJV

«[1] And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to

 Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send

 rain on the earth.”

[41] Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of

 abundance of rain.” [42] So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up

 to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face

 between his knees, [43] and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the

 sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times

 he said, “Go again.” [44] Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said,

 “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said,

 “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops

 you.’” [45] Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with

 clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to

 Jezreel.»

When you set yourself before the Lord to pray, what is your motive?

What level of faith do you come with?

Are you fulfilling a religious obligation? Or do you have an expectation?

The fundamental of prayer is the posture of your heart. That is what the

 giving of thanks does for you... It prepares and positions your heart to

 earnestly desire and effect a change.

You give thanks because you know God answers, and He hears you.

This gratitude births reverence, and this reverence affects your posture in

 prayer.

If you pray with your legs placed on your office desk, you are simply fulfilling

 a religious duty, and the angels assigned to receive your prayers would all

 wriggle their faces at you.

But, if you pray with your face flat on the floor, or buried between your

 knees, they'd touch your legs, your head, your shoulder, your arms, and

 they'd show you revelations.

If you pray with your hands stretched towards the heavens, you release

 power and dictatorship. You'd receive power, and impartation.

Howbeit, if you sit quietly before the Lord, not saying anything, you are

 acknowledging that He is sovereign, present, and all-knowing.

He doesn't need to be informed because He already knows. And what do the

 Scriptures say about this?

Isaiah 40:31 BSB

«[31] But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will

 mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will

 walk and not faint.»

To wait is to suspend and expect a word, a decree, a declaration.

This is one of the very first lessons the Israelites learned because they did not

 have the Holy Spirit (The Voice Of God) within them.

So they would wait on the Lord through the prophets. Through the Urim and

 Thummim.

Whenever God spoke through the priests and the prophets, they would fall on

 their faces and receive the word of God with gladness. They would rejoice,

 and if it were to be a word of rebuke, they would tear their garments, and

 cover themselves with ashes to demonstrate sobriety, brokenness, and

 willingness to repent.

In present day, having the Spirit of God within us, who presides over the reins

 of our hearts, our spirits His candles, and our voices His, we must show

 reverence through our posture, meditations, and confessions.

Giving thanks in all things, because before we ask, He answers.

Let us then position our hearts in faith, and be anointed with the oil of

 gladness.

Cutting off distractions, casting our minds on Him, and our thoughts shall be

 all about Him.

In doing so, may God always hear us, honour us, and glorify our declarations

 of faith now and always.

Amen,

Shalom.

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