The body plays an important, but often neglected role in prayer. Probably you have seen your pastor stand at the table, arms raised, eyes open, head up giving thanks over the bread and wine. The assembly kneeling, head bowed, hands clasped praying the confession. A candidate for ordination lying prostrate, face down on the ground at the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
Experiment with different prayer postures during your devotional time. Try praying the same prayer in various postures—standing or sitting, kneeling or prostrate, head raised or bowed, eyes open or closed, hands raised or folded. Notice the difference each posture makes for particular prayers. Then, incorporate those postures most meaningful to you into your daily prayer.
This message is adapted from “Speaking with God: Conversation Tools” written by Kevin Anderson in the July/August 2010 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.