Why do christians kneel when they pray? Is this practise illustrated or taught in the bible? If yes, where and if no, what does the bible say on how to pray to God!.

I assume u want to link that as well with the "rukuh" observed when muslims pray.
Well christians kneel as a sign of obeisance. They close their eyes to avoid distractions. They are not rituals anyway because we can pray with or without kneeling down, with or without shutting our eyes. It depends. We can pray even while walking. Our bodies are his temple. What matters most his what we pray.
Prayer to the christain is not a ritual done to appease a god but a fellowship you have with your Father.

@layi

So can you pray in the toilet?

If need be, yes.

@layi

good. Do you mind sharing with us where you get this answers from? As you stated, you can pray without kneeling, but why not share with us how the "God" who died for your sins prayed? Where did he pray? In a Church? How? by kneeling down and closing his eyes? Dont give me your opinions because if you do, then there's nothing like christianity. Every so called christian will have his/her way of praying/doing things hence you'll end up with billions of religions. But as you and i know, christianity is one single faith thats followed by billions of people, and all seem to kneel when they worship/pray to God. Who tells these people to kneel? God? You have gone down on your knees and prayed right? Who told you thats the way you pray? Where did you get that concept from? Why not climb the tallest tree or building and try and get closer to God up in heaven and pray to him? The latter shouldnt sound absurd if you cant come up with an explaination for the former.

Ur post is confusing as i cant pick the exact question u asked?

Anyway if u ask for quotes in the bible....i'll also ask u to tell me where in the bible are christians told to always kneel b4 they pray.

Jesus prayed on the cross - he talked to his father (was he kneeling) ?

@layi

My questions is based on the millions of christians kneeling when praying. Who introduced the concept of kneeling, because all christians have done it at one time or another. Second question is regarding Jesus and how he prayed. When he was asking for the cup to be take away from him, how did he pray to God? Kneeling?

Firstly
Go to churches all over the word. Christians don't have to Kneel down to Pray. Its not a rule. They do it just as a sign of obeisance/submission/respect.
Not only religion but even some cultures (like yorubas) expect the girls to kneel and guyz prostrate - bow when meetin an elder. Its just an outward symbol/expression of an inner feeling. U can show urs whihever way u like.

Secondly
When Jesus Prays, he not only kneels but sometimes fall to his face and at other times, he prays standing. However Jesus prayed to God with a distinct intimacy. God was his Father and he was God's son. There was a childlike, filial quality to his prayer. It wasnt a ritual

Jesus prayed regularly, his first disciples recalled. He prayed before decisive moments, beginning with his baptism and as he faced his passion and death. He prayed in times of human weakness and death, as he did at the grave of Lazarus (he didnt kneel down). He frequently prayed to give thanks. His prayer was steady, thankful, and confident that God's will was for his good.

Jesus Though us how to pray. he thot us 3 things
First, that true prayer should come from the heart. He prayed from within, not with just words or gestures. His prayer was not based only on feelings or passing emotions. Prayer comes from within, beyond level of feelings, from ourselves. Sometimes prayer from the heart takes the form of words, at other times it may be like his own wordless cry.

Secondly, prayer is fed by faith. Jesus prayed with an unwavering faith in his heavenly Father, a faith that lasted till his death. He taught us to pray also with childlike faith in God, believing that our prayers are heard by One who loves us.

Thirdly, prayer should be steady and persevering as his prayer was, even when no answer comes or when no relief is in sight. "Watch and Pray," he says, "Seek and knock," till the door that reveals God's holy will be opened.


He never taught us to always kneel before praying cuzz he himself prayed several times without kneeling

When the disciples asked him to teach how to pray, read his response in Luke 11:1-4. He never told them to always kneel.

"Christianity is a way of Life not a Religion."

Firstly
Go to churches all over the word. Christians don't have to Kneel down to Pray. Its not a rule. They do it just as a sign of obeisance/submission/respect.
Not only religion but even some cultures (like yorubas) expect the girls to kneel and guyz prostrate - bow when meetin an elder. Its just an outward symbol/expression of an inner feeling. U can show urs whihever way u like.

Secondly
When Jesus Prays, he not only kneels but sometimes fall to his face and at other times, he prays standing. However Jesus prayed to God with a distinct intimacy. God was his Father and he was God's son. There was a childlike, filial quality to his prayer. It wasnt a ritual

Jesus prayed regularly, his first disciples recalled. He prayed before decisive moments, beginning with his baptism and as he faced his passion and death. He prayed in times of human weakness and death, as he did at the grave of Lazarus (he didnt kneel down). He frequently prayed to give thanks. His prayer was steady, thankful, and confident that God's will was for his good.

Jesus Though us how to pray. he thot us 3 things
First, that true prayer should come from the heart. He prayed from within, not with just words or gestures. His prayer was not based only on feelings or passing emotions. Prayer comes from within, beyond level of feelings, from ourselves. Sometimes prayer from the heart takes the form of words, at other times it may be like his own wordless cry.

Secondly, prayer is fed by faith. Jesus prayed with an unwavering faith in his heavenly Father, a faith that lasted till his death. He taught us to pray also with childlike faith in God, believing that our prayers are heard by One who loves us.

Thirdly, prayer should be steady and persevering as his prayer was, even when no answer comes or when no relief is in sight. "Watch and Pray," he says, "Seek and knock," till the door that reveals God's holy will be opened.


He never taught us to always kneel before praying cuzz he himself prayed several times without kneeling

When the disciples asked him to teach how to pray, read his response in Luke 11:1-4. He never told them to always kneel.

"Christianity is a way of Life not a Religion."

It would be nice sharing ideas....but christianity is a faith which is based on the bible. So instead of you giving us your thoughts etc, can you please point us to some evidence...some bible quotes which states Jesus praying or how he prayed?

You agree that you can pray in the toilet......based on what? Did jesus pray in the toilet? If your statement (christianity is a way of life and not a religion is correct) then show us where you get this conclusion from, or quote us a verse from the bible. Thats your holy book which should contain the way/code of living, praying etc. quote us something.

Jesus gives instruction on how to pray in Mathew 6 verses 5-16 and Mathew 7
verses 7-11.

jclord...save the readers of this forum some time and paste the verses please.

@ Kismat,

Pls where exactly are you heading with all these questions about Christians kneeling to pray?

Exactly. U keep asking questions. A non christian trying to teach christians christianity.

Passage Matthew 6:5-16:
Prayer

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting

16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Footnotes:
# Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
NIV at IBS International Bible Society NIV at Zondervan Zondervan

Passage Matthew 7:7-11:
Ask, Seek, Knock

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

New International Version (NIV)

Dear Kismat,

before you can understand the answer to your question, you need to first understand the meaning of the word PRAYER.

Position is not the problem, the problem is weather or not you are really communicating or just doing some meaningless rituals.

What ever position that works for you, go for it, and forget about where it is written.

Several times I've prayed while in bed, driving, while in the gym, sleeping in dreams, kneeling, standing, in the kitchen, in the toilet, in the shower, just name it....in the movies............................so men Wake up!

in fact anytime you exclaim "oh my God !" just know that you've said a very short prayer
The next time it happens, just stop and check the position  you are in
you might be surprised to find yourself lying on top of somebody in the bed, then tell us where it is written..lol

so be careful cos you are about to start some shiet up in here with your questions

                                                          Dammn!!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, why you make me say nasty stuff ??,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
                                thats food for your thoughts anyways

prettyH:

@ Kismat,

Please where exactly are you heading with all these questions about Christians kneeling to pray?

layi:

Exactly. U keep asking questions. A non christian trying to teach christians christianity.

Na today? Thats her style.You guys just wait and see, she'll start up a new thread on christianity again as soon as she hits a brick wall on this. Very pathetic I must say, very pathetic.

wahalaman:

Dear Kismat,

before you can understand the answer to your question, you need to first understand the meaning of the word PRAYER.

Position is not the problem, the problem is weather or not you are really communicating or just doing some meaningless rituals.

What ever position that works for you, go for it, and forget about where it is written.

Several times I've prayed while in bed, driving, while in the gym, sleeping in dreams, kneeling, standing, in the kitchen, in the toilet, in the shower, just name it.in the movies............................so men Wake up!

wahalaman, you spoke wisely here.

Chaps,

so there is no uniform, standard way of pray in christianity?

Tell me the uniform standard way of talking to fathers worldover.

@kismat, are you a female or a male?

Anyway, as others have rightly said, there's no right position or location for praying. First of all, do you even know what PRAYER means?

Just Praying, or...??

It seems to me that kismat was asking a two-fold question from the onset: the why and how of Christian prayer. She asked: "Why do Christians kneel when they pray; and...what does the bible say on how to pray to God!" Unfortunately, her (or his..?) subsequent posts left me wondering if she was seeking answers or just wanting to amuse herself with sarcasm - and I sincerely hope not.

Why do Christians kneel to pray?

Christians are not the only ones who kneel to pray - Moslems, Jews and a few other people of other faiths assume this posture in praying. In the Bible, we find indeed that Christians knelt in praying, and a few verses are helpful to point this out:

    "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," [Eph. 3:14]     

    "And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all." [Acts 20:36]

    "But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said,
     Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up." [Act 9:40]

Back in Old Testament times, the practice of kneeling to pray or worship was already established: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." [Psa 95:6]. Among other things, kneeling was a sign of humility in the presence of Majesty.

In answer to the question of who introduced the concept of kneeling, we can say that it was not a human notion; rather, it was a divine injunction. The apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 to remind us:

    "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall
     confess to God." [Rom 14:11].

Consequently, was it recorded anywhere that Jesus ever knelt to pray? I believe the Bible says so: "And he [that is, Jesus Christ] was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed" [Luk 22:41].

Secondly, kneeling is not the only position Christians assume in praying. (a) A believer can pray with hands lifted up: "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." [1Ti 2:8]; (b) they also stand to pray: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." [Mar 11:25]. I could go on to show several others in the Bible were questions like these are answered. The point is that Christians are not stereotyped nor limited to just one posture in prayer.

Besides, the value of prayer and worship is not so much how you stand, sit or kneel to do so. God looks upon the heart more than anything else, and He desires that we have a sanctified conscience when we appraoch Him in faith. Until we recognise the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, prayer would remain a futile exercise.

Warmly, 
M.

Hey M4Malik,

It seems like you are a serious Christian. It must be hard being a Christian in such a secular country like Sweden. How do you feel about all the very liberal social changes taking place in Sweden ?

Hi jclord,

Oh well, thanks for that very encouraging word. It's really tough living out one's faith in Europe, not just in Sweden. One week it's one controversy or the other aimed at targeting Christians; another week it's yet something else to the same ends. Presently, the homosexual debate seems to be waning here, and they're looking for the next excuse to be anti-God. I'm not the only believer who tries to make a mark - there are few others I've met who are far more involved and know the faith better than I do. On a positive note, the pressures have helped to bring out the best in us. To God be all the praise.


M.

dear kismat,
i really apreciate ur interest in christianity but there is a proper and peaceful ways in asking to get ur answers,
and for prayers, the formal 5 prayers muslims play is the standard pray, but additioanal prayers can be from meditation (and thinking what did u do lately that may get u into trouble n judgement day) to asking forgiveness and thanking God.
thank u ,

pray* srry for the typo

Kismat,

You people won't stop at anything to break christianity apart. Even if Jesus didn't do it (Which he did), kneeling down is just simply RESPECT. Is kneeling down a sin?, does it fill Gods heart with pain?, is it an abomination, NO, So whats the problem with it? Also, praying in the toilet, God said pray to him in secret[b] (Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you)[/b] so if the toilet is the only secret place you can get then God dosent care, he just wants you to talk to him!

Also, (Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere). God said pray at all times, so all times can mean anywhere!. Next time come back with a better arguement because this one has no meaning nor a point.

m4malik,
May God bless you with encouragement through fellow Christians and his Word.

Sorry it took me so long to respond.

kneeling is associated with submission and obeisance, as stated here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneeling

however, it's not a must that you cant pray unless you kneel.

i mean, in private.