Thursday, March 21, 2013

prostrate

Genesis 17:3-9; Ps 105 The lord remembers his covenant forever; John 8:51-59

the story from Genesis begins for us today in this manner, "When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him."

The act of prostrating is certainly a lost act among us who consider ourselves followers of Christ.

Many of us will sit and pray or pray in our cars, usually praying "on the run", or we will walk or find a relaxing position to mediate.

This latter is certainly all the rave.  I remember in the seminary we told often to find a relaxing position to meditate, to center ourselves, to get comfortable so we can give our selves to prayer.

What a joke!  Since when is prayer about us, about our comfort, about our style.

Prayer is primarily about surrender, trust, opening up and letting go and this is the act of prostration.

Here is the definition of prostrate:

 stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission; also : lying flat: completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power to rise 
IT is an act of submission where power and will are surrender to God.

The best position for this is to make sure when your pray you hands are always opened, faced upward for in this position before God we can only receive and he can take as he pleases and give as he pleases. 

As Abram is changed to Abraham so to we are changed each time we prostrate ourselves before God with open hands, hearts, and minds: letting God take and give as he pleases. 




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