On the Knees of Our Hearts

A story is told that Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the visit, the group happened to encounter Lord Hailsham, then serving as Lord Chancellor, wearing the full regalia of his office. Spotting Marten among the crowd, Hailsham called out across the hall: "Neil!"

Not daring to question what sounded like a command, the entire group of visitors promptly dropped to their knees.

I love that story. I've never been in a situation that required me to kneel before another person. But there is something about that instinctive response — that immediate, unquestioning humility — that resonates deeply when I think about coming into the presence of God.

Throughout scripture, people pray in remarkably different postures. Standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, lying face down on the ground. Each posture carries its own meaning — reverence, surrender, desperation, gratitude. I've been known to pray flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling. There's something about that position that reminds me just how small I am, and how held.

Our bodies have a way of telling our hearts what to believe. When we kneel, something in us softens. When we open our hands, something in us releases. Posture is not just physical — it is a kind of prayer before the prayer begins.

Today, I'd like to invite you to try something different. Before you pray, shift your position — kneel, stand, open your palms, or simply bow your head more slowly than usual. However it looks, the most important thing is this: bow the heart in humility and wonder before the Creator and Lord of all that is.

Prayer: You are the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. And so we come before you — on the very knees of our hearts — praising you with our entire being. Today, we thank you for the gift of life and the wonder of living. We thank you for a path to walk, for companions along life's journey, and for your guiding, redeeming love. Fill us again with your grace and joy — that these gifts would be ours to share. Amen.

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