FULL HANDS/FLAT KNEES

“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth.”

 

On a mission trip to Kenya this past summer I experienced God in some of the most precious and unique ways.  I had the blessing of being the Scripture reader during Bible time and I have never felt the power of the Word in such a tangible way.  On my knees feeling the cold cement beneath my legs while holding the Word of God in my hands is where I want to live!  I don’t know how to even give it words but I somehow feel we were born to live in this posture, born to walk on our knees!  

 

I was eye level with a sea of the most beautiful dark faces illuminated by the light in their eyes.  Each child had a favorite Scripture they could quote by memory and their worship songs left me breathless.  “Cast your burdens-come to Jesus-for HE cares for you” resonates in my heart with a thick African accent carrying the melody!  I want my own children to remember me on my knees with the Word in my hands!

 

Several years ago I was doing a Beth Moore study,”Stepping Up”.  While doing this walk through Psalms, you had the option to commit to prayer literally on your knees for a period of time each day.  I can remember being all hunkered down in my bed for the night and I began to say my prayers.  I had chosen to make that commitment during the study but had failed to kneel this day.  I felt God in my spirit prompting me to uncover and get down but I was strongly negotiating with HIM about how I was in a “posture of Prayer” in my heart while laying snuggly in my bed.  Needless to say I recognized the negotiation process and quickly submitted to my Jesus.  I got down on my knees and finished up my conversation with God,  but as I opened my eyes to climb back into a warm nest of down,  I noticed 2 feet standing beside me.  It was my oldest son waiting to ask me a question.  I said,” I didn’t hear you come in.  How long have you been standing there?”  He responded,” I didn’t want to interrupt your prayers, so I have just been waiting on you to look up.”  I knew in that moment that being on my knees was not for me!  Imagine that!  It is not always about us!  Being on my knees was for my son to witness me in prayer.  God did want me to honor a commitment I had made but more importantly HE wanted me to give my child a posture to imitate.

 

One of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln is: “I have been driven many time upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.”   James, the brother of Jesus, was called “camel knees” because of the calluses on his knees from praying so much.  May my knees be likened to these humpbacked animals as well!  Camels also stored water in their bodies.   I too want to be known for storing “Living Water” within my heart. “…For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks!”(Matt 12:34b)   We often pray as a last resort when it should really be our first line of defense!  

 

“With the Word in my hand and the Sword on my tongue

My knees to the ground focused on the Cross where HE hung!

The tomb is empty and hope lives on;

Overflow that hope, so others know they can never be too far gone!” GRACE

 

Thank you God for prayer!  Thank you for wanting a relationship with us and for speaking to us through your WORD!  Please help me to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus!” (1 Thess 5:16-18)

 

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