Dear Gramps,
I have questions about kneeling while praying. Our family prays together regularly in a reverent manner but we seldom kneel. As we are converts this isn’t something we did in the past and we are unsure when to kneel although we hear reference to kneeling even in conference talks. Is it for the most important prayers? Only the family not with a home teacher or others? Does the church give any guidelines on this?
Nancy
Dear Nancy,
Here are the words of Elder Russell M. Nelson on the subject—
“Prayers can be offered even in silence. One can think a prayer, especially when words would interfere. We often kneel to pray; we may stand or be seated. Physical position is less important than is spiritual submission to God (Elder Russell M. Nelson, Sweet Power of Prayer, Ensign, May 2003, p.7)
Elder Nelson indicates that physical position is less important than spiritual attitude. Yet, kneeling in prayer is a manifestation of spiritual attitude. To kneel before the Lord is an act of reverence, a recognition of our subservience to Him, and our willingness to obey his commands. We could assume that any position during a prayer is acceptable if the prayer is offered in humble sincerity, but we might suggest that kneeling is the standard position for prayer. This may be deduced from the words of President N. Eldon Tanner—
“The most difficult problem the missionaries have is to get the people whom they are trying to teach to kneel down and actually pray with them” (President N. Eldon Tanner, Conference Report, April 1966, Afternoon Meeting, p.136).
Gramps
