Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:5 HCSB
I was fortunate to be able to attend the “Standing in the Gap” rally for men in Washington DC. Over a million men crowded into the mall on October 4, 1997 to hear speakers and music that inspired them to “Stand in the Gap” for our nation by praying for our nation and its leaders. I can remember one speaker asked all of us to lie down with our faces to the ground. This was a posture to show our complete repentance and dependence on God.
In this Scripture we find that the people had several postures of worship. They lifted their hands and they bowed down with their faces to the ground. There is not a correct or incorrect posture to praise and worship God. Some people raise their hands while others do not feel comfortable doing so. Some people come to the altar to pray while others stand at their seats with their heads bowed.
Challenge: God is not as concerned about our physical posture in worship as the posture of our hearts. Are we truly repentant? Are we truly seeking God and desire to follow His will? Whatever your posture, make sure your heart is turned to God and your one desire is to glorify Him in all you do.