Exodus 3:1–6
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
When you pray, how do you pray?
Do you sit in a certain spot, look in a specific direction, or open or close your eyes?
Does your posture matter?
Throughout Scripture, we often see people respond physically when they encounter the presence of God. In Exodus 3:6, Moses hides his face because he is afraid to look at God.
The holy ground reveals how amazing God is and how inadequate I am.
Here are some typical postures to try:
Hands down toward the ground:
This physical symbol of letting go is a great posture to choose when praying through the fears, anxieties, stress, worries, guilt, and anger you are carrying. The emptying of your hands matches the releasing of the burdens these things place upon you.
Hands up toward the sky:
This posture represents opening up to God to receive from him where you are lacking. As you ask for grace, mercy, blessing, joy, healing, and peace, open your hands as if he is placing something in them.
Kneeling:
This is a humbling posture as you lower yourself before the Lord. It is a recognition of God’s greatness and our fallenness. I like to pray this way in the sanctuary of the church as a visible declaration of my need for God to lead this church.
Eyes lifted:
With your eyes looking to the heavens, you are focusing your attention on God. With eyes open, you are looking up to the great expanse of sky or stars and declaring that God is over all.
