December 11

"For this reason I kneel before the Father..." (Ephesians 3:14 NIV)

To kneel and bow is an ancient Oriental custom to show respect for a senior person. There are several examples of this in the Bible. One example is the leper who knelt before Jesus in Mark 1:40.

In our Western society, it is not appropriate to show respect for someone or something in a similar fashion. Everyone should be respected as equal and nothing must be seen as being above anything else. But the Bible describes God as above all, a majesty that we humans have no access to, were it not for what Jesus has done for us.

Many people say they do not want to think of God as a father, as their earthly father comes to mind, the father they knew in life, a father who might have been anything but good and considerate.

But the Bible describes God, not just as high and exalted and worthy of all respect and reverence, but also as a loving and caring father, a father who always wants the best for His children. And it is the God of the Bible who is the model for how all fathers should be, not vice versa.

To kneel purely physically is a good exercise, when we want to demonstrate in a special way to God that we are serious about our prayer. But it is also important that we bow down in our spirit and are humbled by God's omnipotence in our inner being, that we recognize that there is a difference between Him and us, and we have access to Him only by grace.

Prayer

Help me to be a man who constantly has my spiritual knees bent for You and Your greatness.