How has your heart posture been recently along with your physical posture?
Is there communication going on or are they on different wavelengths?
Here is what has been highlighted to me recently.
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits[a] long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 15 who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 16 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ 17 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.
Keyword: “knelt to his knees”
Wholeheartedly prayer, physical posture, and praise.
See what happened next.
As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
If you were to witness this, would you do the same?
Sometimes, we forget how to act in front of a holy God.
He is all-powerful. He is all-seeing. He is holy. He is worthy of it all.
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Humble yourself
Pray
Seek His face
Turn from wicked ways
Turn to God with all your heart and soul. It’s simply not enough to go through the motions of repentance. We have to genuinely feel remorse for our actions and turn back to God with our whole being.
Repentance: turning away from sin and turning toward God sincerely.
What posture is your heart at? How about your physical posture?
We can speak but if our body is reacting differently, then what are we truly saying?
Have you kicked yourself off of your throne yet? How about the driver’s seat?
Dethrone yourself. Surrender all areas of your life to God.
Gain Jesus. Gain salvation. Gain LIFE.
35 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Anyone can speak emptiness. Anyone can extend their hands to heaven. Anyone can bow and not revere. Anyone can be clean on the outside. God knows the motives of the heart. He looks at the heart inside and out. From our heart, we speak too.
Jesus pointed it out in the Pharisees:
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
If you want to hear more about the Pharisees about this, read Matthew 23.
Then there’s this part in scripture that is tender to my heart.
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How many a time have I been one or the other…
Humbleness. Let me tell you, it’s always an ongoing thing. That is okay. He shows me beautiful and wonderful things when pride starts to break off of me.
When I come to Him with barely any strength, He counsels and provides His strength.
Let’s not create calluses in all the areas that God is bringing to light.
There are times when we do need to get cleaned on the inside so it can be portrayed out.
Is that a time for you today? Get away from what you are doing and go pray.
You know you want to. I want to, too. No matter the length of time, go be with Him.
All in all, know that every knee will bow as stated in Philippians 2:10-11 ESV:
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let me bring this up again too! How can I not?
2 Chronicles 7:3 ESV (emphasis mine):
3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Perspective
I love this so much. I want to get away to a quiet place, get on the floor and loose myself in prayer with God.