Prayer While Postrating

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Augustine3

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What are we suppose to pray while lying on the floor? Are there any formalised prayers or do we just pray from the heart? Probably both hey…
 
Some people do prostrate themselves out while praying at home, it does show great humility, and brings about a deep spiritual devotion. You could make prayer of supplication while in this position and for all the many sins caused by our self and others, and of course for any special intention.

Just my thoughts. God Bless. Walk with the Lord as we are brothers in the same Church, Same Holy Father, just a different beautiful facet of the diamond.
 
Some do for disordered reasons when not done for proper occasions, such as ordinations or veiling.

At home, it’s mostly, it’s a distraction to prayer.

God dwells with in, so prostrate your heart in humility, not your body.

Jim
 
Be Guided by the Holy Spirit, its not just the heart, it can also be the Body. A lot of the Saints take St. Francis for instance used to prostrate out on the floor, if your being led by the Holy Spirit to do this, do it. We are to worship God with our whole body, not just by inner prayer, it can be dancing which they did in the Old Testament in front of the Ark, we can worship God anyway and every way. Praise the Lord my Soul.
 
Some do for disordered reasons when not done for proper occasions, such as ordinations or veiling.

At home, it’s mostly, it’s a distraction to prayer.

God dwells with in, so prostrate your heart in humility, not your body.

Jim
In that case, why kneel?

My prayer posture is just that…mine. Perhaps, for some, it enables them to be more focused on God, and less focused on themselves. It might give a chance to learn at humility.

In no way, if I were to choose to lay flat on the floor, or kneel at my bed, or sitting cross legged on the floor, would it become a distraction to me in prayer.
 
Be Guided by the Holy Spirit, its not just the heart, it can also be the Body. A lot of the Saints take St. Francis for instance used to prostrate out on the floor, if your being led by the Holy Spirit to do this, do it. We are to worship God with our whole body, not just by inner prayer, it can be dancing which they did in the Old Testament in front of the Ark, we can worship God anyway and every way. Praise the Lord my Soul.
Saints Like St Francis, had received the gift of infused contemplation. They didn’t need to ask what prayers to say while prostrating themselves before God, for they had already reached spiritual union.

There is a difference between them, and those who have not reached that level of contemplation.

Jim
 
ccmcmg
In that case, why kneel?
Kneeling is a symbol of reverence and respect, but it’s not generally the best posture for interior prayer, which we’re all called to. The physical discomfort becomes a distraction more than anything.

The best posture for prayer for people raised in the Western Culture, is sitting in a comfortable chair with a straight back. One that is not conducive toward sleep, but one that is comfortable.
My prayer posture is just that…mine. Perhaps, for some, it enables them to be more focused on God, and less focused on themselves. It might give a chance to learn at humility.
If it’s your prayer posture, good for you. II would hope that you don’t need to know if there’s a particular prayer associated with that posture?
In no way, if I were to choose to lay flat on the floor, or kneel at my bed, or sitting cross legged on the floor, would it become a distraction to me in prayer.
If you take a position which is not part of your customary way of making yourself comfortable, it can be a distraction for deeper levels of prayer. Sitting cross legged on the floor, is not part of Western Culture and would be a distraction for most people. For people in the East where this is the custom, it wouldn’t be the case.

Discursive verbal prayer is generally on the surface and some people in the beginning stages of prayer, need a particular posture to remind themselves that they’re praying.

However, if you seek to go into deeper levels of prayer, you must quiet the mind, but also the body, which will pull your mind toward the discomfort and away from prayer…

The bottom line is, you won’t need to ask in a public forum what prayers are associated with postures as a show of piety.

Jim
 
Prayer in the Syriac/Malankara Tradition of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, at home the normal posture is the same, unless one is constrained by age, health, etc:


Guess who borrowed their prayer postures from us
 
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