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Brian2944
Guest
May be a silly question, but does anybody else feel bad not kneeling for prayer at home? I know at night I’ll pray my rosary and other prayers in bed. Is this a lack of reverence?
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Flopfoot
Guest
At Mass we pray sitting, kneeling, and standing, so any of those are good positions for praying. AFAIK (as far as I know) we can pray in any position though, I pray lying in bed sometimes. I suppose it can seem a bit irreverant, but I’ve never heard or seen it written anywhere that we are not allowed to pray lying down.
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JKirkLVNV
Guest
I remember reading that Saint Augustine sang/prayed the Psalms in the outhouse. I don’t think praying in bed would be a problem.
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LilyM
Guest
There’s a story in another thread of St Teresa of Avila praying in the outhouse too - and a devil mocking her for doing so. She said ‘what comes out of my mouth is for God, what comes out the other end is for you, devil!’
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Zooey
Guest
I remember my grandmother kneeling to pray for so many years. Then she got to the place where if she got down, she couldn’t get up without both of us helping lift her…
She said, she prayed about it, & felt at peace that the Lord would hear her, regardless of her position…
I find this no end of comforting, now that my knees are reaching the age where she stopped kneeling.
I would say: the most important thing is to pray!!!
She said, she prayed about it, & felt at peace that the Lord would hear her, regardless of her position…
I find this no end of comforting, now that my knees are reaching the age where she stopped kneeling.
I would say: the most important thing is to pray!!!
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Zooey
Guest
She would!!!There’s a story in another thread of St Teresa of Avila praying in the outhouse too - and a devil mocking her for doing so. She said ‘what comes out of my mouth is for God, what comes out the other end is for you, devil!’
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blessedstar
Guest
**If life is prayer and prayer is life tell me how do you spend all of your life on your knees? **
Simply by the humility of your heart. Many people who kneel possess no humility, they are outwardly pious but inwardly possess no piety at all.
You cannot spend your life on your knees, but your soul must always kneel in humility to Christ Jesus in** everything** you do.
Outward piety is not what matters most, inward piety is everything.
God doesn’t look at me and say ‘See how beautifully she is kneeling, isn’t she good’ God looks at my heart and soul in prayer, sees my poverty and seeks to make that good by His grace.
By the way in some households the outhouse is the most silent and private place a soul can find. I have often prayed there myself and even get disturbed there.
Ask Jesus to give you piety of heart, when we possess this then outward piety is not something we seek, but seeking to be private about our piety and desiring to be seen as the least of all.
Simply by the humility of your heart. Many people who kneel possess no humility, they are outwardly pious but inwardly possess no piety at all.
You cannot spend your life on your knees, but your soul must always kneel in humility to Christ Jesus in** everything** you do.
Outward piety is not what matters most, inward piety is everything.
God doesn’t look at me and say ‘See how beautifully she is kneeling, isn’t she good’ God looks at my heart and soul in prayer, sees my poverty and seeks to make that good by His grace.
By the way in some households the outhouse is the most silent and private place a soul can find. I have often prayed there myself and even get disturbed there.
Ask Jesus to give you piety of heart, when we possess this then outward piety is not something we seek, but seeking to be private about our piety and desiring to be seen as the least of all.
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Dorothy
Guest
In the books on prayer that I have read it always says to be in a comfortable position. For me that is sitting upright in bed. Some do better in a chair.
Kneeling may be right for some, but if it is too long it can be distracting to your prayer. If one is focused on how uncomfortable they feel, that would impede their prayer.
Kneeling may be right for some, but if it is too long it can be distracting to your prayer. If one is focused on how uncomfortable they feel, that would impede their prayer.
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puzzleannie
Guest
I can kneel, but I can’t get up without help. I am okay once I am on my knees, but getting down and up is the problem. I have fallen several times while attempting it, so better to sit in a good firm chair, so I can keep my mind on prayer and off my knees and hips.
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Caesar
Guest
If you cant kneel, prostrate yourself on the floor. 
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Jeanette_L
Guest
Can’t remember the verse off the top of my head, but there is one that tells us to pray without ceasing.
I’d never be able to kneel without ceasing. I can’t kneel period. But I pray a lot, wherever I am, whatever I’m doing. Even if it’s just a hello. I don’t think God minds. He knows our bodies in this corruptible state are broken down and uncooperative, it’s the heart and mind that counts!
I’d never be able to kneel without ceasing. I can’t kneel period. But I pray a lot, wherever I am, whatever I’m doing. Even if it’s just a hello. I don’t think God minds. He knows our bodies in this corruptible state are broken down and uncooperative, it’s the heart and mind that counts!
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Polish
Guest
In the Byzantine Catholic Church, as well as the other Eastern Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Churches, we do not kneel during Divine Liturgy (Mass). We have chairs, but no kneelers - the Othodox have a few chairs around the perimeter.
We pray in a standing position and make deep standing bows as well as bows to the floor touching our heads to the ground. We follow the Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.
I think it’s very interesting, the diversity of form that is practiced in the different churches. However we pray, I’m sure God knows what’s in our hearts and that’s all that’s important.
We pray in a standing position and make deep standing bows as well as bows to the floor touching our heads to the ground. We follow the Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.
I think it’s very interesting, the diversity of form that is practiced in the different churches. However we pray, I’m sure God knows what’s in our hearts and that’s all that’s important.
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