We Were Made For This...

Body builders and power lifters practice this, ergonomic chair makers design for this, parents watch this in their children for years but never see it. 

Let it begin...

Standing near the front at my church often leads to seeing many people come to the alter, kneeling, laying before God or just crying out, but what struck me the most is that as I watched others do this my knees begin to ache from standing for forty-five minutes.

At this moment the Holy Spirit gave me a revelation.

Why is it that one of the top ergonomic ( proper body aligning ) chairs is a kneeling chair which is designed to put the body in a kneeling position?  Why do power lifters and body builders say "squat deep", "go beyond parallel" and "make the knees bend"?  Why do parents bandage and kiss five million scraped knees before their children are ten?  

Science finally caught up...

The anatomy of the human body is the one thing in this world that still, after all of the research and studies, baffles the greatest of scientists.  The complexity but beauty of it is unlike anything else.  The hand has over 27 bones in it alone.  The eye is made up of millions of factors that have to work just right or it wouldn't work at all.  The spine, neck, elbows and knees were all meant to be at a bent or curved position.  So why does any of this matter?  What does any of this have to do with God?  It simply shows the world and science talk about what God designed us for but never realized it.

We notice but never saw...

Isn't it funny that when a child falls the first thing to hit is usually their knees?  What about when an adult gets extremely traumatic news; where do they go?  To their knees.  After standing or walking for long periods of time what is often the most relaxing feeling?  To set or to bend the knees.  One last one.  Why did Jesus pray on His knees?

And on our knees we shall pray...

Our knees as human beings were designed to bend and to bare loads and very tremendous loads over a lifetime.  This is the revelation God gave me.  Our knees were meant to kneel.  They weren't meant to always keep us standing.  In fact the more you stand upright and do nothing else, the more quickly your knees wear out.  Why?  Simple, because we weren't meant to always be strong and stand.  We were meant to fall and rise again.  We were designed to kneel in our weak moments.  A child has a built in instinct to fall to their knees when they are about to be hurt.  Leading to many many scraped knees.  Why wouldn't a child roll onto their stomach?  Their back?  Or even their elbows?  Because God designed the human body to kneel first. 

Something's never change...

Where are the kneelers?  Watching upfront at my church I notice seasons in people.  At times people remove their shoes and often to show signs of God being holy.   Other times we have strong prophetic seasons, and often times of laying on our faces.  What never fails though and is always a drop back?  Kneeling.  Seasons of change and trying new things come and go but kneeling never does.  Someone always kneels.  Someone is always dropped down crying out reaching to God.  It's this design that brings us to God.  

Exampled after...

Jesus said He was the example when He washed the disciples feet kneeling to do so, and He said they should do as He did.  He prayed in the garden kneeling as He looked up to God the Father.  He left an example of humility and strength and both started with kneeling.  It's not about showing others you kneel nor about showing yourself, but about showing God.  It's in this moment of surrender that you will feel the most humble and the boldest all at the same time.

Where are the kneelers?

When I kneel my knees hurt, my legs feel strained and pressed.  I'm uncomfortable and uneasy, but I've realized the longer I'm there the less I realize my knees hurt and the more I feel I belonged.  It never fails that after I've finished praying or just speaking with God I remember I'm on my knees and I feel a new strength to stand again.  I've always asked myself why do I kneel?  It's such a cliche because of paintings of Jesus.  Never did I actually know that I always go back to it, not because of a cliche, but because I was designed to be there.  My knees were made to wear and tear.  I was designed to wear the carpet out in my prayer closet.  I was designed to approach the throne of God, not standing tall proud of me, but kneeling in humility before the great I AM.  Where are the kneelers?

John 13; Luke 22