How to Approach the King: The Posture of Prayer

Sep 25

4 min read

Recently, during our Teach Us How to Pray small group, one of our small group leaders, Kirk Rossiter, shared a powerful lesson titled “How to Approach the King.” He challenged us to think beyond simply what we say when we pray and consider how we approach God in prayer.

One of the main principles Kirk shared was that our mind, body, and spirit all play a role in how we approach the Lord. Before we bring our requests to the King, we can intentionally prepare our whole selves—our minds by remembering who we are talking to, our bodies as an expression of worship and surrender, and our hearts by allowing God to reveal anything that may be affecting our communion with Him.

When we think about prayer, we often think first about what we are going to say?

What should I ask for? What words should I use? How should I pray about this situation?

But Scripture invites us to consider something deeper:

How am I approaching God?

God is our Father, and through Jesus we have been given access to come boldly before His throne. Yet He is also holy, worthy, and King. Prayer is not about performing for Him or following a formula. It is about approaching Him with awareness, reverence, humility, and surrender.

Nehemiah: Preparing Before Approaching the King

When Nehemiah heard about the condition of Jerusalem, he did not immediately rush into action. Scripture tells us:

“When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.”Nehemiah 1:4

Nehemiah had a burden. He had something he desperately wanted to see changed. Yet before he brought his request before King Artaxerxes, he spent days mourning, fasting, and praying before the King of Heaven. Then, when the moment came for Nehemiah to speak to the earthly king, God had already been working. King Artaxerxes listened to Nehemiah and granted his request. Nehemiah's example gives us a beautiful framework for prayer: prepare the mind, prepare the body, and prepare the heart.

1. Prepare Your Mind: Who Am I Talking To?

One of the greatest challenges we face in prayer is distraction.

We sit down to pray, and suddenly we remember the email we forgot to send. Our phone vibrates. A thought about tomorrow enters our mind. We begin replaying a conversation from yesterday.

Jesus addressed distraction when He spoke to Martha:

“Martha, Martha… you are worried and troubled about many things. But few things are needed—or indeed only one.”Luke 10:41–42

Martha wasn't necessarily distracted by something bad. She allowed something good to distract her from something better.

Kirk reminded us that worship and prayer are not simply feelings. We don't worship God only when we feel focused or spiritual. We worship Him because He is worthy, holy, and perfect. Remembering who we are talking to helps us redirect our attention toward Him.

Sometimes preparing our minds for prayer is incredibly practical.

Put the phone away. Turn off the notifications. Find a quiet place. Take a few moments to become still.And before saying anything else, remind yourself:

I am talking to God.

Maybe your prayer begins simply:

“Lord, You are holy. You are faithful. You are good. You are here. Help me focus my attention on You.”

Before concentrating on everything you need from God, concentrate on who God is.

2. Prepare Your Body: How Am I Physically Approaching Him?

Our bodies can participate in prayer too.

There is not one biblical posture that we must use when we pray. Scripture actually gives us many examples:

Standing or walking — 1 Kings 8:22–23
Sitting — Nehemiah 1:4
Kneeling and bowing — Luke 22:39–41
Lifting our hands and looking up — 1 Timothy 2:8; John 11:40–42
Lying prostrate in desperation — Matthew 26:39
Lying prostrate in worship — Revelation 11:16

The point is not that one posture is more spiritual than another. Rather, Scripture shows us that our bodies can participate in our worship and communicate our need and love for God.

Think about it.

When we kneel, our bodies can express humility.
When we lift our hands, our bodies can express worship, surrender, or dependence.
When we bow, our bodies can acknowledge God's authority.
When we walk, our bodies can participate as we intercede for our neighborhood or community.
When we lie facedown before God, our bodies can express desperation or complete surrender.

Sometimes our physical posture helps our hearts express something that our words cannot.

The question isn't: “What is the correct position for prayer?" Instead, ask:

“What am I communicating to God, and how can my body participate in this moment of prayer?”

3. Prepare Your Heart: What Is Happening Inside Me?

We can remove every distraction.

We can kneel.

We can lift our hands.

We can even say all the right words.

But there may still be things happening inside our hearts that need to be brought before God.God already knows what is happening inside us. We don't need to hide it from Him.Instead, prayer becomes a place where we can invite God into those hidden places and say:

“Search my heart, Lord.”

“What am I holding onto?”

“Is there something I need to surrender?”

“Is there someone I need to forgive?”

“Is something competing with You for first place in my heart?”

Sometimes before we say, “Lord, this is what I need,” we need to say, “Lord, this is what I surrender.”

That is part of approaching the King.

Posture Is More Than a Position

When we talk about the posture of prayer, we are talking about something much deeper than whether we sit, stand, or kneel.

Posture is an attitude of the whole person before God.

My mind says: I know who I am talking to.
My body says: I surrender myself before You.
My heart says: Search me and remove anything that stands in the way.

And then I bring my request.

Nehemiah's story reminds us that God does not always answer according to our timing or expectations. The lesson makes this distinction clearly: we cannot guarantee a particular answer, but we can choose the posture with which we come before Him.

This Month’s Challenge: Change Your Posture

Once a week this month, choose a different posture for prayer—kneel, stand, walk, lift your hands, or bow before God.

As you change your physical posture, ask:

“Lord, what is the posture of my heart before You?”

Let each new posture become an invitation to deeper attention, humility, and surrender in His presence.

Blessings, David and Taisha

Prayer Leaders

National Community Church