why do we bow our heads?

Question

why do we bow our heads and look down, instead of looking up to the Heavens when we pray?

Answer 1

Shall We Sit, Stand, or Kneel to Pray?



You are visiting a friend’s church and the minister says, “Let us pray,” and you
find when you reach for the kneeler that it isn’t there. Looking around, you see
that everyone has remained seated with their eyes shut tight. Or perhaps you
visit a synagogue, and the people stand to pray.

“What’s going on?” you wonder.

Here are the five traditional postures for prayer, how they originated, what they
are used for, and who uses which one:







Standing with hands uplifted and open, head up, and eyes open.

This is the oldest posture for prayer. It is called the orans position, from the
Latin word for praying. By praying this way, the worshiper acknowledges God as
external and transcendent. This posture is for thanksgiving, praises, blessings,
benedictions, and general prayers. This is still the normal position for prayers in
eastern churches and in Jewish synagogues, and it is still used in the western
church, particularly when the clergy bless the bread and wine of the Eucharist.

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James
with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the
appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a
flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious
splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he
was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions
were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory
and the two men standing with him.
—Luke 9:28-32, NIV


After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed
—John 17:1a, NIV


I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…
—1 Timothy 2:8a, NIV






Standing with hands clasped at the waist, head bowed, and eyes
averted or closed.

This is the traditional posture of a shackled prisoner of war who is brought
before the conquering king. The hands are clasped at the waist as if they were
shackled in chains. The eyes are averted—in ancient times, looking directly at
one’s captor was insolent and a good way to get killed on the spot. This posture is
for submissive petitions or for intercessory or penitential prayer, as we see in
Luke 18:10-13.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the
other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about
himself: ‘God, I want to thank you that I am not like other
men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But
the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look
up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy
on me, a sinner.’
—Luke 18:10-13, NIV






Kneeling, either with the head up, eyes open, hands open, or with
head down, eyes closed, and hands clasped.

This is the traditional posture for requesting favors from a king, and so it became
the traditional posture for prayers of repentance or supplication. The Council of
Nicea in AD 325 forbade kneeling on Sundays, because penitential prayer is not
appropriate during a celebration of the Resurrection. In western Christianity,
kneeling came to mean simple humility and submission, and so kneeling
became the normal posture for most prayers in the west. However, to eastern
Christians, kneeling still means repentance or supplication.

The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’
he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s
master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.
—Matthew 18:26, NIV


[Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt
down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from
me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven
appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish,
he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of
blood falling to the ground.
—Luke 22:41-44, NIV


Some western churches have kneelers so the congregation can pray in the pews.
Others do not have kneelers, but when people gather at the altar railing, they
kneel. The secret to kneeling is not to bend at the waist. Thrust your hips
forward, so that your abdomen and thighs form a straight, vertical line, and you’
ll be able to kneel for long periods of time without fatigue and without sitting on
your heels.





Lying on one’s belly, hands up, either with the head up and eyes
open or with the head down and the eyes averted or closed.

This is the traditional posture for begging favors from a king when the favors are
great and the petitioner is either desperate or has—literally—no standing before
the king. It became the traditional posture for desperate, penitential, or
intercessory prayer and is still used in eastern churches, which have plenty of
room because they don’t have pews.

Then [Jesus] said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with
sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with
me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground
and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken
from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
—Matthew 26:38-39, NIV






Sitting, head down, eyes averted or closed, and hands clasped.

The Roman Catholic Church invented pews during the Middle Ages, right before
the Protestant Reformation. Since the Protestant Reformation was essentially a
Christian education movement with very long sermons, the Protestants kept the
pews even though they rejected just about everything else they regarded as a
‘Roman invention.’ As a result, sitting has become the normal posture for prayer
for many western congregations.

In 2 Samuel 7:18, David sat to pray. However, sitting for prayer was not
prevalent until after the invention of pews.

But does it matter whether we sit, stand, or kneel to pray?

Answer 2

The early Christians spread their arms and looked up. Bowing heads is a more modern convention. It appears more penitant.

Answer 3

It's an act of humbleness or lowlyness on our part in showing subjection to our creator, men of old use to prostrate themselves or actually lie flat, face down arms outstrecthed, palms down to acheived the lowest position possible in praying to God. Looking up to the Heavens when you pray is alright as well. The important thing to remember is praying as Jesus taught, Pray directly to Jehovah asking in the name of Jesus for your prayer to be heard. Remember, Jehovah is the hearer of prayer and Jesus is our mediator between God and us.

Answer 4

because you know all things to praise, honour, or laud HIM means that sound spelled on your french stop sign is the way they pronounced His Name.

I ARRET as LARRE T

EMPEROR=[iL IVI PERIODI\ when reading between the lines you get a description and as all things to honour HIM then HIM is pronounced LARRY and IIII I . describes HIM.

KING=IT I IV CUT because a times new roman G cut into three peices spells CUT

truthfully you know its true that the KING of Heaven in the bible has Emerald eyes just like Jesus seen.

so if jesus is god how does a french stop sign honour HIM?

how does the EMPEROR honour HIM?

so basically you bow your heads because you live in shame because of what they are doing to god.

Answer 5

Probably out of habit most likely. It does show submission. I guess it depends on what kind of prayer you are saying. A prayer of repentance, when you are sorry about something, you don't want to look up at God, but if you are saying a thankful worshiping prayer, most people would look up to heaven, I do.

Answer 6

Bowing heads or kneeling is to show respect or humility to a mighty and awesome God - however, I do not always find it necessary to bow my head in prayer as sometimes I want God to see the joy or the tears on my face, I want to feel my looking up to him as he looks down to me, as a child looking up to her Father. There are other times, when I am confessing sins and sorrows or heartaches, that I may find myself completely burying my face in the horror of seeing my sins as Christ sees them or as others see them in me. The only method of prayer we are cautioned about is praying in vain as men listen to us and of many words that bring flattery to ourselves and have little to do with God.

Answer 7

Because a bird dropping might land in your eye. I'm sure it happened, it's just not mentioned in the bible.

That incident was probably edited out with all sorts of other true items that were deemed inappropriate at the time.

Answer 8

Bowing your head (and kneeling) puts you in the perfect position to worship the divine holy rod of God.

Answer 9

because we evaluate our "littleness" formerly a exceptional God who holds each and every thing by His skill. Jesus appeared as a lot as heaven even as He prayed because of His satisfied fellowship with the daddy. yet we are no longer praying to devil when we bow our heads to desire - God sees what's interior our heart.

Answer 10

If you came face to face with your maker I'm sure you would bow in respect for him/her and not stare him/her in the face. And I'm not talking about your parents.

Answer 11

it's what you are taught --- what matters is having that personal relationship with the Lord.... You can look up if you want to; Jesus made us worthy --- the bible states we can come boldly before the throne.... not crawling -- or feeling unworthy. Showing respect