What is the right posture and length of prayer?

I grew up in a relatively prayerful family and before joining boarding school; we all always gathered in the girls’ bedroom and knelt around the bed to pray before we went to bed. It made us feel close to one another and during that time we bonded. It’s then that everyone talked about how they had spent their day and also told us their prayer requests. Though I loved being with them, I hated it that the praying would go on and on. Actually more than once I ended up sleeping before we had finished praying. I kept on asking myself why we had to pray for all that long.

To date, every time I’m next to someone who’s praying for so long, I keep wondering if they have too many issues to sort out with God or if I should be scared that my prayers will not be answered because they are short. So what is prayer? How and for how long should one pray?

Pastor Humphrey Asiimwe of Watoto Church defines prayer with an illustration of a couple: “If we never speak to our spouse or never listen to anything they have to say to us, our marriage relationship would quickly deteriorate. And it is the same way with God. Prayer is communicating with God and it helps us grow closer and more intimately connected with Him. That is why when praying, you must be respectful physically (posture) and in your attitude.”

In the Bible, there is no formula for praying so there is no correct or wrong posture for prayer. People pray on their knees (1 Kings 8:54), bowing (2 Chronicles 20:18, Exodus 4:31), with their faces before God (Matthew 26:39), and standing (1 Kings 8:22).

Humphrey adds that what matters about one’s posture is that it is respectful. God is our father and just like you talk to your earthly father while in a respectable posture, you must do the same with God. Some people pray in their beds and usually end up sleeping. That is why it is not advisable to pray this way unless you trust yourself to withstand the difficult temptation of sleeping.

About the length of prayer, the Bible in Mathew 6:5-8 says not to pray like hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners so that everyone can see them. In this scripture, it is recommended to pray in private. It says, “When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father who sees what you do in private will reward you.”

“In prayer, the most important thing is the depth and not necessarily the length. Mind about having a meaningful time with God, which will enrich your relationship with Him. And while you pray, take time to listen to what God has to say to you,” Pastor Asiimwe says.

The Bible tells us to lead a prayerful life, but that is not only about jumping and mumbling. It is about your lifestyle. As you pray, you must try as much as possible to do what God wants you to do. That is why Matthew 26:41 cautions that one should, “Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation”. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.