(A) INTRODUCTION

(1) People use more than words to communicate. We also communicate through the tone of our voice, our facial expressions, and even our body positions.¹

Pratt writes: “One day a visitor stopped by my office. He said he just wanted to chat for a while, but I soon realized he was deeply troubled. While we exchanged pleasantries, he sat upright with his eyes fixed on the floor, his right hand rubbing back and forth against his left. When I asked him what was wrong, he confessed he was heavy-hearted – whereupon our chat immediately turned to a rather long discussion about some significant problems.”¹

Most of us have been in similar situations. Not only do we listen to people’s words, we also “listen” (as it were) to how they are communicating to us without words.¹

(2) Likewise, communicating with God entails more than putting words together. Christians often think prayer is simply a matter of using the right terms and/or putting certain basic ideas into an acceptable verbal format. But talking with God in prayer entails much more. He also pays attention to the inflection of our voice, our posture, and other forms of non-verbal communication.¹

So tonight, in this final message, we’re going to explore some non-verbal dimensions of prayer.¹ How can we communicate with God using more than just words?²

(B) WEEPING AND SINGING²

(1) In Scripture, when people pray, their prayers often rise from deep within their soul. As a result, their prayers are often filled with strong emotions. Frequently these emotions are communicated through the prayer’s choice of words, much like most of our prayers today. Sometimes, however, words alone are not enough. In such instances, other methods of communication are also used – like, for example, weeping and singing.²

(2) Shedding tears in prayer is an important dimension in many psalms. (a) When the psalmists turned to God in times of anguish, they often wept as they prayed. For example, in Psalm Thirty-Nine David prayed:

(Psalm 39:12, NASU).

David was in great anguish – and it was out of that sense of need that he wept openly before God.²

Psalm Six also illustrates the appropriateness of weeping when we pray. There David calls out to God for help, saying:

“My soul is in anguish.

(Psalm 6:3, NIV).

His foes had troubled him so long that he went on to say:

“I am worn out from groaning;

(Psalm 6:6-7, NIV).²

(b) In Scripture weeping is often a part of praying to God during times of deep sorrow and/or suffering.² When God’s people faced difficulties that were too great for them, they often wept. Displaying the intensity of our need through weeping can be an important dimension of prayer.³

Pratt writes: “A number of years ago I was involved with a group of Christians, many of whom were former drug abusers. Our members had their ups and downs, but one young man stood out in my mind as a prime example of a person who had been radically transformed by Christ. Upon becoming a believer he turned completely around and fled from drugs altogether.³

One Sunday afternoon, about a year after his conversion, my friends and I received a phone call from this young man’s mother. She was frantic. Apparently he had taken a drug and run out of the house in a violent rage.³

The news hit us hard. We were distressed that our brother had stumbled back into his former life – but the situation was serious for another, more deadly reason. A few days earlier, word reached us that a bad mix of heroin had hit the streets of our city. Apparently a dealer had cut the drug with a poison. Immediately, the same fear seized all of us – what if the drugs our friend had used were contaminated?³

We all knew this situation was far beyond our ability to handle, so we went to God in prayer. As we knelt before Him, we began to express our fears so intensely that before long we were all crying. As the words decreased our tears increased, and we wept bitterly.³

After we had prayed, I drove home, still sad and disappointed over the day’s events. Then, unexpectedly, I spied our friend walking along the highway. I stopped and picked him up. Happily, God had answered our prayers, in that he had not gotten his drugs from the contaminated source. After a few days he was much better and on his way to a full recovery. The point is that in our time of anguish, we prayed using with more than words. We literally wept before God, and He graciously responded to our tears.”³

(c) Today tears are considered a sign of weakness in many cultures. “Grown men don’t cry,” we’re told. One regrettable effect of this perspective is the discomfort we feel about weeping in prayer. Our prejudice against such displays of emotion runs so high that in some circles crying is seen as a lack of faith in God. However, these opinions run counter to many biblical examples. Hence, we need to rid ourselves of this cultural straitjacket.³ We need to learn that sometimes bathing our words with tears is the only way we can adequately express what we are feeling to our heavenly Father.⁴

(d) Scripture indicates God pays special attention to the tears of His children. For example, God saw the tears of King Hezekiah and said:

behold, I will heal you …” (II Kings 20:5, NASU).

We can be assured God will never overlook our tears – for David once said:

“You have taken account of my wanderings;

(Psalm 56:8, NASU).

Just as parents are drawn sympathetically toward the tears of their children, so God looks on us with mercy when we weep before Him. Hence, one important dimension of our communication with Him is the ability and/or willingness to weep in prayer.⁴

(3) At the other end of the spectrum, we find that we may also communicate with God through singing. In fact, (a) God’s people probably sang or chanted most of the prayers of the Psalms. In Psalm Nine, for example, David sang: “I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart;

(Psalm 9:1-2, NIV).

In this light, the words of James become clearer:

“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must

(James 5:13, NASU).

Hence, we find that singing is another way to communicate with God in prayer – especially when we are joyful.⁴

(b) Happily, today we have many good resources to draw upon to help us with this aspect of prayer. Most Christian hymnals, for example, contain songs that were originally written as prayers. Furthermore, many traditional hymns are explicitly directed to God, even though Christians seldom sing them with the conscious intention of using them as a prayer to their heavenly Father.⁴

Pratt writes: “I enjoy taking long walks by myself.⁴ They afford me an escape from distractions so I can be alone with God. I remember one evening not long after I had become a Christian, when I was walking along a trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. As I rounded a turn, I caught sight of one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen. Standing before God’s artistry, I began to pray. Then, almost without realizing it, I began to sing the familiar hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy.” My next thought was, ‘what if someone hears me singing to myself?’ But then, I realized I wasn’t singing to myself – I was singing a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. Soon, I was standing in the woods all alone singing at the top of my lungs. By singing, I communicated much more than I could ever have said with mere words. The joy in my heart broke through as I lifted that melody. Offering a song in the midst of prayer can greatly enhance our conversation with God.⁵

(c) The mode of speech we use when we pray can significantly affect our communication with our heavenly Father. Mere words will not suffice in every situation. Sometimes we also need to weep or sing when we pray.⁵

(C) KNEELING AND LIFTING HANDS⁵

(2) Take kneeling, for example, which was a well-known custom in the ancient world. People were expected to bow in the presence of royalty. To bend the knee or to lower one’s head expressed humility and/or respect for a person of higher rank. In fact, refusing to do so was considered a sign of defiance and/or even rebellion.⁶

(a) Bowing or kneeling before a superior was such a part of the ancient world that it’s no wonder the Bible stresses this posture when worshipping God and/or praying to Him. God is the supreme Monarch, and we are His lowly servants. As such, we dare not enter His presence with arrogance. We must come with humility and reverence. Hence, one familiar call to worship says:

“Come, let us worship and bow down,

(Psalm 95:6, NASU).

This passage links worship with kneeling, in part, because worship involves showing God reverence and honor.⁶

Some of you may recall King Solomon’s posture as he prayed at the dedication of the temple:

“Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits

(II Chronicles 6:13, NASU).

When Old Testament believers turned to God in prayer, they were conscious of their true condition as creatures and sinners. Hence, they often demonstrated their humility by bowing and/or kneeling before God as they offered their prayers and petitions.⁶

The example of Daniel also stresses the importance of kneeling before God. You may recall the prophet’s political rivals had convinced King Darius to issue a decree commanding everyone to pray only to him for thirty days (see Daniel 6:1-9). Daniel could have easily hidden the fact he was still praying to God – but he chose not to. Instead, Scripture says he continued to kneel when he prayed:

“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed,

Daniel was so convinced of the importance of kneeling in humility before God when he prayed that he continued to do so, even when it endangered his life.⁷

(b) These biblical examples stand in stark contrast to the practices of many of us today. Many Christian churches seldom, if ever, encourage their members to kneel when they pray. To be sure, some of this is a negative reaction to liturgical forms of worship that require kneeling. However, Pratt is right when he says we must be careful not to overreact to what we view as empty ritual. After all, kneeling and/or bowing in prayer is a biblical practice that helps stimulate an attitude of humility and/or reverence in our heart for our heavenly Father.⁷

Pratt writes: “I once went to visit a pastor who had a reputation as a great Bible teacher. We spent some time talking about my conversion to Christ and how my life had changed. As the conversation came to an end, he invited me to pray with him. Much to my surprise, he rose from his chair, came to my seat, and knelt down with his face to the ground. At first, I was shocked – but then quickly joined him on my knees. Here was a man who had every reason to be self-confident – yet he demonstrated a heart of reverent humility toward God by bowing before Him in prayer. I’ve never forgotten his example. Whenever I’m tempted to take prayer lightly, I remember this pastor down on his face and knees before God.”⁷

(c) Kneeling to pray expresses a devotion and/or reverence for God that goes far beyond any words we might use. As such, it’s a method of communicating with Him that every Christian ought to learn to put into practice.⁷

(3) Another form of body language Scripture endorses is lifting our hands when we pray. You may recall how Solomon combined kneeling before God with lifting his hands toward heaven in the passage we read earlier (see II Chronicles 6:13). Not only the Old Testament but also the New Testament commends this practice. For example, Paul tells Timothy:

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer,

For many Christians, however, this practice is an enigma. What were believers in biblical times communicating when they raised their hands?⁸

(a) For one thing, the Psalms indicate lifting our hands to God in prayer is one way of expressing joy. In Psalm Sixty-Three, for example David says:

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

(Psalm 63:3-4, NASU).

We can’t help but sense the level of happiness and/or joy these verses reveal. God’s blessings were so great David proclaimed that His faithfulness was better than life itself. Hence, he said he would praise God (v 3), bless Him (v 4), and lift up his hands (v 4).⁸

The same theme occurs in other Psalms. For example, Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Four says:

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary

(Psalm 134:2, NIV).

Raising our hands to God is one way of communicating our praise to Him. It’s as if we are holding our thanksgiving in our hands and raising it up as an offering to heaven. Gratitude stirs our hearts and puts words on our lips – but we can also communicate our gratitude and/or joy through the physical expression of lifting our hands toward God.⁸

(b) On the other hand (no pun intended), raising our hands can also express a sense of great need. David once put it like this:⁸

“To You, O Lord, I call;

(Psalm 28:1-2, NASU).⁹

It’s apparent from these verses that David had a great need. If God did not answer his prayer, he would soon be like a dead man (v 1). So he cried out for mercy and/or pleaded with God by lifting his hands toward His sanctuary (v 2).⁹

We see a similar portrait in Psalm One Hundred Forty-Three, where David writes:

“I stretch out my hands to You;

(Psalm 143:6-7a, NASU).

In this instance, David longed for God’s mercy like the dry ground longs for water. But note how he expressed this longing – not just with words – but also by the lifting of his hands.⁹

(c) Just as raised hands can symbolize giving praise to God, they can also give physical expression to our hearts as we plead with our heavenly Father for help. In the latter instance, we lift our hands toward heaven, hoping God will fill them, as it were, with His rich blessings.⁹

(4) At this point it’s important for us to step back and assess the practice of believers today. Since many churches have neglected these practices, we must reaffirm the value of kneeling and raising our hands when we pray. However, we must also exercise a certain measure of caution and/or restraint, since discord can easily occur if/when a small group within a church becomes enthusiastic about kneeling and/or lifting their hands in public worship.

(a) We need to guard against disrupting worship services and/or creating unnecessary problems within a church. We should never hesitate to take advantage of all the avenues of communication with God in private. However, if kneeling or lifting our hands in a public worship service is disrupting, we may need to limit the practice to our private times of prayer. In corporate worship we must not only be concerned with our own edification, but also that of our brothers and sisters in Christ.⁹ Spiritual exercises that only benefit a few should not be practiced in public – at least not until a majority, having been properly instructed and/or convinced, are willing to give it try (as it were). Nor should we exercise freedoms that disrupt the worship experience of others. Out of respect for our brothers and sisters, we should remember the words of Paul, who said:

(I Corinthians 14:26c, NASU).¹⁰

(b) Having said that, however, believers should not entirely neglect these physical forms of communication with their heavenly Father. He has ordained kneeling and lifting our hands as acceptable aspects of prayer. As we bow before Him, we express our humility and reverence – as we lift our hands, we express our praise or our intense need. Putting these patterns into practice when we pray can enhance our overall communication with God.¹⁰

(D) FASTING AND PRAYER¹⁰

(1) We come now to fasting. Pratt writes: “When I was in college, I worked as a home nurse. I sat up nights with an elderly man who was suffering from brain cancer. During the six months I worked there, I grew to love the ailing man and his wife. They had no children, and I soon began to fill the role of a son. One winter night the man became extremely weak.¹⁰ His breathing grew erratic, and he died around three o’clock in the morning. This was the first time I had ever seen someone die. I remember the fear, grief, and dread that gripped me as I went to tell his wife her lifelong companion had passed away.¹¹

As the day dragged on, I continued to feel the loss. ‘Life is so fragile, so short,’ I thought to myself. During the next day I helped any way I could. The day of the funeral service, however, I began to feel ill. I wondered what was wrong, and then I realized that in my grief I had not eaten since that dreadful night. My heart was so preoccupied by the event I had forgotten to eat. Somehow eating and going through this kind of loss simply did not go together.”¹¹

This common human experience illustrates some of the basic ideas involved in the biblical practice of fasting. In our modern world, people fast for numerous reasons. Some groups claim it helps mental alertness to abstain from food periodically. Others use fasting as a way to lose weight quickly. In the Bible, however, fasting is usually the voluntary self-denial of food and/or drink for the purpose of expressing our intense concern and preoccupation with something to our heavenly Father.¹¹

(2) Biblical fasting occurs in many different contexts. (a) For example, the death of a loved one was one occasion for fasting in the Bible. In this regard, Second Samuel chapter one says:

“Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them,

When a family member or friend died, biblical figures often expressed their grief, along with their yearning for God’s comfort, through fasting.¹¹

(b) Second, fasting was also done in Scripture to demonstrate heartfelt repentance over sin and/or the urgent desire for God’s forgiveness. For example, after hearing Jonah’s preaching, the city of Nineveh responded with fasting – hence, we read:

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a

Likewise, Ezra fasted because of the sins of Israel¹¹ – hence, we read:

“Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and

(c) A third time the people of God fasted in Scripture was when they faced problems and/or tasks that required God’s extraordinary help. For example, when foreign invaders threatened Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat declared a fast – hence, we read:

“Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to

Likewise, when Queen Esther chose to risk her life on behalf of her people, she requested that everyone fast, saying to her uncle, Mordecai:

“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and

(Esther 4:16, NASU).

In each of these instances, we find fasting being combined with intense supplications in prayer.¹²

(d) Fourth, fasting also occurred as part of a heartfelt self-examination and/or preparation for meeting with God. Hence, the Book of Numbers says:

“On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have

Preparing to meet with God was an awesome event, which demanded a thorough evaluation of oneself before urgently pleading with Him for His blessing.¹²

(3) The church today must face a terrible reality – i.e. we have virtually lost the art of fasting. In America, only a handful of denominations practice it with any regularity. Beyond that, few individuals devote themselves to periods of fasting as a normal part of their spiritual regimum.¹²

(a) This neglect is not without its consequences.¹² For one thing, because we have ignored fasting, we are plagued with an inability to grieve meaningfully before God – hence, we often labor under the burden of loss and sadness far longer than is necessary.¹³

Without fasting, we tend to express repentance over serious sins with superficial sentence prayers. How can we demonstrate deep sorrow over flagrant violations of God’s holy law without fasting?¹³

Beyond this, Christians today also have no vehicle for setting aside periods of time to concentrate heavily on intense needs. Fasting has been given for such times.¹³

In all these cases, valuable dimensions of the Christian life lie neglected, in part, because we have forgotten how to fast.¹³

Pratt writes: “In my years as a Christian, I have served in a number of Christian organizations. Each one has faced serious problems at one time or another. Sometimes these problems were beyond the ability of the leadership to handle. So, we formed committees and spent hours discussing the issues – but rarely did anyone suggest a fast. In fact, of all the organizations I served, only one made it a practice to deal with serious problems through prayer and fasting.¹³

If believers in the Bible found fasting valuable, how can modern Christians ignore it? Pratt says, “I’m convinced much of the frustration we experience as Christians is the result of not taking advantage of the practice of fasting.”¹³

(b) When crucial events occur, we should be ready to fast. The disciples of John the Baptizer once asked Jesus about the lifestyle of His disciples, and He responded:

“The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as

Jesus said that after His departure to heaven, His disciples would fast. If we are serious about communicating with God in ways that reveal a deep need and yearning for Him, we need to make fasting a part of our lives. In fasting, we have a wonderful tool to help us communicate our deepest and most intense desires and/or sense of devotion to our heavenly Father.¹³

(E) CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY

As we learn to incorporate more than just words into our prayer life, our communication with our heavenly Father will be enhanced – indeed, it may become more rewarding and/or effective than ever before.¹⁴

**THIS MESSAGE IS BASED ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK BY RICHARD PRATT, JR. ENTITLED, “PRAY WITH YOUR EYES OPEN.” IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CONGREGATION AT WESTMINSTER PCA IN ALAMOGORDO, NM ON MAY 1^ST FOR THEIR INSTRUCTION AND EDIFICATION, AS PART OF THE CHURCH’S EMPHASIS ON PRAYER IN 2005. A DISCUSSION OF THE QUESTIONS FOUND AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER FOLLOWED. THE CONGREGATION WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHERE THE MATERIAL CAME FROM, AND MANY HAVE PURCHASED A COPY OF THE BOOK FOR THEIR OWN USE.