Finding your place on your face…a new perspective

Beth Moore has been challenging me in “Stepping Up,” a journey through the Psalms of Ascent (more to come on this powerful discovery.) But one new change I decided to incorporate into my daily five was what she calls “finding my place on my face.” I’ve been a prayer girl all of my life, believing in the power of prayer, the infilling of the Holy Spirit and the powerful prayer life that comes with having the overflow of that spirit.

My favorite quiet place is usually sitting on the couch, reading the word, meditating on the word, and if there is a serious need or situating in life, then I will become the floor pacer prayer warrior. That’s where I find I can enter into the place of intercession, as if on the threshing floor, pressing through, pushing back and entering in. I will find myself on my knees or occasionally on my face during that type of prayer. But these moments are not routine. They don’t happen everyday. My daily love talks are where I most like to pray about everyday life. On a walk, or driving down the road, these love talks are as if I’m just in a simple conversation with my closest friend. I just talk to Jesus in my heart, or out loud. These are the times I usually have my personal pity parties and let God how I think he should work things out. It’s also the place I can feel him most guiding me and gently explaining that His plan IS the best.

The “Stepping Up” mandate to “find my place, on my face” daily was not, I confess, something I looked forward to committing to. It seemed so liturgical and planned and routine, coming from a pentecostal, free worship style upbringing. It’s by far not a traditional way of prayer in my church. Growing up, we would sometimes “kneel” at the altar, maybe stand and pray, and we most definitely would have our hands raised!

During summer visits I remember my grandparents making all of the grandkids kneel on the floor with our faces on the couch to pray every night before bed. My mom and dad would always tuck us in bed, and we would say our prayers. But laying on the floor, face down to the carpet, was a new thing for me.

Let me tell you…it has completely changed my prayer life, and my day. I actually feel like my day is getting started when I find that time on the floor. I feel like I’m truly putting God first, and my heart is more free in this “commitment” than it ever was with the random, spontaneous “freedom” of praying whenever. To me it seems like such a small, simple gesture. Just a few moments or minutes? It’s not even long enough for a deeply serious conversation. But it’s a gesture! I feel like it’s my “Daniel” time – when I go lay on my cute brown blanket below my favorite window looking out into the world where I live. Just a little commitment, a small gesture, the bible tells us clearly can do so much! And, in just the past 10 days, it has indeed revolutionized my heart, and my walk with Christ.

I can’t explain how God can do so much, giving strength for the day in a mere three minutes, but He does. If you are looking to “Step it Up” like I was, try stepping down, and even laying down like I have. I promise you won’t regret~

This is my prayer….