Protocol

A few years ago Dennis and I were privileged to hear the author of Hadassah (the book that was later made into the movie One Night with the King) minister at a local church. As one would expect from a wordsmith, Tommy Tenney had a way with words, displaying the elegant eloquence of a born raconteur. One of the intriguing stories he shared that day has never left me, the story of his meeting with President Ronald Regan.

I don't remember the nature of the function in which they met, but at some point during its course the President approached Mr. Tenney and engaged him in conversation. Towards the end of their talk, the President wanted to write something down but lamented that he had no pen. "No worries," said Mr. Tenney, and reached inside his breast pocket for his ever-ready pen. Not the right move. Before he could blink, he was surrounded by Secret Service telling him to stand down. That's how Mr. Tenney learned the hard lesson that when one is with a President, there is a protocol to follow. In short, one should never, ever, EVER reach for something inside their coat without clearing it with the President's detail. He and the President knew he was reaching for a pen—all they saw was a hand reaching for something. In their minds, it could have been a gun or some other lethal weapon. They were taking no chances—they had to intervene to prevent a potential tragedy.

"It's okay, boys," the President said, calming them down, "he's only getting a pen for me." Under icy stares, Mr. Tenney,  fingers now shaking, was allowed to retrieve the pen. But he never forgot the lesson. There is a protocol to follow when before men of greatness.

And it's a lesson for us, too. If earthly kings, men of power, can only be approached via a certain protocol, it stands to reason that our Heavenly King has protocols in place, too—protocols that, as His servants, we should be aware of when we come before Him. What are those protocols , you ask? Assuredly a good guide and resource is the prayer Jesus himself modeled for His disciples, the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

First, we should approach Him with reverence, recognizing Who He is. "Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name."

Second, in recognition of His sovereignty, we should submit our will to His. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven." You get the drift. These are the precursors that pave the way for our supplications before God.

So we're okay with the protocol for words, but what about a protocol for positioning our bodies before Him during prayer? Who better to look at for direction in that area than Jesus? If we follow His lead, we can surmise that we don't always have to close our eyes; Jesus prayed at times with His eyes open (John 11:41; John 17:1). We don't always have to kneel; sometimes Jesus prayed as He stood (as before the tomb of Lazarus, John 11:41). There may even might even be times when we feel compelled to lay flat on our belly before Him; sometimes Jesus prayed on His face in complete subjugation to His Father's will, as in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). And sometimes we can indeed take the classical position of kneeling, just like Jesus (Luke 22:41). So it seems that the position of our body can vary, its position perhaps not being as critical as the position of our heart—which, above all, should be yielded to our Father.

Having said that, though, there is a unique blessing to be found in kneeling before God. Philippians 2:10-11 says, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." There will come a time when every creature will confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And how will they do it? Not standing. Not sitting. Not rocking on their heels. No, they will proclaim His Lordship kneeling.

I fussed at my grandma once, because she loved, loved, loved to pray kneeling. "Grandma," my youthful self remonstrated, "don't you know that you can pray standing up or walking or in any position?" (Why, one of my most memorable prayer times occurred when I was ironing/praying for my family, not kneeling!)

Á la President Reagan with his Secret Service detail, Grandma calmed me down. "Yes, Janinita, I know I can pray any way." She turned her soulful eyes brimming with love for her Savior to me. "But I love to kneel to show Him how much I love Him and that I honor Him as my King." About the only disputes Grandma and I had were related to Bible interpretation. This round she won resoundingly.

So pray in any position you want—but above all remember the heart protocol. Love Him, honor Him, submit your will to His. It's a sure road to God's supernatural peace.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).