Praising prayer is an act or sacred declaration that seeks to trigger an emotional rapport with an individual object of worships via private verbal communication. From the most literal understanding, the word prays refers to an action of intercession or supplication directed towards an idol or a divine ancestor. However, in the spiritual light, the act of praying, while accompanied by some sort of ritual, serves to elicit specific responses from the individuals praying - often responses that are manifested in the physical realm as changes in ones personality. In other words, true prayer involves an interaction between the worship object and the individual praying. The individual praying would then experience a positive transformation in his or her character, as well as in his or her relationship with the worship object. Prayers are therefore an important aspect of spirituality.
It is from this perspective that one can appreciate how the practice of kneeling in prayer is so important. In the early biblical times, when people were still in the habit of open feasting and socializing, it was difficult for them to pray because standing up to pray would involve moving around in the crowd. Moving around in the crowd while standing on your knees would have been very difficult. Thus, in order to offer Prayers in private, it became necessary to kneel down to pray.
The practice of kneeling in prayer, which began in the ancient church, has evolved over time. This evolution has been spurred not only by practical necessities but also by changes in attitudes in society. Because people began to pray in private, they did not have to worry about standing before a large number of people and being identified personally by name. They could simply pray quietly and privately without having to fear that their prayers might be heard and judged by others. In many cases, those who had to kneel in order to pray were those with poor physical mobility or were elderly.
One example of this is the case of Moses, the baby boy who had to be raised as a Jew. He had to be placed in the baby carriage, which he was not able to move about freely. Because he had to pray privately, his parents had to pray for him by placing their hands upon his back so that he would learn to ask for God's help properly. The same thing took place for Moses' mother, who had to pray for her son by placing her hands on his back while standing on her front toes and then praying.
Even though most people today consider that the custom of kneeling in order to pray is outdated, it must be noted that it is still sometimes seen in certain circumstances. For instance, at funerals, the relatives of the deceased usually kneel to pray for their loved one. At the start of the service, a clergy member will usually kneel as well to allow the other mourners to do the same. Such a kneel is not mandatory, however; it does allow everyone to join in the collective prayer of the funeral or memorial service for the deceased. Eliezeroser, a Kabbalah scholar and author of the book The Kaddish Guide, relates the story of an incident in which the rebuke of the deceased was changed because of the fact that he had complied with the custom of kneeling.
People, it seems, are always willing to find creative ways to make things simple and easy. This is what we see today when it comes to praying. In our day-to-day lives, we can pray any number of ways without having to actually think about it. Some may choose to get up from whatever they are doing to pray or they may pick up a pen and start writing down the prayers that they want to say. Others may sit down at their computers and pray away. All in all, it seems that there are plenty of ways in which one can pray and not have to think about it.
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