The verses we will read will make sense of the question.
“Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham,for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17 v 3-8)
Look again at the position of Abram and let that image sink into your mind. At 99 years of age, he is on his face before God. Things change for characters in the Bible when they’re on their faces.
Moses encountered God at the Burning Bush and hid his face in reverence (Exodus 3:6), setting the stage for his leadership of a nation from slavery.
Joshua fell facedown before the Lord’s army commander (Joshua 5:14), learning that the coming battles were God’s to fight.
Ezekiel repeatedly fell face down in God’s glory (Ezekiel 1:28, 3:23, 43:3), each time being commissioned to deliver difficult messages.
Daniel also fell facedown when the angel Gabriel appeared (Daniel 8:17), receiving strength and insight for exiles.
The Apostle John fell at Jesus’s feet on Patmos (Revelation 1:17) and received visions of hope for the church.
Saul’s blinding encounter on the Damascus road changed him to Paul, a key figure in Christian history (Acts 9:4).
Peter, James, and John fell facedown at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:6), receiving reassurance from Jesus to strengthen them for future challenges.
On each occasion, the position was accompanied by an attitude:
- You are Almighty – I am not.
- You are Holy – I am not.
- You have the best plans – I do not.
- You are the giver – I am the receiver.
There are times when the position of our body helps to create the attitude of the heart. Hands raised, kneeling, sitting, standing and also lying prostrate on the floor. Maybe this is something we should consider in our private moments before God to cultivate humility, reverence, surrender, and readiness for whatever God has for us next.
Again, he’s 99 years of age. This was not a young Abram. He’s elderly, and his body is aching. Getting down is one thing, getting back up another. This position cost him. Almighty God speaks a revelation to an old man on the floor, perhaps aching, maybe struggling to breathe. On the dirt floor, we have a picture of complete surrender. He has come to the end. He is waiting. True worship. The God of gods speaks to this man in that position and gives him a promise; he makes a covenant with Abram. When he eventually gets up, he will never be the same again.
Was it his position on the floor or was it the attitude of his heart?
Maybe it was both.
Missions Paul 