One recurrent posture that we witness throughout the Bible (Older and Newer Testaments) is "falling down". A demoniac did it before Jesus (Luke 8:28). The twenty four elders throughout eternity apparently do it (Revelation 4:10; 5:8). A healed Samaritan did it before Christ (Luke 17:16). John himself did it in heaven as an act of worship (Revelation 22:8). Everyone within eye-shot of Jesus meeting Saul on the road to Damascus did it (Acts 26:14). The woman who wiped Jesus’ feet certainly must have been down there as well (Luke 7:38). And, those are only a few of the more than 50 occurances of the common response.
I have heard many dismiss the practice as part of ancient culture. I am not sure that this "one size fits all" answer suitably explains many of the situations noted in the Bible. Laying prostrate was certainly a cultural prayer posture. But, much of what I read are not religious exercise by very religious people. There are many situations that are not formal enough to be answered with the cultural phenomena or common practice. They seem to be genuinely spontaneous and sincere. Heaven certainly is not a place for distinctly Jewish culture based practice. I also don’t believe that demons are that culturally sensitive.
There is a submission component, a desperation component, likely a joy component, perhaps even fear. Sometimes I believe there is "shock and awe" involved- people gripped somehow. In these cases, one thing is common; in each of these "this-must-be-beyond-culture" episodes, the people or beings are overcome. Some are overcome with joy or fear or awe or simply physically undone and weak-kneed. Some are overcome with despair, some with humility, some are just unable to stand because the feelings of worship overcome them.
Whatever happened to that experience? Have we "cultured it" out of our experience as a church? I certainly hope that this spontaneous and extreme response is not simply dismissed as a "thing of the past." I have been driven to my knees, falling down before the Lord many times lately. Fasting and prayer is planned and can be a beautiful orchestration. Group prayer is always a wonderful experience. But, sometimes, I am just overcome. At those times, I don’t plan it, I don’t use it as a time to somehow demonstrate how humble I am, and often I am speechless (which some might find hard to believe). It just happens, almost as though it must happen, as though it is the only possible response.
My prayer today was like that. I fell down before God. I plead with God for his church. I plead with God for my son. I plead with Jesus to hasten his return. When I pray over a meal, I generally stand or sit. When I pray for mercy, extreme exercises of God’s much-needed grace; down sometimes just happens. I hope we become a church with a little less knee control at times not to gain more attention from God or appear more holy; just because we can’t help it.