Dr. Standley: (How do you prostrate yourself in prayer?)
When you prostrate yourself for prayer do your arms go in front of your head or behind your head?
Bill
Bill:
Sorry it took me so long to answer your e-mail. I'm finally getting caught up and I never delete an e-mail until I answer each one.
When you prostrate yourself in prayer (as I state on the website), you can put your arms wherever you feel most comfortable. Prostrate position is on your stomach and I usually stretch my arms straight on the floor over my head with my forehead on the floor. It is a position of complete surrender.
Just as if you were standing up in surrender with your arms raised above your head.
Some people lay with their arms at their side.
I believe the best time to pray is at the 3:00 p.m. hour because this is the hour of death, which is the time that Jesus died. The Bible says he died in the 9th hour. In those days, the first Jewish hour was at 6:00 a.m., that would make 6th Jewish hour at 12:00 p.m., and the 9th Jewish hour at 3:00 p.m.
This is why on Good Friday in the Catholic Church, the service is at 3:00 p.m. This is the only day in the Catholic Church when there is no Mass because Jesus had not yet Risen from the dead until Easter (on the 3rd day He rose from the dead). Friday (1st day) Saturday (2nd day) Sunday (3rd day).
In the King James Version: Matthew 27:45-50
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
The Catholic Bible: Matthew 27:45-50
45 From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
46 And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47 Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "This one is calling for Elijah."
48 Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink.
49 But the rest said, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
50 But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit.
I pray this helps in your understanding along your spiritual progression path.
A bazillion blessings -- Dr. Standley
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