King of All the Nation: A 3-Day Devotional From TEMITOPESample

Come Let Us Bow

Worship postures help to bridge the gap between our heads and hearts. Many of us know that God is King in our heads. Various scriptures and real-life experiences validate that there is one God sovereignly in control of all things (Psalm 47:7).

However, that knowledge does not always affect how we live. If we’re honest, worry, anxiety, and fear too often sit on the throne of our hearts and lead us away from the abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). That life, truly abundant life, requires the consistent, conscious effort of taking our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and surrendering them to God’s throne.

This is where worship postures become really practical, specifically bowing. Bowing is a vulnerable posture. It’s essentially saying that whoever or whatever we are bowing to has power over us, which is the truth needed to silence the voices of worry, anxiety, and fear. When we physically bow, our bodies connect the head knowledge of God’s sovereign control with our hearts.

Sometimes it’s physically uncomfortable to bow, similar to how it’s mentally uncomfortable to acknowledge what or who is sitting on the throne of our hearts. However, when we push through that discomfort by choosing to acknowledge God’s power and worthiness, we receive the peace that we’re silently fighting for. (Side note: Some of us may not be able to physically bow due to health reasons, however, we can accomplish a similar sentiment through sitting, bowing our heads or extending our hands.) Bowing to ourselves leads to death, but bowing to God leads to life. I can’t think of a more beautiful and challenging way to start the day.