ON CHRISTIANITY

DEAR REV. GRAHAM: Ever since I was a child I was taught to kneel when I pray, and this also has been the practice in my church. But now I’m having some serious knee problems and I really can’t do this anymore. Will God still hear my prayers?

— K.E. DEAR K.E.: Of course God will still hear your prayers! He knows all about your limitations, and He doesn’t turn his back on you just because you can’t pray the way you once did.

The important thing when we pray isn’t our outward physical arrangement but our inner spiritual attitude — the attitude of our hearts and minds. This doesn’t mean our physical stance isn’t important when we pray; kneeling, for example, reminds us of God’s holiness and our need for his grace and forgiveness. The Bible also gives examples of people who stood as they prayed.

But even more important is the sincerity of our faith in Christ. Do you remember Jesus’ story of the two men who went into the temple to pray? (You can read it in Luke 18:10-14.) One man was filled with pride and thanked God he wasn’t a sinner like everyone else, but the other man knew he was a sinner and humbly asked God for forgiveness. Both men were supposedly praying, but God heard only the second man’s prayer, because his heart was right.

Make Jesus Christ the focus of your prayer, thanking Him for dying on the cross for you and praying for you even now. And make Him the focus of your daily life, because He has promised to be with you to the end of your days and into eternity. God’s promise is true: “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at billygraham.org