Every knee should bow
Peter Neilson
April 24, 2026
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Philippians 2: 5-11 (NIV-UK)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
“Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place
And gave him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
In heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
Can you see the angels kneeling before the Risen and exalted Christ? There is Gabriel who surprised young Mary. There are the angels who sang to the shepherds, and the twin angels who stood guard at the empty tomb, now kneeling in adoration before the One who holds central place in the heavenly scene. “Every knee… in heaven…”
Can you see “every knee… on earth….” bowing before him? Let’s begin with ourselves. Body language speaks louder than words. Try it and sense what difference it makes to your prayers. As you kneel, invite others to join you in your imagination. Bring in your family and friends, those who have not yet seen Jesus for who he is. Widen the circle to leaders of nations and those who need the mercy of this Leader of all leaders. “Every knee… on earth.”
What about “every knee… under the earth…”? How do we understand the dark forces that stir in the depths of the unseen, twisting truth, manipulating greed, magnifying human sinfulness? We wrestle against more than flesh and blood, with “principalities and powers.” This mysterious evil is a parasite on the good, twisting good intentions into harmful unintended consequences, warping our desires for holiness into ugly self-righteousness. Even this evil intelligence will in God’s time ultimately bend the knee. “Every knee… under the earth.”
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we long for the day when all things are made new
When Your Royal Law of Love is embraced as the Universal Way of Life.
We long for the poorest to be lifted up on a tide of generosity.
We long for war zones to be reconstructed into spaces of shalom.
We long for power addicts to be released by Your spirit of gentleness.
We long for the abusers to be restrained by mutual honour and respect.
We long for…
the day when every proud knee,
every tight fist and
every hard heart
will acknowledge You and be changed into Your likeness. AMEN
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