IF in the end, you find that God does exist ....

[robvalue]

I understand the idea that grovelling is a means to an end when faced with actual God. That is pragmatic, just as I would grovel to someone with a gun in my face if I thought it would help me get out of the situation alive.

But the analogy falls down because you're dealing with something totally unknown to us. It's rather patronising to a being of such immense power that its only interest is whether or not you're prepared to throw yourself on the ground in front of it. What exactly would a "God" get out of this? If it ordered you to do so, I would assume one of the following is most likely true:

1- This is a test to see if I'm a mindless subservient

2- This God is messed up

I would think that in case 1, the God would be more impressed by refusing. In case 2, there's really no guarantee as to what it will do no matter what action you take.

If the God doesn't actually tell me to throw myself on the floor, why would I do it?

I think the idea that grovel=reward is a demonstration of how simply we have come to view "God" as just another bloke who happens to have more power than us.