I am amused today by our church prayer meetings where we sit and close our eyes which is quite different to the examples of people praying in the bible. In scripture we see people falling face down, or on their knees or standing to pray. Most of the time their eyes seemed to be open. When we read about Jesus praying he often had his eyes lifted to heaven. I did my own survey of prayer postures in the bible and as far as I can recall the only instance of one sitting to pray is David.

I think the posture of prayer relates to the type of praying. Worship in prayer lends itself to streatching out the hands whereas sorrowful confession is more subdued with the head bowed.

In private I always felt I could pray better when I knelt but I must confess that I often ended falling asleep. I actually find it a help to stand and lift the eyes towards heaven with arms outstreacted. It is also helpful to vocalise prayer rather than keep it silent.

During corporate prayer times in a previous church we encouraged those who wanted to kneel to kneel and those who wanted to stand to stand. If people wanted to raise their hands then they could do so. This was never seen as a distraction. However this was when I was in the Irish Republic where churches were small and the membership was around twenty. Maybe in a big church it would or could be more of a distraction. Having admitted to falling asleep when kneeling during my private devotions, it is interesting to note I never once fell asleep if kneeling at the church prayer meeting.

In one sense it does not matter so much that the eyes are looking heavenward but that the heart is looking heavenward.

__________________
Stuart
Elder, Lambeg Baptist, Northern Ireland, UK

In Him the fulness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and in Him you are complete (Col 2.9-10)

The sacrifice of a broken heart doth please Him but the sacrifice of a broken Christ alone doth satisfy Him (Richard Steele)