0325 LOOKING UP

HE LIFTED HIS EYES

When you hear someone say, “Let us go to the Lord in prayer,” what is your natural posture? For those of us who have become used to the practices of evangelical Christianity, our natural inclination is to bow our head and close our eyes, perhaps folding our hands somehow. What does that posture mean? Does it have biblical support? Why do we choose that posture? Those are three different questions, so let’s deal briefly with each one in turn.

What does it mean when we bow our head and close our eyes and fold our hands to pray? Thinking about that posture in prayer, I suppose it would represent contrition and humility, repentance and brokenness.

Does it have biblical support? Surprisingly, the best support for such a posture in prayer is in the story of the Pharisee and the publican, both praying at the temple. There, Jesus said that the tax collector (the publican) “would not even look up,” but beat his breast. That’s because he was particularly broken and repentant before God, so that he humbly chose not to follow the prayer posture of his people.

Jewish prayers were done looking up to heaven, with eyes wide open and hands extended in the air. This was the posture in the synagogue, while all the members stood and faced toward Jerusalem. They looked up because that’s where God seemed to be located—in heaven, don’t you know?

So, why do so many Christians today face downward when they pray? Is it because they imagine their Heavenly Father to be below them? Certainly not! Is it because they are following the example of the publican who would not even dare to look up, but smote his breast and said have mercy on me a sinner? I don’t think so. Otherwise, they would also be smiting themselves on the chest as they pray. But I do have a theory as to how this tradition started. Want to know what it is? I’ll tell you anyway: I think it’s a matter of crowd control in junior church. The leader would say to them, “Now I want every head bowed and every eye closed, and keep your hands to yourself, and we are going to pray now. Every . . . Head . . . Johnny? . . . Every eye . . . No, Susie. We’re praying now.” 

In any case, Jesus, when He prayed this beautiful, extended prayer for his followers, “lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come…’”

How do you think it would change your relationship with God the Father if you normally spoke to him with your eyes open and looking up? As the call-and-response of the ancient liturgy says, “Lift up your hearts.” “They are with the Lord.” And you see in that worship space that an image of Jesus has been painted on the ceiling, of all places! 

Maybe we find it easier to concentrate when we pray with our eyes closed, so we don’t get distracted quite so easily. But maybe we will find it is easier to pray when we worship with our eyes open, lifting our eyes unto the hills, from whence comes our help, or looking unto Jesus the author and perfector of our faith, or looking to heaven as we address our Heavenly Father. 

Maybe as we join Jesus in our prayers, we will find that things are really looking up.