Written by Scott B. Hayashi
Psalm 123:1 (NRSV) To you I lift up my eyes, to you enthroned in the heavens.
What do you do when you pray? Do you keep your eyes open? Do you bow your head? Do you look up to the sky or to a mountain? Do you lift your hands? Do you press your head to the floor?
I used to always pray with my eyes closed, my head tilted downward. One day I asked myself why I did this. The answer was that this attitude of prayer was simply how I saw most everyone else pray. But as I reflected, I felt that closing my eyes seemed to shut the world out and focus inwardly on the conversation I was having with God.
I decided to keep my eyes open the next time I was in a group setting for prayer. At first this was uncomfortable. Keeping my eyes open felt like I was not really praying. Over time I got used to it and discovered that seeing people, seeing nature, or seeing my surroundings enhanced my prayer. Opening my eyes and praying about what I was seeing helped me to see God’s handiwork in all people and things.
How will you pray today?
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