Open or Closed?

[DavidMc]

I was walking into town the other day and as there was nothing urgent I had to or needed to think about, I decided to enjoy a few minutes recreational thinking, as I like to call it.
I recalled the days when I first attended the Kingdom hall as a six year old. I noticed most of the congregation closed their eyes during prayers. Mother never instructed me to close my eyes, so I simply bowed my head and listened. I've never bothered to explore this further, though occasionally I'd wonder where the practice came from. Most likely from Christendom where, I'd imagine, closed eyes are supposed to aid concentration. But I've never done so. Now we're on Zoom I can see that most brothers offering prayers do close their eyes. I tend to focus on a spot on the floor or the back of the seat in front of me. What are your thoughts on this? Eyes open or eyes closed during prayers?

[JanBar]

Open, so I don't lose my balance.

[Thesauron]

It is personal. Whatever helps you to focus on the prayer. I can even close my eyes while listening to a talk. Some might think I’m sleeping. But I allow the speaker to open up the theatre of my mind. I still take notes. Don’t need my eyes to do that, really. If parents feel that closing their eyes during prayer is helpful, they might teach this habit to their children.

[Lee49]

If you were driving your car and felt the need to pray for what ever reason, would you close your eyes or bow your head?

 

[Tortuga]

5 minutes ago, Lee49 said:

If you were driving your car and felt the need to pray for what ever reason, would you close your eyes or bow your head?

 

Both...and yell, cry and duck.

[jwhess]

In the old days when we attended the Kingdom Hall or the Assembly Hall, the attendants were supposed to keep their eyes open to be observant for disruptions or emergencies.  One evening we had a sister faint and hit her head.

 

We have current counsel to pray, but the body position is not the important factor.

 

*** wp16 No. 6 p. 16 What Does the Bible Say? ***

Do we have to pray in a special position?

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE that they must always kneel, bow their head, or place their hands together when praying. What do you think?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

God has accepted prayers from those who “sat down” or “stood up” or those who were “lying prostrate” or “kneeling down.” (1 Chronicles 17:16; 2 Chronicles 30:27; Ezra 10:1; Acts 9:40) He does not require a specific bodily position when we pray.

 

*** bhs chap. 17 pp. 177-178 par. 10 The Privilege of Prayer ***

¹⁰ Do we need to be in a special position when we pray? No, Jehovah doesn’t ask us to kneel, sit, or stand when we pray. The Bible teaches us that we can talk to Jehovah in any respectful position. (1 Chronicles 17:16; Nehemiah 8:6; Daniel 6:10; Mark 11:25) What is most important to Jehovah is, not our position when we pray, but that we talk to him with the right attitude. We can pray out loud or silently wherever we are and at any time during the day or night. When we pray to Jehovah, we can trust that he will hear us even when nobody else does.—Nehemiah 2:1-6.

 

*** lr chap. 12 pp. 69-70 Jesus Teaches Us to Pray ***

Sometimes Jesus got down on his knees when he prayed. Other times he stood up. And at times he lifted his head toward heaven as he prayed, as he did when he prayed for Lazarus.

… this shows that the position you are in is not the important thing. Sometimes it is good to bow your head and close your eyes. At other times you may even want to get down on your knees, as Jesus did. But, remember, we can pray to God at any time during the day or night, and he will hear us. The important thing about prayer is that we really believe that Jehovah is listening. Do you believe that Jehovah hears your prayers?—

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by jwhess

[Dages]

7 minutes ago, jwhess said:

In the old days when we attended the Kingdom Hall or the Assembly Hall, the attendants were supposed to keep their eyes open to be observant for disruptions or emergencies.  One evening we had a sister faint and hit her head.

Still the same in my place (when we use to go to the KH, as an attendant, you have to keep your eyes open and also check the entrance door.
You can do that while bowing your head