Praying with eyes wide shut!

The other day we were in church and my four year old asked, "Mommy, why are all these people praying with their eyes wide shut?"

At first I laughed, but then realized that in doing so, I was disturbing all the folks around us who were praying with their eyes wide shut. So, we left the sanctuary as quietly as we were able and we took a short walk outside in the bright summer sun.

As we were walking I began to explain all the various and sundry ways people like to pray.

Some people pray with bowed heads. Some people pray with up raised arms. Some people kneel. Some people are known to whoop with joy and dance in prayer; and some like those in our church, like to "pray with their eyes wide shut".

"But Mommy, you don't pray that way."

No honey, I don't generally pray with my eyes wide shut. I pray with them wide open. Sometimes I bow my head and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I whoop and shout. Sometimes I lie prostrate on the floor; but only rarely do I pray with my eyes wide shut. Everyone prays in their own way.

"I think people pray with their eyes wide shut because they are afraid to see Jesus."

"Really? Why would people be afraid to see Jesus?" I asked.

"Because then they would know that Jesus is alive."

Perhaps the majority of us do bow our heads and pray with our eyes wide shut out of reverence; but maybe, just maybe we also do this because on some level we fear seeing the light and the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Embracing the life of Christ requires so much of us.

I think far too many Christians prefer to live their lives as they pray their prayers....with their eyes wide shut.