Balthazor Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Who here bows thier head when they pray? how about closing eyes? I am just wondering, because I may do these things sometimes but not all times. In fact the closing eyes thing I rarely do, at least over half of my prayer life I have my eyes open. The bowing head depends too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 generally without ceasing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 [quote name='hot stuff' post='1131951' date='Nov 30 2006, 01:28 PM'] generally without ceasing [/quote] [quote name='hot stuff' post='1131953' date='Nov 30 2006, 01:33 PM'] generally without ceasing [/quote] it would seem.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 silly server Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I like to pray while driving or riding my bike. And just to forestall the obvious mocking of my poor driving skills, yes, everyone else should be praying when I'm driving too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I wasn't going to say that.... ... I was going to say that praying with your eyes closed would explain your driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 hahahaha you're so funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jswranch Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 (edited) [quote name='Balthazor' post='1131945' date='Nov 30 2006, 12:19 PM'] Who here bows thier head when they pray? how about closing eyes? I am just wondering, because I may do these things sometimes but not all times. In fact the closing eyes thing I rarely do, at least over half of my prayer life I have my eyes open. The bowing head depends too.... [/quote] All the above. You left out driving and changing diapers; I advise performing both of these with eyes open. For one of my ~devotions, I pray at church kneeling with my hand on the tabernacle, kissing it when I arrive and depart. One of my few and far between 'Little Way' moments was when I brought superglue from home to fix a tile on our tabernacle mosaic. Edited November 30, 2006 by jswranch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazor Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 I just don't close my eyes at church usually, I blink...but that doesnt count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlygrace08 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 When I am praying at home, I usually always close my eyes, unless I am looking at some picture (like for the mysteries of the rosary). When I am at Mass, it is about 50/50. I close my eyes when I feel like I am getting distracted. I also prefer to kneel. However, I'm not so keen on bowing my head for some reason. I've tried it and when I do bow my head, all I can think about is how much my neck hurts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcceNovaFacioOmni Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 (edited) Closing my eyes helps, as I am easily distracted. Edited November 30, 2006 by thedude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 [quote name='thedude' post='1132151' date='Nov 30 2006, 03:47 PM'] Closing my eyes helps, as I am easily distracted. [/quote] I suffer from distraction as well. Sometimes I find it helps to write out a prayer so that I stay focused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckinamo Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 [quote name='Sojourner' post='1132154' date='Nov 30 2006, 05:50 PM'] I suffer from distraction as well. Sometimes I find it helps to write out a prayer so that I stay focused. [/quote] writing the prayer helps a LOT!! when i don't write my prayers, i bow my head and close my eyes. but when it's a group prayer, that gets hard sometimes because i miss when people are like holding hands or whatever. i've been told that i sound like i have an irish accent when i pray out loud!! do you guys every find sometimes when you're praying, who or what you're praying for reminds you of something, then you get off on this whole different trail of thoughts then you're like "woops i was totally supposed to be praying, wasn't i?" maybe that's just me. but i'm sooo easily distracted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xTrishaxLynnx Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 [quote name='stuckinamo' post='1132212' date='Nov 30 2006, 05:29 PM'] do you guys every find sometimes when you're praying, who or what you're praying for reminds you of something, then you get off on this whole different trail of thoughts then you're like "woops i was totally supposed to be praying, wasn't i?" maybe that's just me. but i'm sooo easily distracted! [/quote] I do that also... I'll be praying and a certain part of the prayer will make me think of a person or situation and I'll go off on that train of thought til I remember that I was suppose to be praying. I think that [i]sometimes[/i] that can be a good thing, because it's a reminder of the people I wanted to pray for. As for how I pray... It depends. I'm usually sitting and most of the time I end up with my eyes closed and my head in my hands, or resting on them. It's hard to describe. I pray in the car a lot also... and if I'm praying the rosary in the car I hold my rosary in my right hand and drive with my left. [img]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e12/xTrishaxLynnx/smdrive.gif[/img] Just kidding... That [i]never[/i] happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totus Tuus Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I usually pray while laying on my bed. I have a five-foot-tall bookshelf at the foot of my bed, the top of which is like my prayer altar. Above it my crucifix is on the wall, and on top of the bookshelf I have statues, a holy candle, and a big picture of Jesus embracing the Cross from the movie the Passion of the Christ. I think it's interesting how different people center their prayer around different devotions. For example, my sister says she focuses on joyful moments in Our Lord's life when she prays, while my prayer is generally inspired by the Passion, Crucifixion, and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. So the picture of Jesus and the crucifix are great helps to me. If I am meditating, I usually need the visuals to keep me focused, so my eyes are open. But if I have the grace to go a little deeper I close my eyes. Not only do the visual aids help me, but also starting out by reading a bit of Scripture, particularly the Gospels, and starting out my prayer in Lectio Divina is very helpful as well. I have tried to pray kneeling next to my bed, but I just can't focus in that position. I don't have a problem kneeling in church before the Blessed Sacrament, but at my bedside it just doesn't work for me. My problem is I often put off my prayer time and end up falling asleep if I don't pray until further into the day, or at night when I'm exhausted. Mae culpa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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