I want to discuss here a little of the phenomenology of praying towards heaven and what it means. But a preliminary qualifier, I think it is appropriate to bow one's head when confessing sins and praying for forgiveness, after the example of the tax collector who would not even look up to heaven when he confessed his sin, as opposed to the Pharisee. But I think for other petitions and worship, the default posture is to face heaven. In fact the early Christians were thought to be sky worshippers because they kept facing heaven whenever they prayed.
First, biblically we not only have Jesus’s own example of facing heaven when he prayed, but fundamentally it is God's own title: our Father in heaven, and Jesus himself has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
Now it maybe argued that this isn't literally at the sky but a sort of aspatial location (paradoxically!), but again, Jesus’s own example of facing heaven suggests that it is not that simple. In facing heaven we are confronted with a vast expense, and with modern cosmology, when we look up to the sky we are really looking towards an almost boundless space beyond the earth. We acknowledge an infinite God not only beyond the earth beyond the near infinity of space, but also a God over the earth, as the vast heavens cover and govern the whole earth.
I suggest that the phenomenology of a literal heavenly Father who is infinite and governs the whole earth when one gazes at the sky and beyond is very different from the experience of praying eyes closed and looking inwards towards oneself. Again, bowing one's head in penitence and shame when confessing sins is fine, but I think the default posture of forgiven saints is standing upwards and looking upwards towards heaven in triumph. I remember when the Egyptian Anglican Archbishop visited Singapore and was about to give the benediction, he was surprised that we knelt for it and asked us to stand to receive it. I suppose this is Coptic influence but I suggest, the right posture.
As such, I think there is much to commend not only Jesus’s own example, but that also that of natural theology where in Chinese folk religion, one does literally refer to Sky Father or heaven as God.
So I've started changing my prayer practice by praying towards the window and looking towards the sky, but old habits die hard. But it is phenomenologically different, it's less introspective and looking inward to one's feeling and more "confrontational" as it were, looking into the sky, and the space beyond, and then into the Infinite Being beyond who commands all.
I think this posture is different, confront and face your Judge and God in the "eye", and in open and honest heart before the Almighty, uncloak all your affectations and pray with full assurance and good conscience with Christ standing between in Heaven interceding for you.
Basically my argument in meme format:
