We’ve all done it; bowed our heads, closed our eyes, folded our hands. It’s almost second nature. A gesture passed down through generations. A posture that says, “I’m praying now. I’m focused. I’m reverent.”
But if we pause and ask a simple question—Did Jesus close His eyes when He prayed?—we might be surprised by what we find.
Did Jesus Close His Eyes When He Prayed?
The Gospels don’t give us a clear “yes” or “no.” They don’t mention His eyelids, whether they flickered shut or stayed wide open. But they do tell us something else. Something deeper. They show us how Jesus prayed; with intention, with intimacy, and with trust.
He Looked Up
In John 17:1, as Jesus begins what we often call His “High Priestly Prayer,” the text says, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father…”
He didn’t close His eyes. He lifted them.
In Mark 7:34, just before healing a deaf man, Jesus “looked up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha…”
Again, eyes open. Heavenward.
This was a common posture in ancient Jewish prayer: arms raised, eyes lifted, face toward the sky. It was a way of showing dependence on God, of aligning heart and body in surrender and praise. They didn’t always bow heads or shut out the world. Sometimes, they looked straight into it, and beyond it.
Jesus prayed like that. He looked up.
But that’s not the only way He prayed.
He Fell on His Face
In Matthew 26:39, on the night of His betrayal, we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The weight of the cross already pressing on His soul. The sorrow deep. The agony real. And this time, we’re told, “He fell on his face, and prayed…”
No eyes lifted. No words projected toward the sky. Just a man on the ground. Face down. Crushed in spirit, but still speaking to the Father.
It’s likely His eyes were closed here. Not by rule or ritual, but by anguish. By love. By the nearness of what was coming.
So, did Jesus close His eyes when He prayed?
Sometimes, maybe.
Other times, definitely not.
But always, He prayed with His whole heart.
If you’d like to explore more about how Jesus approached prayer, this article might be a good place to start: The Prayer Life of Jesus.
It’s Not About the Eyes
That’s what we often miss.
We worry about the little things, should I sit or kneel? Speak out loud or silently? Close my eyes or look up? But God has never asked us to pray perfectly. He’s asked us to pray honestly.
Whether your eyes are open or shut, God is looking at your heart.
This isn’t about posture. It’s about presence.
It’s not about what others see. It’s about who you’re talking to.
And it’s not about getting it right. It’s about showing up.
We Close Our Eyes for Many Reasons
Sometimes we close our eyes to concentrate.
To block out the noise.
To center ourselves.
Sometimes we close them because that’s what we were taught.
Sometimes we don’t even think about it.
And that’s okay. Because prayer isn’t measured in how well we follow form, it’s measured in how closely we lean into God.
If your prayer life has been feeling dry or distant, you’re not alone. This post may help you reflect: Benefits and Consequences of Prayerlessness.
The Eyes of the Heart
Paul once wrote in Ephesians 1:18, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened…”
It’s a strange phrase. The eyes of your understanding. Other versions say, “the eyes of your heart.”
That’s the kind of seeing God is after. Not just the kind that takes in light through the pupils, but the kind that opens us to truth. The kind that sees Him, even when life is dark.
Sometimes our physical eyes are open. Sometimes they’re shut tight. But the eyes of the heart, those are the ones God wants to awaken.
He wants us to see His faithfulness.
To notice His nearness.
To remember His promises.
To look again, even when we feel blind with worry or pain.
For a beautiful reminder that God’s love is steady even when we fail, read: Does God Love Me Even Though I Keep Sinning?
So, How Should We Pray?
Pray with your eyes open if that helps you feel connected.
Pray with them closed if that helps you block out distractions.
Pray lying down, sitting up, walking, kneeling.
Pray in the car, in your room, on your porch.
Just pray.
What matters is not what your body is doing. What matters is the cry of your soul.
God hears that. Always.
A Quiet Invitation
The next time you bow your head and shut your eyes, remember, Jesus didn’t always do that. And He never told us we had to. What He showed us was something better.
A life of prayer that was honest.
A rhythm of prayer that was constant.
A love for the Father that never wavered.
You can walk in that same rhythm.
You don’t have to get it right.
You don’t have to perform.
You don’t have to pretend.
You just have to show up. Eyes open or closed.
God is already there. Waiting.
