Prayer Is Looking God in the Eyes

Many of us grew up as third culture kids [TCK]. TCK is a term sociologists created to define children who were raised in a cultural environment different from their immigrant parents'. I am a TCK and navigating the east/west divide has at times been tricky at best and angst-inducing at worst.

I recall learning very quickly to never ever look at my father’s face, let alone his eyes, when he disciplined me. If I ever came close to this, it was quickly turned away by a hard slap to the cheek or a knuckle against the forehead. When I was young, fear was the emotion that overwhelmed me until later in life when fear took a backseat to hostility as a hot-blooded Korean. This was the eastern culture side of my identity.

But then as a 5 year old who was very fluent in Korean (believe it or not), I entered St. Mary’s Roman Catholic school for kindergarten. Almost immediately I learned that not looking at the faces of teachers, authority figures, coaches, and especially Sister Mary Elizabeth (school principal), would warrant a similar, albeit western, slap in the face reaction (corporal punishment was no joke in the RC school system). “Look at me when I speak to you!” was the western culture side of my identity.

What does all this have to do with prayer? Before Christ Jesus, we were not able to be face-to-face with Yahweh. Recall Moses’ experience after Israel’s dreadful, even grotesque incident with the golden calf. Moses requests that God show him his glory [Ex. 33], and while the LORD obliges, He only allows Moses to see his backside glory:

Exodus 33:18–23 ESV

[18] Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” [19] And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [20] But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” [21] And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, [22] and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. [23] Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

But God (pun absolutely intended!)…in Christ Jesus!!!

The Koine Greek word for prayer is προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai). It literally means “facing toward, before.” My dear sisters & brothers, think about what this means. It means that we can look God in the eyes with our tear-strewn eyes and cry out in submission, confession, petition, supplication, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving.

Please consider this powerful truth and let it transform and motivate your prayer lives, your relational communion with our Abba Father.