Is the position of the body important for effective prayer? Do closing the eyes and bowing the head help?

There is nothing we require of you physically to launch a prayer request. We will always hear your thoughts, so it matters not where you are, what else you are doing, and how you are acting in the moment. There are many rituals developed by religions to create attitudes of showing respect and gestures of being worshipful in kneeling or bowing. Many will be surprised to hear we do not expect nor do we endorse such practices because these are designed to disempower people to make them feel small and they can undermine the belief quotient. Such practices are very much a negative influence that contributes to the dilemma that many never develop a full one hundred percent belief quotient because they are taught by their own religion that they are diminished, and defective, and coming from behind, having been born in sin and inevitably will make mistakes for which they must be forgiven again, and again, and again. With God watching and believing they are so faulty, what are the odds when someone is in great need they will feel worthy in that moment to launch a prayer request? This is a set-up to diminish human reach. It is self-chosen and self-inflicted, albeit with the help of other humans, to cultivate the notions through teachings and the example of other worshipers creating the cultural norm that seems natural and is rarely questioned. Our perspective is that anything getting in the way of a divine partnership is non-divine. It is that simple, whether it is done by a priest or rabbi or imam, does not matter. If it disempowers human beings and causes them to be distant from divine help, it is a non-divine act and will be causing harm. And all the harm that is done will be on the heads of those spreading these teachings and enforcing them. Closing the eyes is to help the process of prayer be more intimately experienced. When one is wanting to commune with the Divine, it is something that will only happen on the receiving end for the person if they are in a meditative state because the only way Creator can reach out to them is through their non-local consciousness, their intuitive sensing. Most people are quite closed off and will not feel a response, or hear, or see something in their mind’s eye, but some people will, who have intuitive abilities, and this can be quite a great blessing. It is encouraged to happen by focusing inward with the eyes closed. This automatically quiets the mind and helps the person experience their subconscious to a greater degree and what it is perceiving. It keeps the mind on the task at hand without the added distractions. It is inescapable that when one is looking and seeing something, the mind must pay attention to it and it will be a distraction in a prayer setting. So having eyes closed facilitates the process by increasing the focus. This also will tend to increase the power of the intention behind a prayer request being considered. It is telling the mind and the system—we are really doing this, and we are giving it our all. And that is a useful adjunct that will aid the outcome because it is the intention that is listened to and will be acted on. The more focused, specific, and powerful a prayerful intention, the more focused, specific, and powerful will be the divine response.