Many churches today require to bow their heads and close their eyes during public prayers, which makes many Christians form a pattern when they pray. So the problem arises that many Christians think that prayers that are not in this pattern are extreme or wrong.
Let’s put the question aside and look at what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, “learn from me…” (Matthew 11:29). God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Jesus Christ set an example for us to pray. Although He prayed everywhere, whether it was on the mountain, by the sea, in the town, or in the inner room, He was close to God the Father. He offers spiritual and honest prayers to God the Father in any form.
The Bible does not give us a fixed pattern to pray, because there are many kinds of prayer, and different prayers should be prayed in different attitudes and forms. There are prayers of repentance, prayers of praise, prayers of supplication, prayers of thanksgiving, and so on.
When Jesus and his disciples praised, gave thanks, or prayed, they often looked up to heaven or raised their hands in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8). In the Bible, the tax collector’s prayer of confession is to bow his head and close his eyes.
Therefore, it would be wrong to prescribe any form of prayer for all prayers. The emphasis in the church today on a single form of prayer is unbiblical.