Take off your caps
"Nothing biblical, just a personal preference"
My youth pastor in middle school (who is now my mentor in my adult life), used to always ask anyone to take off their hats when it was time to pray.
But he would always state, “Nothing biblical about it, just a personal preference.”
Now, at the time, I didn’t wear hats.
No, that obsession didn’t come until later in life (beanies, sock hats, baseball caps, trucker hats…)
But, growing up, I thought of this often.
Should I take off my hat when I pray? Even by myself?
My grandfather on my mom’s side was the same way.
And they expected that people took off their hats when they came into a building, too.
“A sign of respect,” they always said.
But, for prayer by myself, should I take off my hat?
I’ll tell you that my answer, right now, is “If I want to.”
There are moments that feel…holier…than others. And, in those moments, I respectfully take off my hats (physically and figuratively…but more on that later).
So, the question now is, “Should you take off your hat/glasses/coverings, etc. when you pray?”
And I think the answer is always, “If you want to or feel like you should, then yes.”
Let me state this clearly—your hat is not blocking God’s thoughts from making their way into your head or vice versa.
But
Your posture can affect your prayers…and sometimes that means humbling yourself in specific ways you might not otherwise. Like taking off your hat to pray…
My prayer for today
Our Father, let us continually stay open to your prodding to posture ourselves in alignment with the moment. Spirit, keep our hearts soft and open for your nudging. Jesus, keep my eyes focused on the most important things. Amen.
Remember
If you ever find yourself worried about whether or not you need to do something in order to pray…you probably don’t. But, if you find yourself fixating on it, then do it!