Worship: Cyprian on Prayer Facing East

Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) and other early church writers instructed Christians to pray facing east, toward the rising sun. Cyprian wrote: "When we rise in the morning and at the setting of the sun, let us pray facing the east, for the Lord is our sun and our light." This practice connected daily prayer to the cosmic symbolism of Christ as the Light of the World.

The eastward orientation of prayer and worship was nearly universal in the early church. Churches were built with the altar at the east end so that both priest and people faced east together -- not facing each other but together facing the returning Christ. This physical orientation expressed a theological conviction: worship is not primarily about us but about the One we worship.

Practical application: Try facing east during your morning prayer this week. (Use a compass app if needed.) Let the rising sun remind you of Christ, the light that "shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The early church teaches that even the direction we face in prayer can deepen our awareness of God's presence and promise.