Do any Christians claim there is there more merit in one's facing the east while making a prayer?

We see in Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV) how the Wise Men from the East came to visit Infant Jesus, saying that they had seen his star in the east. But, there is a small issue here: if the Wise men had seen the star in the east and followed it, they would have gone further eastward. If Bethlehem is treated as a base, and if the Wise men came from the East, they had moved westward! Now, some versions of Matthew 2:2 quote the Wise Men as saying that they had seen Jesus' star 'in the rising' that is, not specifying the direction east. One is, therefore, inclined to doubt if the term 'east' has wider connotations, other than just indicating the direction of sunrise, in the scriptures. It has been the tradition of the Church to build a place of worship facing the east. The Ad Orientem method of liturgy literally means 'towards the east'. Many orthodox churches as well as some Catholic Liturgical rites use Ad Orientem in their worship. But in congested cities where new churches get limited space for construction, the orientation of the structure to the east has become an exception rather than a rule. And those of the clergy and the faithful who chose to hold fast to the tradition, find things difficult. But then, do we not need to adapt ourselves to the constraints of modern life, in so far as worship is concerned? In other words, is there a special merit if one faces east while making a prayer? Inputs from scholars of any denomination are welcome.