by David Scott Robertson
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" (1 Timothy 2:8).
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I love to raise my hands in worship to the Lord - in my private devotions and in public church services. Why? Isn't that out of order? Should the ushers show me to the door? Am I disrupting the service or causing confusion? Nope! Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The truth is there are at least 5 reasons why we should lift up our hands in worship to the Lord:
1. I RAISE MY HANDS BECAUSE IT'S SCRIPTURAL.
"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place" (Psalm 28:2).
"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands" (Psalm 63:4).
"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD" (Psalm 134:2).
2. I RAISE MY HANDS IN WORSHIP BECAUSE I KNOW THE ANSWER.
When I was in school, when the teacher asked a question in class and I knew the answer, I raised my hand to be called upon. Nowadays, in worship services, I know that Jesus is the Answer to every problem I face! I raise my hand symbolically to acknowledge that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
3. I RAISE MY HANDS IN WORSHIP AS A SIGN OF SURRENDER.
"Stop or I'll shoot!" the police officer instructs the fugitive. "Now, raise your hands where I can see them." The officer wants to see with his eyes that there is no weapon in the man's hands.
Raising of the hands has always been a sign of surrender in such instances. In one simple gesture a great deal is communicated nonverbally: "I am at your mercy! I give up! I submit! I yield! I will not fight or struggle any longer against you! See, I am placing myself in a position to not contend with you!"
That is a good posture for us to approach God. Humbling ourselves and admitting our weakness may be humiliating, but that's the point, isn't it?
4. I RAISE MY HANDS IN WORSHIP AS A SIGN OF VICTORY.
The boxer knocks out his opponent, his hands go up. The hockey player scores, up goes his hands! The tennis player drives match point down the line. He pumps his fist into the air. We can see a hundred players and thousands of fans go through this ritual every Sunday afternoon on TV. Raising one or both hands into the air has always represented victory in circles of competition.
In the spiritual war we are engaged in, we have the victory through the blood of Jesus! We have been made to be more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. No enemy can prosper against us!
Uplifted hands, before or during or after the battle is always appropriate. As a matter of fact, I firmly believe it is always better to celebrate the victory with raised hands before the battle (that requires faith) than after the battle as a show of aggression on my part to a defeated foe. That's how confident I am in the Lord.
5. I RAISE MY HANDS IN WORSHIP INVITING MY FATHER TO PICK ME UP.
When my daughter was an infant and before she learned how to express her desires verbally, when she wanted me to pick her up she would raise both her hands to me. Instantly I knew what she wanted and responded immediately. Who do you think put that cause and effect response in the heart of child and parent? Why our Heavenly Father, who in case you didn't already know this, is the best Father, Daddy, Papa, of all time!
Lift up your hands to your Father and He will be glad to scoop you up into His loving arms anytime your faith collides with His loving kindness and tender mercy. Ever felt like you just needed a good hug when life gets you down? Is your heart breaking and you need some comfort? Or on the other side of the spectrum of emotions, are you glad to the bone and need to transfer that joy to someone else? A "pick me up" from God can accomplish all of this in short order and the sure fire way for a child to get picked up by its father is to lift up both of those hands and look up!
When we as parents get busy or distracted and sometimes our youngsters who can talk add "pick me up, Daddy" to the equation. I don't know how your family operated, but when that happened in my house, it didn't take long at all for me to satisfy my child's need to be picked up, hugged, and loved on for a little while. God knows the value of power of touch.
To sum it up, the act of raising your hands before the Lord can mean many things but know this, each act has meaning. God knows your heart, your motive, and what you want and need at the time. He will receive your "spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1-2) as a prophetic act if you will obey the biblical admonishment to "lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" (1 Timothy 2:8).
DSR
12/19/05