Holding Up Hands in Prayer
Various physical positions for prayer are described in the New
Testament. Those who attended the Temple probably prayed
standing up (Luke 18:11-13). In Gethsemane Jesus “fell on his face and prayed” (Matthew
26:39). Paul and the disciples in Tyre, along with their
wives and children, all knelt on the beach and prayed (Acts 21:5). The only passage which appears to prescribe a
position for prayer is in 1 Timothy:
I desire then that
in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or
quarrelling. (1
Timothy 2:8)
Raising
hands in prayer suggests asking for something and was a normal attitude for
petitionary prayer in the pagan world also.
The stress however in this passage seems to be on “holy”, and “without
anger or quarrelling”. It is interesting
that this passage has often been quoted with the stress on “men” while the raising
of hands and “without anger or quarrelling” have been largely ignored. In view of the trouble at Ephesus on account of which Paul wrote to
Timothy, it seems likely that the stress should fall neither on “men” nor on
raising hands but on the proper attitude towards others without which prayer is
ineffective:
And whenever you
stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses. (Mark
11:25)
The physical position we adopt can vary. What matters is our attitude before God and
towards our brother or sister or neighbour.
Probably we could all improve the frequency and content of our prayers.
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