Morning Moments

We shall today continue with 1 Tim 2:8 - I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

So far, we have seen that our SACRED DUTY involves Public Prayer. We must always consider culture and context in our understanding a text.

I. Paul's Compelling Desire - "I will"

II. Paul's Careful Delineation - "men pray everywhere"

III. Paul's Clear Description - "lifting up holy hands"

This thing of the lifting of hands is to accompany prayer, but is this to be taken literally or figuratively? Much debate continues about this, but once again we must always be careful of two extremes: Tradition and Trend. Truth is a balance between the two. Let's consider the literal first -

1 Kings 8:22 says, "And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Isreal and spread forth his hands toward heaven."

Psalm 141:2 - "Let my PRAYER be set forth before thee as incense: and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

Luke 24:50 - "...and he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them."

If folks lifted the hands on certain occasions for certain purposes throughout Scripture, what's our problem with it? There is far more Biblical evidence for uplifting the hands than for much else that we cling tenaciously to. In fact, there is far more Scripture to lift one's hands in prayer than to have a Sunday School, meet at 11:00 AM on Sunday, have a minister of education, youth, or music. Oh my, I better stop this before I get tar and feathers by the pharisees.

The lifting of the hands is an indication of surrender and the empty hands indicates the laying down of arms. Plain and simple. Although none of the things I mentioned are wrong, we must not strain at gnats and swallow camels.

Tomorrow, God willing, we shall consider the last part of the verse -
IV. Paul's Confident Directive - "without wrath and doubting"

PRAYER: Father, you know how easy it is for us to get sidetracked on things that matter little, so please keep our hearts open, our minds clear, and our emotions under control about things that don't matter so much in the whole scheme of things.