I'm still amazed at certain things in the kingdom of God. Take the practice of lifting hands during worship. I still get many questions about the practice and why we do it. Now don't get me wrong it's not the questions that I'm amazed at, it's the answers. I've heard some deep theological thesis given by well meaning Christians that cause non-believers' eyes to glaze over. I've also heard every cliche imaginable.
Ultimately the answer to why we do what we do has to be firmly rooted in scripture.Lifting the hands in worship is no different. So what does the Bible say about lifting the hands. The first reason to lift our hands is in petition. The lifting of hands is a physical expression of someone desperate for God's help.
There are many examples of this practice in scripture:
- Moses spreads out his hands to the Lord. Exodus 9:33
- Aaron and Hur lifted Moses' hands in battle. Exodus 17:11-13
- Ezra spread his hands out to God. Ezra 9:5
- That men everywhere would lift up their hands in prayer. 1 Timothy 2:8
The second reason to lift the hands is to express praise.
- A wave offering to the Lord Exodus 29:24
- All the people lifted up their hands and worshiped. Nehemiah 8:6
- Lift up you hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. Psalm 134:2
So why do we lift our hands during worship? We lift our hands, because of the example given to us in scripture. I realize some people hesitate to lift their hands due to their background or reserved personality, but it is hard to deny that scripture supports this practice whether in petition or praise.
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