Weekly Devotional - October 26, 2012

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."

1 Timothy 2:8 NIV

You lift your hands for a lot of reasons. When someone asks for volunteers, you lift your hand. When you agree, you raise your hand. When you disagree, you raise your hand. You raise your hand in support. You raise your hand in protest. A raised hand is a welcome sign. A raised hand can also be a stop sign.

The Bible tells us to pray with lifted hands. A lifted hand is a surrendered hand. Prayer is hindered when the pray-er has not surrendered to the Lord. Prayer is not a way of telling God what to do. Instead, prayer is a way of joining God in what he is doing. Not "Lord, do this for me" but "Lord, I will do this for you."

Lifted hands must be holy hands. A popular end-of-prayer-tag is this, "Father, forgive us of our sins." We say it as if it is a formula and as if it is forgotten. Asking for forgiveness ought to be in our prayers as often as sin is in our lives. Holy hands are hands that aren't stained with sin. And there is only one way to wash the sin from your hands. Pilate tried to wash from his hands the guilt of handing over Jesus for crucifixion but could not do it with water. Some religions teach that baptismal waters wash away sins but they do not. Only the blood of Jesus, applied to the repentant sinner, can wash away sins and make hands holy.

Lifted and holy hands must be connected to a heart that is right with God and right with others. Anger and disputes drive wedges between the pray-er and God and between the pray-er and his fellow man. Isn't it ridiculous to pray, "Lord, help me do your will," or "Lord, here are my needs" when you have a wedge in your life separating you from God or other people?

Prayer is an act of worship. Surrendered, your prayers are rightly turned toward God's will. Holy, your prayers are unhindered by sin. With good relationships, your prayers are made with right motive. Pray that God will help you lift holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.