Mensa Otabil - Lifting Up Holy Hands (10/06/2025)
We’ve been talking about prayer from 1 Timothy chapter 2, and Paul’s instruction to the church tells them what to pray for, whom to pray for, and how we should pray to one God, as Jesus is the mediator. Now he discusses the attitude of prayer in verse 8. 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 8 states, «I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.»
I will be taking this verse for today and tomorrow, using the same verse for both sessions. The first part I want to discuss is praying with uplifted hands-lifting holy hands. Most of us are familiar with that concept, especially if you’re Pentecostal. You go to church and hear someone say, «Lift up your hands and let’s pray,» or «Lift up your hands and worship.» The act of lifting up hands in prayer was an Old Testament practice that was affirmed in the New Testament. This is one instance where something from the Old Testament still occurs in the New Testament. Therefore, the early church continued the practice of lifting up hands when they pray.
In this context, Paul is addressing «the men.» This does not mean that this instruction is only for men, but at that time, men led prayer. So he says when you are leading prayer, this is what you should do. If the leader is lifting up holy hands, it means that the whole congregation also lifts up holy hands in prayer. What does it mean when we lift up our hands in prayer?
Firstly, when we lift up our hands in prayer, we’re saying, «Lord, my life is open before you. I stand before you with nothing to hide, no secrets, and no hypocrisy. I come to you just as I am.» That is what it meant in the Old Testament when they lifted up their hands; it symbolizes a state of openness. It’s almost as if we are receiving from God, and whatever God has for us, we are ready for it. So we say, «I am open to you, O
Lord.»
Secondly, when we lift up holy hands-remember, our hands must be holy-we are also asking God to cleanse us from every sin, from everything that is wrong. When we stand before God, we want to be cleansed people, washed by the blood of Jesus, made clean before the Lord, having access to Him, and able to stand before Him without fear and condemnation. He says that when we’re praying, this should be our posture: «We come to you, Lord, as we are. We humbly come before you, and Lord, cleanse us; wash us from all sin and everything that disrupts our relationship with you.»
The third reason we lift up holy hands is as a sign of surrender. Normally, even in general usage, when people want to surrender, they lift up their hands. In war, you lift up your hands and say, «Good, close, I’ve surrendered; I’ve lost, and you can take me now.» So when we lift up holy hands, that’s essentially what we are saying to God: «I surrender; I am yours; I belong to you. There is nothing about me that is solely for me. My life is in your hands; my future is in your hands; my destiny is in your hands; everything I have is in your hands.»
It is a posture of prayer. While we pray for our needs and come specifically to say, «Lord, I want this and I want that,» in the end, we also say, «Lord, I’m in your hands.» We recognize that it’s not our will but Your will that be done. That’s what Christ taught us in the Garden of Gethsemane. Although we pray for our wills, we are also surrendered to God’s will.
Everyone who prays knows that we don’t have 100% of our prayers answered. There is sovereignty in God’s response to prayer, where He does what He sees fit. So, Paul says when you pray, lift up your holy hands to God, and anytime you do that, remember you are saying, «Lord, I’m open to you; Lord, cleanse me; Lord, I am surrendered to you.» Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable before you. In Jesus' name, amen, and amen.» We will continue this tomorrow. Pastor Mensa Otabil, shalom, peace, and life to you.