LIFTING YOUR HANDS TO THE LORD
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2).
When people are asked to lift their hands in worship during a church service, some respond mechanically or not at all, often because they haven’t been trained in spiritual things. If they truly understood the spiritual significance of lifting their hands to the Lord, it wouldn’t be a struggle.
Years ago, in some meetings, I made an important observation: many of those who were healed had been unable to lift their hands due to pain. This caught my attention, and I asked the Spirit of God why so many people had this problem. He said, “I told them to worship with hands lifted; I instructed that all men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands, but they wouldn’t.” Years later, they found themselves unable to lift their hands without effort or pain.
The lesson there was this: had they been worshipping with their hands lifted regularly, as God had instructed, such limitations wouldn’t have developed. But thank God for His grace that brought them healing. Never think that lifting your hands is unnecessary or even embarrassing while you’re praying or worshipping the Lord. It’s an act of faith, spiritual responsiveness, and yieldedness to the Spirit.
Even if lifting your hands was a painful effort before you became a Christian, keep practicing lifting them to the Lord in worship. By so doing, you’re acting on the Word. Before long, those same hands will rise higher and higher, effortlessly and without pain. Hebrews 12:12-13 says, “…lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”
Many of God’s children suffer physically, not because something is inherently wrong but because they neglect to do what the Word says, and Satan capitalizes on that. So, learn to act on the Word. Let your spirit train your body in worship. Keep lifting your hands in praise and you’ll experience such glory in your life that you never imagined.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the privilege and blessing of worshipping you with my hands lifted in reverence and in love. There’s none like you. You’re great and mighty, the King of all and God of all flesh who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To you be honour and everlasting power forever. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 134:1-2, Lamentations 3:41, 1 Timothy 2:8 NIV
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Philemon 1:1-25, Jeremiah 33
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 8:44-59, 2 Kings 24-25
