Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument. (1 Timothy 2:8 HCSB)
In the previous post, we looked at some scriptures that encourage us to lift up our hands in worship. But the Word of God also encourages us to lift our hands in prayer as well.
Here are some scripture references to hands being lifted in prayer:
Lev. 9:22--Aaron lifted his hands to bless the people
Job 11:13
Ps. 28:2; 77:2; 119:48; 141:2
Isa. 1:15
Lam. 2:19
1 Tim. 2:8
Lk. 24:50--Jesus lifted his hands to bless his disciples
Lifted hands are a symbolic posture of prayer. Traditionally, the hands are raised to the level of the shoulders or head with the palms turned upward in a gesture of reception. The posture of lifted hands is sometimes called the orant, which comes from the Latin word orans, meaning "praying." It is one of the oldest traditional postures for Christian prayer. Drawings of it appear as early as A.D. 180 in the Callistus catacomb, and many ancient tombstones portray Christians in this posture.
(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible--Tyndale House Publishers)