Lifting Hands in Prayer

Communion with the Lord

When you pray, lift your hands straight up to the Lord.  Brother Yong-Doo Kim says the Lord told a member of his church, “Don’t let your arms fall down even though it’s hard. The prayer with hands lifted up high has much more power.” -- Baptize by Blazing Fire.

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands
were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; (Exo 17:9-15)

In battle, there was someone in the army assigned to carry a banner on a pole.  As long as he lifted up the banner, all the soldiers knew they should continue to fight.  But when the bearer let down the banner, the soldiers knew that they were being defeated. As Moses lifted up his hands to the Lord on the hill, he put his faith and trust in the Lord for Israel's victory over the enemy.  And as long as he kept his hands lifted up high, the Lord defeated the enemy.  When it became too hard and he lowered his hands, then the enemy began to prevail in the battle.  That's why Aaron and Hur had him sit down as they supported his hands for hours until the sun set.  That day, their banner was not a piece of cloth.  The Lord Himself was the banner over them who gave the victory.  And that is why Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psa 28:2)

So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psa 63:4)

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. (Psa 119:48)

Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD. (Psa 134:2)

"Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street." (Lam 2:19)

We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; (Lam 3:41)

Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:6)

May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. (Psa 141:2)

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. (1Ti 2:8)

So as you can see, the Scripture is full of examples of people lifting their hands to God.  It's very powerful! The Lord is very pleased when we lift up our hearts and hands to Him. As Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  When you lift up your hands to Him in prayer, He will be your banner of victory over the enemy.  Let me encourage you to do that when you pray and worship.

Credit: The illustration called "Communion with the Lord" is by my daughter C.V. Lacroix.  You can find more of her fine artwork at A Brush with Life.  Photo from the "I Will Sing" album by Don Moen, recorded at the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.