HOLY HANDS. 1st Timothy 2:8. The attitude of someone dedicated to prayer makes it clear how people should conduct themselves during public worship. When the assembly is gathered, men who lead in prayer in a public place must have holy hands that are not involved in anything that wouldn't pass public scrutiny, reflecting the character of one who represents our Lord. The scriptures describe various postures of those praying publicly: outstretched hands [1Kg.8:22], kneeling [Dan.6:10], and standing. An attitude of sincere enthusiasm (holy hands), free from wrath (nothing to hinder), and without doubting (being united), leaves no room for anger or arguments. Our relationships with others directly influence the effectiveness of our prayer. Doubt drains prayer of its power.
We learn some things best when we pray and speak out loud to the Lord. It is then we ask for understanding of God's truth and why things are the way they are. When we know that God understands our situation, we can share our troubles with Him and describe how we feel. It is okay to talk openly to God about everything in our hearts. You can speak to Him about yourself and others—your problems and joys—with honest and unreserved communication.
The Lord is our only hope and refuge during difficult times. Trusting the Lord wholeheartedly is an act of faith. Taking wise action reflects common sense. When God answers, we must keep our promises to Him and praise Him for His deliverance. A petition for deliverance shows our confidence in God. We deeply appreciate our “portion in the land of the living” and are motivated to respond to others' concerns. Ignoring their difficulties would challenge our sense of decency. The Lord is always near. It's good to make our requests to the Lord aloud so others can join us at the throne of grace and rejoice together when God answers.
Begin prayer by praising God for His mercy and faithfulness before appealing to the Lord God to hear our supplications and intercessions. Solomon asked God to hear the prayers made in and toward the temple. Our public prayers are directed to God through the One who makes intercession for us. Prayer is generally a broad term referring to our communication with our heavenly Father. Supplication is a request for help or mercy when in need. A cry is an expression of gratitude and praise.
The first thing I do each day is wash my hands in hot water to remove impurities, but another more important cleaning involves my words and actions that prepare me to lift holy hands! So, with a simple prayer, I open the Word of God and begin to read and listen as my Father speaks to me. As He reveals His thoughts and shares His will for me each day, it enables me to lift my hands without anger, resentment, or doubts.
Later, my wife and I read the scriptures together, prayed aloud, and pleaded for those we know who are in need, looking for ways to meet their needs if we can. If there are ways we can help carry their burdens, we find joy in coming alongside them. But I know I must treat her with respect and seek to meet her needs so my prayers are not hindered, which allows me to lift up holy hands.
From there, I move on to work that sometimes feels mundane because it is so repetitive day after day. However, I must stay diligent so others cannot accuse me of being a lazy servant only concerned with my own interests. That allows me to lift holy hands! Much of what I do is when I am alone. If I choose to do wrong, it might never be known by anyone else, but if I have sinned, I know it, and I feel the guilt. I must confess the wrong with sincere repentance and turn away from that sin. This enables me to lift holy hands when God’s people gather!
If my brothers in Christ do something I don’t agree with, or if some significant incident occurs within the family, it may be important to them, so I can’t treat it as trivial. I must consider them and avoid stumbling or ignoring them and their conscience. That allows me to lift up holy hands at the prayer meeting! When I am lying on my bed, drawing near to heaven, may there never be a wrong done to me that I haven’t forgiven, or if I have wronged someone, may I be forgiven before I die. That will enable me to lift up holy hands on my deathbed!
The men pray out loud publicly, and the women pray silently in public. The "Amen" after prayer shows mutual agreement with what's been said. God does not show favoritism, and His offer of salvation is for "all men everywhere," so our prayers are for "all men." The Gospel message's nature excludes no one. God loves the entire world and knows each person intimately. When we pray earnestly for all men, some results occur all over the world, of which we are part.
Praying is for our good. The benefits of praying include a quiet (circumstances around us), peaceful (attitude within us) life, godliness, and honesty. Our prayers should be for all people: the saved and the lost, those nearby and those far away, enemies and friends, kings - even Emperor Nero, who was on the throne then. All in authority—judges, police, etc.—need our prayer. The purpose of prayer, its true focus, is for men to be saved. This is good, just, and beautiful, not just in its effects. It is pleasing to the Lord: not a selfish act, with the salvation of souls as its aim, without exception but not limited by distinction. This depends on the “knowledge of the truth.”
Confessing faults and sins to one another is essential for maintaining a vital and meaningful fellowship as believers. 1] If we have sinned against someone, we must seek forgiveness. 2] If our sin has impacted the congregation, we should confess it publicly. 3] If we need support from others, we should confess that sin to those whose support we seek. 4] If we require reassurance from others, we may need to confess our sins to them. Our most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. When believers pray in faith, they can be delivered from depression caused by unacknowledged guilt. Guilt is not resolved by simply affirming self-worth despite one’s actions. Repentance and confessing sins to the Lord and those involved bring relief from hidden guilt.
Confessing "faults" means we must face and address them. That makes prayer energized and "effectual" when a person is righteous before God. The barrier caused by sin is removed, and fellowship with God and fellow believers is restored. Trials bring rewards directly from the Lord Himself. We trust God and do not allow ourselves to waver in our loyalty to Him. During testing times, we commit ourselves fully to God, knowing that trials bring out the best in us.
Doubt makes a person feel unsettled. We must trust God to reveal what is best. Then, our decisions will be firm. We can be confident in God's plans during times of testing, even if we don’t understand them ourselves while going through them. He is shaping the character of His children to develop patience, just as He did with Joseph in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament. Through prayer, our Father supplies the wisdom we need.
When we pray for those in authority who hold high offices in the world's nations, we intercede on their behalf and can influence the outcome of their leadership. "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord," and it can be directed in a way that positively impacts the work of the Gospel and the lives of God's people. We can dispel any suspicion of disloyalty or subversive activity by praying publicly for those in authority.
In the early church, there was considerable open opposition to the Gospel and Christians from those in authority, so it was especially important for believers to publicly express their desire for "quiet and peaceable" lives. The lifestyle of God's children includes outward quietness and inner peacefulness. Godliness involves a reverence for God that shows itself in facial expressions, tone of voice, and gentle spirit. Honesty also reflects our knowledge of God lived out before others. These traits mirror Christ in the character and behavior of His followers. Outward quietness and peacefulness in public stem from godliness and honesty in the hearts of God's children. This display of faith in Christ and commitment to God manifests in the dignity shown during public prayer and is a natural part of Christian character.