Raising Hands in Prayer and Song

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Hope1960

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Why do some Protestants raise their hands in prayer or worship songs? I saw only about 4 or 5 who did this at the ND I checked out, but saw a video of a hallway full of doctors and nurses, about 20 or 30 of them praying and most of them had their hands raised.
 
I recently attended a mass in the UK where the students from a local university where doing the same thing, I was concerned. They were Catholics.
 
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In some of the most ancient artwork in Christianity (for example, in the catacombs outside of Rome) worshippers are shown holding their hands up as they pray.

I do not know the history behind why this remains popular for some Protestants and rare for Catholics.

Deacon Christopher
 
For your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. (Psalms 63:4-5)

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Hope1960 said:
Why do some Protestants raise their hands in prayer or worship songs?
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Lifting hands is an ancient posture of worship, and there are many references made to such a posture in both the Old and New Testament.

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1 Timothy 2:8-10​

Nehemiah 8:6​

1 Kings 8:54​

Psalm 28:2​

As a common practice within Protestant Christianity, its origins lie with the Wesleyan-Holiness and Pentecostal movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since these traditions were very focused on using the early church as a pattern for their life and worship, it makes sense that they would turn to practices found in Scripture and revive them.
 
Hope1960 said:
Why do some Protestants raise their hands in prayer or worship songs? I saw only about 4 or 5 who did this at the ND I checked out, but saw a video of a hallway full of doctors and nurses, about 20 or 30 of them praying and most of them had their hands raised.
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I suspect that on some Protestant forum someone is asking why to Catholics and some others cross themselves with their hands.
I’m of the crossing myself crowd, not the raising my hands crowd, but if that helps them pray, then God bless them
 
This thread is getting dangerously close to a debate about the orans posture. 🤔

😁
 
I think it’s a ‘cultural’ thing, like what you’d see at a praise & worship service.

I have a friend who is an Evangelical Free, and I think they do a lot of this gesticulating.
 
In 1 Tim. 2:8, Paul commands the men only to lift up their holy hands. So it looks like for men it is mandatory, for women it is optional.
 
CzechMan said:
In 1 Tim. 2:8, Paul commands the men only to lift up their holy hands. So it looks like for men it is mandatory, for women it is optional.
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I’m not sure it’s “mandatory” for either men or women as a form of worship. The emphasis in that verse is on Christians getting along with one another, that they “should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” It is also reminding us that when we worship God, we should seek to do so in a holy and righteous manner–not clinging to sin or unforgiveness as hypocrites do. It is similar to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:24 about reconciling with others before you offer your gifts at God’s altar.
 
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Hope1960 said:
I’m wondering, though, HOW it helps them pray?
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Well, if you think about the posture–hands pointed outward toward heaven–it appears symbolic of reaching toward God. It is a posture of entreaty and appealing for help. It’s not that different from children reaching for their parents.

Ezra 9:5, “But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God.”

We see this sense of asking for help in the Psalms. Psalm 28:2, “Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.”

Also, Lamentations 3:41 where the act of lifting the hand is associated with lifting the heart, “We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven.”

It is likened to an offering to God: Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.”

In another sense, it signifies blessing. When we lift our hands, we are blessing the Lord. Psalm 134:2, “Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD.”
 
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When we say “and with your spirit” some people lift up their hands.

When we say “we lift them up to the Lord” then “it is right and just” a lot of people lift up their hands.

I don’t but you are this here in prayer and I also see it during adoration some people pray with their hands in the air
 
ltwin said:
Well, if you think about the posture–hands pointed outward toward heaven–it appears symbolic of reaching toward God. It is a posture of entreaty and appealing for help. It’s not that different from children reaching for their parents.

Ezra 9:5, “But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God.”

We see this sense of asking for help in the Psalms. Psalm 28:2, “Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.”

Also, Lamentations 3:41 where the act of lifting the hand is associated with lifting the heart, “We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven.”

It is likened to an offering to God: Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.”

In another sense, it signifies blessing. When we lift our hands, we are blessing the Lord. Psalm 134:2, “Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD.”
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That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
 
My friend does that and even I mimicked the move for awhile but I never really knew what it meant or why people started doing it.
 
I’m a big time hand-raiser myself. I also engage in other physical movements for prayer such as making the sign of the cross, kneeling, and using manipulatives such as rosaries or crosses.

Using physical movements along with things like recited prayers, artwork, architecture, incense, candles, music, physical objects such as rosaries, or prayer books engages the whole body, mind, and soul in prayer. Think of it like learning styles, and using multiple means (kinesthetic, auditory, visual) to focus the mind engages all learners. Some rely on sights, others use sounds, words, mental exercises, or posture for prayer. Many, even most I would say, use some combination of the above.

Raising hands is very scriptural. The priest even does this at Mass. As for individual prayer, for me it has multiple meanings:
  1. “God I reach out to you.” Much like my toddler reaches out to me to be held close. I want God to pull me in close. I know it melts my heart when my kiddo does this, how much more so does it appeal to our Heavenly Father?
  2. “God I am reaching FOR you.” Basically when I need help. I reach out for Him to grab me and rescue me. To reach down and save me. Much like a drowning person reaching out for a savior.
  3. “God, I give myself to you.” My hands are raised as an offering. I offer to God my heart, my mind, my desires, my prayers.
  4. “God, I surrender to you.” I raise my hands in an act of surrender, to symbolize my helplessness in him. I offer him my hands, my will, and all I am so that He would take me and use me.
 
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