Your thoughts on "Raising Hands" to the Lord for Prayer or Worship

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Hey Guys, just wanted to start a peaceful discussion on “Raising Hands” to the Lord for various reasons.

I do not think it is a requirement, but like prostrating oneself before the Lord on your knees, with a simple bow, or prostrating ones self before the Lord on your knees bowing your head to touch the floor, I see it as a worshipful and reverential position.

What are your guys thoughts on this?

Nehemiah 8:5-6 (New King James Version)

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Lamentations 3:40-42 (New King James Version)

40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the LORD;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

Psalm 28:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 28
A Psalm of David.
1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 63:3-4 (New King James Version)

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
** I will lift up my hands in Your name.**

Psalm 119:48 (New King James Version)

48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Psalm 134:1-3 (New King James Version)

Psalm 134
A Song of Ascents.
1 Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.
3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 141:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 141
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

1 Timothy 2:8 (New International Version)

8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
 
It doesn’t bother me one way or the other, but since it’s rare here, it brings attention to the person doing it at Mass, which isn’t a good thing.

Holding hands during the Our Father. There’s one family that does this. Only with each other. Never do they extend a hand to the person sitting right next to them. I don’t know what they think they’re doing, but they are separating themselves from the rest of the congregation when they make this closed group. Holding hands to pray at home is one thing. Doing it at Mass–and only with a select few–doesn’t seem right.
 
I don’t think there is anything liturgically incorrect with raising the hands in prayer, but like Kalt, I think in places where it is uncommon it becomes a problem because it is distracting. I think it is more acceptable in a prayer/praise meeting than at Mass, unless you are in a place where culturally people are accustomed to the raised hands and so not distracted by it (and I’ve never been to a Mass where this is the case, but certainly in my years as a Baptist there were churches where it was commonplace).

Hand-holding during the Lord’s Prayer is a banned topic. . . .
 
referencing the cite from Nehemiah above, why don’t we have a thread about worshippig with our faces toward the ground? What is the manner of worship prescribed to day by the Church acting on Christ’s authority? That should be our question.
 
I agree that a person should not raise their hands high at all or at all if it is in a place where your brothers and sisters will be affected by it. That is wrong.
 
puzzleannie said:
referencing the cite from Nehemiah above, why don’t we have a thread about worshippig with our faces toward the ground? What is the manner of worship prescribed to day by the Church acting on Christ’s authority? That should be our question.
Click to expand...
I think it comes to more along the lines that nobody criticizes people for bowing with their faces to the ground “like it was a rock concert” they way they do to about people who lift their hands in praise.
 
firstmode said:
Hey Guys, just wanted to start a peaceful discussion on “Raising Hands” to the Lord for various reasons.

I do not think it is a requirement, but like prostrating oneself before the Lord on your knees, with a simple bow, or prostrating ones self before the Lord on your knees bowing your head to touch the floor, I see it as a worshipful and reverential position.

What are your guys thoughts on this?

Nehemiah 8:5-6 (New King James Version)

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Lamentations 3:40-42 (New King James Version)

40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the LORD;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

Psalm 28:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 28
A Psalm of David.
1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 63:3-4 (New King James Version)

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
** I will lift up my hands in Your name.**

Psalm 119:48 (New King James Version)

48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Psalm 134:1-3 (New King James Version)

Psalm 134
A Song of Ascents.
1 Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.
3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 141:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 141
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

1 Timothy 2:8 (New International Version)

8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
Click to expand...
Good post. Thank you!

There is often customs in worship; it’s largely cultural IMHO. But, I didn’t realize that this particular practice is mention in Scripture. Several times!

I vividly recall my first time worshiping in the Catholic Church. I was pretty overwhelmed by all the “choreography” as I called it. Standing, sitting, crossing, bowing, genuflecting, etc., etc., etc. But in time, all it became understood - and such DOES have a way of enriching worship, IMHO. And I think the issue you raise is a case of that for those that practice it.

Thank you.
  • Josiah
.
 
In our Catholic Church we all hold hand during the Lords prayer and shake hand afterwards. One of our Priest even goes out into the pews and shakes hands, He is a Jesuit. Some of us even raise our hands in worship. It is glorious.
 
Peace and Love!
I was alone in a homeless shelter for women in Washington D.C. when, after feeding them their hot lunch and after the dishes were done, while listening to a song by John Michael Talbot, I was moved to raise my hands in worship for the first time. The song was the invitatory, or “Come let us worship the Lord” from the Liturgy of the Hours. I was so drawn into worshiping the Living God, that my hands automatically were raised, even though I was alone.(or so I thought:)My experience in the Catholic Charismatic renewal later saw me at weekly prayer meetings with hundreds of other Catholics lifting our hands, clapping, lying prostrate-all before the Blessed Tabernacle, where Jesus Christ is truly and substantially present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. If anyone should be raising holy hands in prayer-it is the Catholic Church!!! God bless you and thanks for the posting!!
 
firstmode said:
Hey Guys, just wanted to start a peaceful discussion on “Raising Hands” to the Lord for various reasons.
Click to expand...
Good luck with that! 😛 😉
firstmode said:
I do not think it is a requirement, but like prostrating oneself before the Lord on your knees, with a simple bow, or prostrating ones self before the Lord on your knees bowing your head to touch the floor, I see it as a worshipful and reverential position.

What are your guys thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
I think you’re on the right track. As you have shown, it is a prayer position that was used a lot in Scripture. It is certainly not alien to the Catholic Church. We even have a fancy Latin name for it. It’s called the postureOrans. 😉

You will probably get a lot of responses from people who assume you are talking about this prayer posture solely as it relates to the Mass. I don’t take your OP as being limited only to what prayer postures are acceptable during Mass, though.

If we are talking about the Mass, there are many instances where the priest is required to pray in the Orans position. There is no requirement for the laity. I believe it is discouraged for the laity to “imitate” the actions of the priest, particularly during the Eucharistic prayers, but there is no “ban” on raising one’s hands during the liturgy. The GIRM is largely silent on what we do with our hands. 🙂

Outside of Mass is a whole other thing. I see no reason at all why one could not pray this way outside of Mass. It seems to me that the fact that it is such an ancient prayer position would make it a good thing to do if you are so inclined. Not that, as you said, it is mandatory. Being that we are physical beings, our prayer will often manifest itself in physical ways. The position we are in when we pray can help us focus our attention on God. Try praying while slouching in chair vs. praying while kneeling with your head bowed and your arms raised heaven-wards. Two totally different experiences.

I have been to Mass where a large number of people riase their hands at different times (mostly during the singing portions). It was distracting at first, but I got used to it. 😉
 
kalt said:
It doesn’t bother me one way or the other, but since it’s rare here, it brings attention to the person doing it at Mass, which isn’t a good thing.

Holding hands during the Our Father. There’s one family that does this. Only with each other. Never do they extend a hand to the person sitting right next to them. I don’t know what they think they’re doing, but they are separating themselves from the rest of the congregation when they make this closed group. Holding hands to pray at home is one thing. Doing it at Mass–and only with a select few–doesn’t seem right.
Click to expand...
Maybe it’s a southern thang 😛 but the entire parish holds hands down here in the south. Almost every single one. There have been a few that don’t do it, but those are rare. I find it interesting that others don’t do this elsewhere. I know you aren’t required to by any means, just seems so fitting.
 
I don’t do it myself but I wouldn’t presume to judge the minds/hearts of those who do. After all, I’m sure that they don’t think any ‘less’ of me if I’m a ‘hands folded’ type of person. We don’t assume that just because a person doesn’t do ‘exactly as we do’ (provided it falls in the realms of common sense and is not actively proscribed/forbidden) that the person is not as ‘good’ as we nor his worship as ‘strong’, right?

The only ‘physical’ caveat I would like to just mention is that when a person does ‘raise hands’ that person often (without realizing) ‘invades the space’ of the person next to him if that person is NOT ‘raising hands’. And it can be rather distracting (at the least) to be standing in prayer trying to concentrate on Mass and to suddenly have the people next to you increasing THEIR personal space by a foot or so (6 inches either way) and that means that you are ‘losing’ a foot of space on either side. If they’re tall and you’re short (or vice versa) you can wind up with hands thrust almost into your eyes!
 
Tantum_ergo said:
I don’t do it myself but I wouldn’t presume to judge the minds/hearts of those who do. After all, I’m sure that they don’t think any ‘less’ of me if I’m a ‘hands folded’ type of person. We don’t assume that just because a person doesn’t do ‘exactly as we do’ (provided it falls in the realms of common sense and is not actively proscribed/forbidden) that the person is not as ‘good’ as we nor his worship as ‘strong’, right?

The only ‘physical’ caveat I would like to just mention is that when a person does ‘raise hands’ that person often (without realizing)** ‘invades the space’** of the person next to him if that person is NOT ‘raising hands’. And it can be rather distracting (at the least) to be standing in prayer trying to concentrate on Mass and to suddenly have the people next to you increasing THEIR personal space by a foot or so (6 inches either way) and that means that you are ‘losing’ a foot of space on either side. If they’re tall and you’re short (or vice versa) you can wind up with hands thrust almost into your eyes!
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Thanks for the humor. 🙂

I believe there is a time and place for everything. Rising of hands during mass is surely not it, at least not during your regular Sunday mass. And I am a Charismatic. It’s all about appropriateness. My opinion and it’s a personal opinion that the mass should be left as it is. If it is a Roman missal, then GIRM should be reasonably applied. Except for the celebrant, there is no provision for the laities at any time during a mass where they should raise their hands.

I know it’s been done in some masses (of which I am an eager participant) during the singing, the Gloria or the Gospel Acclamation if they are sung. However after being ‘trained’ in GIRM lately I feel that the mass should maintain its purity and uniqueness by not adding too many modifications to it.

Did I just open a can of worm? I hope not.

God bless.
 
“I’m a head bowed hands folded kind of guy.”

I’m a head bowed hands folded kind of girl 👍

However, on one occassion a lady next to me grabbed my hand and actually pulled it out of the folded position and told me I was to hold hands. 🤷:confused:

I made sure not to sit next to her thereafter. :cool:
 
Reuben_J said:
Thanks for the humor. 🙂

I believe there is a time and place for everything. Rising of hands during mass is surely not it, at least not during your regular Sunday mass. And I am a Charismatic. It’s all about appropriateness. My opinion and it’s a personal opinion that the mass should be left as it is. If it is a Roman missal, then GIRM should be reasonably applied. Except for the celebrant, there is no provision for the laities at any time during a mass where they should raise their hands.

I know it’s been done in some masses (of which I am an eager participant) during the singing, the Gloria or the Gospel Acclamation if they are sung. However after being ‘trained’ in GIRM lately I feel that the mass should maintain its purity and uniqueness by not adding too many modifications to it.

Did I just open a can of worm? I hope not.

God bless.
Click to expand...
I certainly agree. I find the practice of raising ones hands during Mass to be a distraction overall.
 
Is anyone old enough to remember when holding hands during the Our Father was new? I have to agree, depending upon the parish you are in, that raising you hands in prayer could be distracting if it is not in common practice. We should never draw attention away from our Lord during Mass. However, I have also been in parishes that really encourage it (especially youth Masses) and it is the norm rather than the exception. When that is the case it is a beautiful thing to worship with your entire being, including your body. If you look at the early Church, it is very Catholic.
 
firstmode said:
Hey Guys, just wanted to start a peaceful discussion on “Raising Hands” to the Lord for various reasons.

I do not think it is a requirement, but like prostrating oneself before the Lord on your knees, with a simple bow, or prostrating ones self before the Lord on your knees bowing your head to touch the floor, I see it as a worshipful and reverential position.

What are your guys thoughts on this?

Nehemiah 8:5-6 (New King James Version)

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Lamentations 3:40-42 (New King James Version)

40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the LORD;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

Psalm 28:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 28
A Psalm of David.
1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 63:3-4 (New King James Version)

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
** I will lift up my hands in Your name.**

Psalm 119:48 (New King James Version)

48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Psalm 134:1-3 (New King James Version)

Psalm 134
A Song of Ascents.
1 Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.
3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 141:1-2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 141
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

1 Timothy 2:8 (New International Version)

8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
Click to expand...
In the Catholic liturgy their is a fundamental 2000 year old Apostolic Tradition aside from the sign of the cross, Catholics “lift up our hearts to God” when we enter into his True Presence of Jesus body,blood soul and divinity is present. It is to our Lord of Lords and King of Kings that we bow, genuflect, kneel before Jesus True presence before us.

In some Catholic liturgies and the end of the our Father prayer we lift up our hands in prayer which concludes the lord prayer taken from Revelation when all the people of God in heaven, on earth, along with the angels and saints say in one voice “for the power and the glory are yours now and forever” conluded with a great “Amen”.

Revelation 7:9
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches 6 in their hands.
10
They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from 7 our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
11
**All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, **12
and exclaimed: “Amen. **Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” **

In the Catholic liturgy, we are never entertained by music or lifting of hands in worship. Catholics are to stand in “awe” before the True presence of Jesus Christ. It is in the silence and in the stillness (silence’s during the readings, between liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist of the Mass) that we come to Know and confess that God is God and he is in our midst through “Word” and in his son Jesus body, blood, soul and divinity.

Psalm 468
The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
9
Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10
Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11
Who says: **“Be still and confess that I am God! **I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
12
The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah

Catholic Saints in heaven and on earth along with the heavenly choir of angels continue to bow before his blessed name Jesus;
Philippians 2:9
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name 7 that is above every name,
10
**that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, 8 of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 9 to the glory of God the Father. **
 
Because of the swine flu, we were told not to hold hands at Mass, etc.

Our pastor added this was the opportunity to discuss the work of hands at Mass.

He said the traditional way was the use of hands at the Our Father…in the Orans position, hands lifted up at our sides open, inside hand out and pointing outward.
 
Gabriel_of_12 said:
In the Catholic liturgy their is a fundamental 2000 year old Apostolic Tradition aside from the sign of the cross, Catholics “lift up our hearts to God” when we enter into his True Presence of Jesus body,blood soul and divinity is present. It is to our Lord of Lords and King of Kings that we bow, genuflect, kneel before Jesus True presence before us.

In some Catholic liturgies and the end of the our Father prayer we lift up our hands in prayer which concludes the lord prayer taken from Revelation when all the people of God in heaven, on earth, along with the angels and saints say in one voice “for the power and the glory are yours now and forever” conluded with a great “Amen”.

Revelation 7:9
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches 6 in their hands.
10
They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from 7 our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
11
**All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, **12
and exclaimed: “Amen. **Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” **

In the Catholic liturgy, we are never entertained by music or lifting of hands in worship. Catholics are to stand in “awe” before the True presence of Jesus Christ. It is in the silence and in the stillness (silence’s during the readings, between liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist of the Mass) that we come to Know and confess that God is God and he is in our midst through “Word” and in his son Jesus body, blood, soul and divinity.

Psalm 468
The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
9
Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10
Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11
Who says: **“Be still and confess that I am God! **I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
12
The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah

Catholic Saints in heaven and on earth along with the heavenly choir of angels continue to bow before his blessed name Jesus;
Philippians 2:9
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name 7 that is above every name,
10
**that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, 8 of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 9 to the glory of God the Father. **
Click to expand...
Gabriel, thank you for responding.

I am not sure if you were trying to be defensive against Raising Hands, or defensive FOR bowing or prostrating, or not being defensive at all and just stating facts.

I hope you do not think I was belittling bowing or prostrating in any way. I just also see the raising of hands towards the Lord as a posture of reverance, honor, and worship. It is a physical action done to exalt God with all that we are, much like bowing.

“In the Catholic liturgy, we are never entertained by music or lifting of hands in worship.”

Going to church for protestants is not about entertainment. We experience great joy when worshipping the Lord and yes… there is an act of being entertained happening with the joy of worship. It is a very good time.

Lifting up hands in worship is a scriptural form of reverence for the Lord God almighty!

Psalm 134:1-3 (New King James Version)

Psalm 134

A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.

3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 150 (New King James Version)

Psalm 150

Let All Things Praise the LORD
1 Praise the LORD!
Code: 
     Praise God in **His sanctuary**; 
     Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
**Praise Him with clashing cymbals! **

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Code: 
     **Praise the LORD! **
Look at all of those exclamation points! Look at all of that EXCITEMENT and ENTERTAINMENT in worshiping the Lord!!

I understand that the Mass has taken a form of reverentail quietness and silence. God loves that as well. I guess I do not understand how the reveratial act of Raising Hands to the Lord and the reverential act of playing CLASHING cymbals, lutes, harps, and flutes is seen as some sort of ENTERTAINMENT and LIVE SHOW.

I am confused by your statements Gabriel.
 
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