How do we worship? What are we “allowed” to do while still being reverent before the Lord, worshiping in spirit and truth? What is God's desire for our worship? Does He give us the right to pick and choose how we worship?
Over the course of this multi-part devotional, we will discover and learn the ways that we can actively worship God when we come together as the gathered Church. We are told in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth that our mere existence, even eating or drinking, can be worship to God; so we understand that our worship is not confined to a time or a place—it is a lifestyle. This mini-series is intended to develop our worship as it pertains to the intentional physical and spiritual acts that we do during our worship. Granted, these things can (and should) be done whether we are at church or not. My hope is that churches and believers everywhere, will experience true freedom in worship together—a glimpse into what heaven may be like one day. God desires us to worship in this way. Let’s learn together.
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
Part 8: Our Hands - Lifting Hands
“Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us.’” Lamentations 3:41-42 (NLT)
“Listen to my voice. You will hear me begging for Your help. With my hands lifted up in prayer, my body turned toward Your holy home.” Psalm 28:2 (VOICE)
“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed . . . “ 1 Kings 8:22 (NLT)
“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalm 63:4 (NIV)
“Consider my prayer as an offering of incense that rises before You; when I stand with my hands outstretched pleading toward the heavens, consider it as an evening offering.” Psalm 141:2 (VOICE)
We can lift our hands to the Lord for a variety of reasons. The lifting of hands often expresses lament or shows the need of help or forgiveness; however, it can also be used as a part of our offering of praise in worship. When we lift our hands to the Lord, it is a sign of humility, surrender, and submission to Him—we need Him! It is also a way to show reverence or adoration. We can (and should) lift our hands both as we sing to the Lord and as we pray and talk to Him, seeking His help and direction in every situation.
Our hands play an important role in our worship. We use them to clap and play instruments to create the music we sing along to; we use them to reveal our heart posture before the Lord; and we use them to express our emotions to the Lord, whether they be joyful or distressed. The lifting of hands in worship and prayer can be seen as a humble offering to the Lord.