Lifting Holy Hands

In Exodus the story is told of when Moses stood on a hill overlooking the battle with his hands lifted up, and when his hands were lifted the Israelites were winning the battle against the Amalekites, but when his hands were lowered the Amalekites were winning.  (Exodus 17: 8-16)

God allowed his people to suffer casualties when Moses’ hands were lowered. 

As the day wore on and he grew weary, he had others by his side, supporting him, joining together to lift Moses’ hands.  With the help of the men surrounding him, his hands remained steady until sunset, and the Amalekites were defeated.

Moses’ built an altar to remember what God had done, saying “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.”

God was teaching his people that he chooses to act in response to prayer.  He will not move without it.  It seems that if he was allowing people to die on a battlefield because hands were not lifted, that this is an extremely important matter He is teaching us.

Paul states in I Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…”

God has designed a unique relationship between our prayers and his responding to our prayers.  A beautiful mystery that is vital for us to learn to do.

And he is not calling us to do this alone. 

Moses didn’t stand on that hill alone.  He had others there right by his side, supporting him.  We need others in our life to be able to keep our hands lifted up.  We need to join together, united, to pray for the battles we see before us; the battles that are in my life, in yours, and those around us.  We need each other to join together lifting our holy hands to the throne of the Lord.

In your life, what battle do you face?  Who do you see around you that is suffering? Are you lifting up your hands in prayer for them?  And are you joining together with others in the body of Christ standing side by side supporting each other as you lift up holy hands in prayer to the throne of our Lord?

-Sue Parrott