WEDNESDAY March 12, 2025

A Desire for Godliness

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting....
1 Timothy 2:8

Paul once again turned to the subject of prayer. This time he mentioned lifting up holy hands. When in public, lifting your hands is never about bringing attention to yourself by wanting to be seen as overly spiritual. The real purpose of lifting our hands to the Lord is our surrender and submission to Him.

In Psalm 134:1-2, God’s people sang this song of ascents: Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD ... lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The prophet Isaiah, in a strong rebuke from the Lord, told the people: When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15).

The people were coming to the Temple with their sacrifices and stretching out their hands to the Lord, but they were in sin. Void of holiness, where was their desire to live a godly life? Where was their sincere repentance and confession of sin? We need to understand that when we pray, it is a time of reverence, communion, and fellowship with the Lord. Come before the Lord without harboring anger in your heart toward someone, without doubt, or any sin. As you humbly pray, be ready to listen to Him.

Paul specifically addressed the men in the church. Men have a great duty to pray. They are the heads of their homes––the spiritual leaders. At Calvary Chapel, once a month we gather to pray. Where are the men? I encourage and invite you to come and pray, as we lift up holy hands to God, asking Him, without doubt, to bless this ministry, for the body of believers that attend our church, and for all those in our surrounding communities who do not know Christ.

God is vitally concerned that men should pray. Men are bettered by prayer, and the world is bettered by praying. God does His best work for the world through prayer. God’s greatest glory and man’s highest good are secured by prayer. Prayer forms the godliest men and makes the godliest world.
~E.M. Bounds~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!