The Daily Guide
Hands and heart
Love never does the graceless thing; never insists on its rights, never irritably loses its temper; never nurses its wrath to keep it warm.
1 Corinthians 13:5 - Williams Barclay's Translation
I preached yesterday on prayer. I started from the New Testament exhortation for men to pray every where without anger or doubting. This is a contrast to the way we get worked up over things even to the point of anger especially when we feel we're being wronged. Our human reaction is "to shake an angry fist at them." The Christ-like reaction though is to raise holy hands in prayer. 1Tim.2:8.
Raising holy hands in prayer for people helps us forgive them. It also invites in God's grace so it can make a difference. Raising holy hands in prayer puts us in touch with God and His way of doing and being right. It's as though your holy hands become antennae for receiving Heaven's broadcasts and for communicating with Heaven. Whereas, shaking an angry fist - be it a physical or a metaphorical one - heightens and stirs our emotion of anger and in doing so tunes us in to broadcasts of the earth or, even far more seriously, hell. Luk.9:51-56.
One of my favourite Old Testament scriptures is about raising holy hands. It is in Lamentations and it brings out the connection between Heaven, hands and your heart. It says, "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." Get your heart lifted up into Heaven's realm by your hands raised up in prayer and worship. When you do, your heart will resonate with the sounds, senses and sights of Heaven's love, joy and peace. Lam.3:41.
Tune out hell, tune into Heaven
Copyright © 2005 P.F. (Simon) Measures
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