Why Do People Lift Their Hands in Worship?
By Jordan Magelssen
This blog post on worship is the first in a series about LCC’s five core purposes: worship, connect, grow, serve and reach.
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”
– Matthew 22:37-40
Have you ever wondered why people lift up their hands when worshipping God? When I was in seventh grade, I remember sitting in the living room with my brother watching TV when a “Wow Worship” commercial came on. The commercial showed people lifting up their hands and singing songs. I remember seeing those people and making fun of them. I was not a Christian then, and I didn’t have an understanding of what was happening in that commercial.
God desires that we worship Him with everything we have, including our bodies. In “What On Earth Am I Here For?” Rick Warren writes, “True worship—bringing God pleasure—happens when you give yourself completely to God … Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.” When we lift up our hands in praise, it is an outward expression of our love for God and our surrender to God. It’s also a physical and public way of saying that we are weak, and we need God. So what does the Bible have to say about lifting hands to God? Here are just a few of the verses I found:
“So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” – Psalm 63:4
“Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord.” – Psalm 134:2
“We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven.” – Lamentations 3:41
“May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” – Psalm 141:2
“Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.” – Psalm 28:2
“In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” – 1 Timothy 2:8
“I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” – Psalm 143:6
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:1-2
There is no magic in raising your hands or standing up, no magic. It is just a line in the sand, a moment to say, “I have seen. Standing into the truth, I receive it, and I believe it.” Do you feel like something is holding you back when you worship God? Offer your whole self to God—including your body—and experience worshipping God in a whole new way by lifting up your hands. Try taking your next step and follow God where He’s leading you because He wants to take you to brand new places.
Jordan Magelssen is the creative arts pastor at LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, S.C.