• Praising Him With Lifted Hands

  Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  None

  Tags:  Worship General

  Denomination: Methodist

PRAISING HIM WITH LIFTED HANDS

I attended a Conference in Overland Park, KS. The host pastor stood up before the opening worship service and said, he grew up in a controlled, dignified and domesticated worship service. He said no one in that church raised their hands in praise. But then when he became a young man, he began to study the Scriptures and saw that the people of God raised their hands in praise. Ezra 3:11 "Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." The Psalmist says, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:3-5

So he started with his hands in his pocket and turned his palms up. Then they were by his side, palms turned up. Then he raised them to the level of his hips, then his chest until today his lifts his hands up high for the Lord. And then he said, we want to encourage you to praise God today with lifted hands wherever you are comfortable at your sides, your waist, your chest or high above your head. God loves it when you praise Him with lifted hands.

In the Old Testament they used their whole body to praise God. "Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king." 1 Chronicles 29:20.