"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Tim. ii, 8. There is much Scripture testimony for this position in prayer. When Moses was to look to God to stay the mighty thunders and hail from Egypt, he went out "and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord; and the thunders and hail ceased."—Ex. ix, 33.
And in the war with Israel against Amalek, when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. Ex. xvii, 11. "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." Verses 12, 13.
When Job would be comforted in his deep trouble, he was directed to "stretch out his hands toward God." Job xi, 13. Again, "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord." Ps. cxxxiv, 2.
David in deep affliction, said, "I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee; my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land." Ps. cxliii, 6. When Nehemiah and Ezra gathered all the people together on their holy feast day, and read the law unto them, "Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Neh. viii, 6.
The Lord directed Aaron how to bless his people, thus: "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Num. vi, 24—26. "And Aaron lifted up his hand towards the people, and blessed them." Lev. ix, 22.
When Ezra in deep trial would prevail with God, he says, "I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God." See Ezra ix, 5.
At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon "kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven." II. Chron. vi, 13.
On that night in which our blessed Lord was betrayed, he retired a little from his disciples, and kneeled down, and prayed. See Luke xxii, 41. "And he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them," and passed into heaven. Chap. xxiv, 50.
Much more might be adduced from the Old and New Testament, to prove the attitude of God’s humble praying people, when in prayer before him. But this may suffice; for every real Christian knows when he kneels before the Great and Mighty God, who is ever ready to answer every sincere petition, how instinctively the hands will rise with the voice, as though reaching for the very answer that the soul is crying for. Some may think it makes no difference, if they only get down from a standing position, how they present themselves in prayer before God. Let such practice the above plain Scripture rule, both in private and social seasons of prayer, and they will soon learn (if their hearts are right before him) that the apostle Paul, both saw, and felt the difference between the wrong and right position. Hence his earnest exhortation, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
In the great and dreadful day of the Lord, when destruction upon destruction is cried, and the whole land shall be desolate, as Jeremiah has prophesied in his fourth chapter, especially verses 19—31, the spreading forth of hands by the daughter of Zion, (the remnant in the time of Jacob’s trouble,) will be as universal as the day and night prayer; for "their souls will be wearied because of murderers."