I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4
Believers are designed to function in God’s presence. We simply can’t handle the pressures and stresses of life without it.
God’s presence is in us as believers, but we still need to turn our focus toward him to stay conscious of that presence, and one of the best ways to do this is by praising him.
God’s Word gives us many different ways we can praise God. Some—like singing—are very familiar to us. Others—like laughing, shouting or dancing—can seem quite foreign if we haven’t experienced them before.
Another way to praise God that can seem strange to some at first is in the lifting of our hands, but God’s Word mentions this type of praise several times. Today’s verse mentions lifting hands in praise, Psalm 134:2 says to “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord,” and 1 Timothy 2:8 says, “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.”
It takes effort to lift your hands as you praise God, but it’s a choice you can make and the Bible says that it’s a way to praise him.
If raising your hands in praise isn’t something you grew up with, try it the next time you’re praising God at home alone. Praising God causes us to be more conscious of God’s presence in our lives, and since raising your hands is a way of praising God, it can help you to become more aware of his presence.