How do you show God your appreciation for his blessings? How do you praise his wonderful creation? How do you thank God for him working in your life? Do you lift up your heart and your hands? Do you stand before God amazed and thankful?
Many of us give thanks to God with our heads bowed in prayer. We have been taught to bow before God. There is nothing wrong with that. Our hearts should be humbled before our mighty God. But that is not the only way to come before God in prayer and thanksgiving.
As we see in today’s passage, the Israelites would come before God in prayer standing with their hands lifted toward the heavens, their head thrown back, and praising God for his wonderful blessings. It was a vulnerable posture. The heart was open, unprotected, and susceptible to piercing. In other words, the physical positioning of their body was saying, “God, come pierce my heart and use me for your purpose.”
Solomon stood in this posture as he gave thanks and praised God as the ark of the covenant was put in the temple and as Solomon was asking God to bless the newly finished temple. Though he did request God to forgive the people when they sinned, it was not a time of repentance for personal sin. It was not a time of broken heartedness before God, which would have seen Solomon prostrate on the ground with his face in the dirt. It was a time of praise, thanksgiving, and dedication to God.
In those times when our hearts are especially thankful, positioning ourselves in this vulnerable stance is appropriate. It is also appropriate when we are dedicating ourselves to God’s work and asking him to work through us. Revealing our unprotected heart to God is a sign of trust in him. We might reconsider how we pray and use different physical positions, depending on the type of prayer we are lifting to God.
I pray we all consider how we pray to God. I pray we open our hearts to him. I pray each one of us will raise our hands in praise, giving thanks to God and asking him to use us for his purpose. Give thanks to God. Praise God. Raise your hands to God. Open your heart to God.
1 Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.
Marty Pressey 