I wanted to share something that jumped out at me and have been led to share with you all. We know that we have been lied to in this world about pretty much everything and we have to unlearn what we have been taught, so is the way we pray one of them? It’s important because it is something that we do everyday and our communication line to our Father YAHWEH! We have been taught to clasp our hands together, bow our heads and close our eyes; and some people say that they pray in their head so that Satan will not hear their prayers and snatch them away. As always it is my goal to examine the scriptures and to follow in the footsteps of our righteous ancestors. We will be discussing, should we pray in our head? Should clasp our hands together? Should we bow our heads? Should our eyes be closed?
Praying out loud
This does not mean yelling for the world to hear, but we should be able to hear ourselves as we pray.
1 Samuel 1:12-17
“And it came to pass, as she continued praying before YAHWEH, that Eli watched her MOUTH. Now Hannah spoke in her heart only, and her lips moved, but her VOICE WAS NOT HEARD; therefore Eli thought her to be drunk. And Eli said to her, how long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you. Hannah answered and said to him, no, my master, I am a woman full of grief; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before YAHWEH. Count not your maidservant in your presence a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said to her, go in peace; and the ELOHIM of Yisra’el grant you the petition that you have asked Him.”
Now, trust me, I’m not saying YAHWEH will not hear your prayers if you don’t pray out loud because He heard Hannah, plus we see that her lips were moving. The context of this entire scripture is that it was UNCOMMON that a person would pray and not be heard praying, this is the reason why Eli thought she was drunk because her lips were moving but he heard no words, so this means the words of our prayers can be heard. This doesn’t mean you have to shout out loud but just enough that you can hear your voice, just as we see in the next witness from the 12 Patriarchs.
Testament of Joseph 9:3-4
“And if a man lives in self-control, and also desires glory, and the Most High knows that it is beneficial for him, He gives this also to men, and to me. How often, though she were sick, did she come down to me at times she was not sought, AND LISTENED TO MY VOICE AS I PRAYED!”
This scripture confirms that it was uncommon for the voices of a person not to be heard while they were praying, and we know that Joseph was a righteous man and when he prayed the Potiphar’s wife would come to visit him while in jail unwanted, and she would listen to him pray.
Hands spread out toward heaven and not clasped together
One of the biggest traditions I have seen and one that we all have grown up doing is praying with our hands together with fingers interlocked; however, when we read scripture we see the exact opposite of that, rather we see their hands spread out towards the heavens, and there has to be a spiritual connection with this.
Kind of like Moses in Exodus 17 while he was on the mountain holding his hands with the assistance of Aaron and Hur while Joshua was fighting Amalek, though he wasn’t praying his hands were lifted up, and when his hands were lifted up, they would win, but when his hands dropped, they would lose. Could it be that prayers are not as effective if your hands aren’t lifted up like Moses during the battle? Could it be that victory is associated with raised hands? Is this why we have been taught to close our hands and interlock our fingers together when we pray to take away the effectiveness of prayer? It’s not far-fetched to think so, let us not forget what Revelation 12:9 in the Aramaic Peshitta.
Revelation 12:9
“And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent who is called the Deceiver, and Satan, who SEDUCES all the inhabited world: he was cast upon the earth and his messengers were cast out with him.”
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “seducing” as to persuade disobedience or disloyalty, to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises.
Satan has seduced the world to do everything opposite of what the scriptures say because he perverts it, so our goal is to get back on the ancient path of worship.
Exodus 17:9-13
“And Moses said to Joshua, choose for yourself men, and go out, fight with Amalek tomorrow; and I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of ELOHIM in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and he went to fight with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses LIFTED UP HIS HAND, Yisra’el PREVAILED; and when he LET DOWN HIS HANDS, Amalek PREVAILED. But Moses’ hands became tired; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Hur SUPPORTED HIS HANDS, the one on one side, and the other on the other side; and HIS HANDS WERE STEADY UNTIL THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN. And Joshua defeated Amalek with the edge of the sword.”
I believe that raising hands in prayer has the same effect and power as it did when Moses lifted up his hands in the battle with Amalek. Let’s examine other scriptures to see other witnesses in support of this.
Exodus 9:27-28
“Then Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time; YAHWEH is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. PRAY before YAHWEH, for there is yet a chance for forgiveness in His presence that there be no more mighty thundering’s and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer. And Moses said to him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will STRETCH FORTH MY HANDS TO YAHWEH; and the thunder shall cease and there shall be no more hail, that you may know that the earth belongs to YAHWEH.”
Micah 2:1
“Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! They rise up early every morning and practice what they have devised; then they LIFT UP THEIR HANDS toward ELOHIM TO PRAY.”
Nehemiah 8:6
“And Ezra blessed YAHWEH, the great ELOHIM. And all the people answered, ahmein, ahmein, LIFTING UP THEIR HANDS; and they knelt down and worshipped before YAHWEH with their faces to the ground.”
1 Kings 8:22
“And Solomon stood before the altar of YAHWEH in the presence of the all the congregation of Yisra’el, and SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS TOWARD HEAVEN AND PRAYED…”
2 Chronicles 6:13
“For Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and two cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he went up and stood upon it, and knelt down upon his knees in the presence of all the people of Yisra’el AND SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS IN PRAYER TOWARD HEAVEN.”
1 Kings 8:38
“Whatsoever PRAYER and whatsoever supplication be made by any man or by all Your people Yisra’el, who shall know everyman the trouble of his own heart, and shall SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS BEFORE YOU IN THE HOUSE…”
1 Kings 8:54
“And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished PRAYING all this prayer and supplication unto YAHWEH ELOHIM, he arose from before the altar of YAHWEH, from kneeling with HIS HANDS SPREAD UP TO HEAVEN.”
Jubilees 25:11
“And then she (Rebecca) lifted up her face to the heavens and EXTENDED THE FINGERS OF HER HANDS, and opened her mouth and blessed EL ELYON, who had created the heavens and the earth, and she gave Him thanks and praise.”
Jasher 37:14
“And Jacob PRAYED to YAHWEH for his sons, and he SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS TO YAHWEH, and he said…”
Jasher 52:26
“And Jacob rose up from his sons and SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS AND PRAYED TO YAHWEH on account of his sons…”
2 Maccabees 3:19-20
“And the women, girded with sackcloth under their breasts, abounded in the streets and the virgins that were guarded ran, some to the gates and some to the walls and others looked out of the windows. And ALL, HOLDING THEIR HANDS TOWARD HEAVEN, MADE SUPPLICATION.”
1 Timothy 2:8
“I desire then that in EVERY PLACE the men should PRAY, LIFTING HOLY HANDS (not clasped together) without anger or quarreling.”
Psalms 28:2
“Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto You, when I LIFT UP MY HANDS TOWARD YOUR HOLY TEMPLE.”
Psalms 44:20
“And yet we have not forgotten the name of our ELOHIM, or STRETCHED OUT OUR HANDS to stranger mighty ones.”
Psalms 88:9
“Mine eyes are weakened from weeping; YAHWEH, I have called daily upon You; I have STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO YOU.”
Psalms 134:1-3
“Behold, bless YAHWEH, all you servants of YAHWEH, who by might stand in the house of YAHWEH. LIFT UP YOUR HANDS towards the sanctuary, and bless YAHWEH. YAHWEH bless you out of Zion, even He who made heaven and earth.”
Psalms 143:6
“I STRETCH FORTH MY HANDS TO YOU; my soul thirsts after You, as a thirsty land.”
Lamentations 2:19
“Arise, offer praise in the night at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of YAHWEH; LIFT UP YOUR HANDS toward Him for the lives of your little children who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”
Lamentations 3:40-41
“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to YAHWEH. Let us lift up our hearts WITH OUR HANDS to ELOHIM in heaven.”
Ezra 9:5
“And at the ninth hour I rose up from my sorrow; and having torn my garments, I fell upon my knees and SPREAD OUT MY HANDS IN PRAYER BEFORE YAHWEH ELOHIM…”
Daniel 12:7
“And I heard the man clothed in costly array who stood above the waters of the river. He held up his RIGHT HAND AND HIS LEFT HAND TO HEAVEN, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half a time; and when holy people are delivered, all these things shall be fulfilled.”
Job 11:13
“If you make your heart right, AND STRETCH OUT YOUR HANDS TOWARD HIM…”
Deuteronomy 32:39-40
“See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no Elohim besides Me; I cause men to die, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; and there is none that can escape out of My hands. For I LIFT UP MY HAND TO HEAVEN and say, I live forever.”
Though YAHWEH has no need to pray and prays to no one, there is the connection that we see Him using the same stretching of the hands to the heavens as His creation should be doing when praying to Him, so we see the importance of it and the consistency of raising hands all throughout scripture.
Luke 24:50
“And He (YESHUA) took them out up to Beth-Anya and RAISED HIS HANDS AND BLESSED THEM.”
Praying looking into heaven
We have also been taught to close our eyes and bow our heads while praying, I’m not going to say that it is wrong, I would suggest taking this into prayer, the goal is to show with witnesses that YESHUA and our ancestors looked upwards, and I will include one scripture of YESHUA praying on His face.
Ezra 9:5-6
“And at the ninth hour I rose up from my sorrow; and having torn my garments, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands in prayer before YAHWEH ELOHIM, and said, O my ELOHIM, we are ashamed to LIFT UP OUR FACES TO YOU, OUR ELOHIM; for our iniquities are increased over our head and our great sins have reached to the very heavens.”
Firstly, Ezra considered the sins of his people as his own, even though he did not commit the sin. And secondly, Ezra says that they are too ashamed to look up into the heavens due to sin, which implies that they were looking up into the heavens with hands raised while praying before this point.
Luke 18:10-13
“Two men went up to the temple to PRAY-one a Pharisee and other a publican (A Jewish tax collector for the Romans). And the Pharisee was standing by himself, and he would PRAY this way, “ELOHIM, I thank you that I am not like the rest of the people, extortioners, and covetous, and adulterers, nor like this publican. Rather, I fast two times a week and I tithe everything that I earn. But the publican was standing from afar and did not even desire to RAISE HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, rather, he was beating upon his breast and said, ‘ELOHIM have compassion on me a sinner!”
In context we see that they both went to the temple to pray, and the publican did not lift up his eyes to the heavens because of shame like we read in Ezra, which means that the Pharisee did look into heaven. The Pharisee wasn’t wrong for looking into the heavens, it was his boastful, self-righteous attitude is why he was wrong.
YESHUA is our example, and we are to walk like Him:
Luke 9:16
“And YESHUA took those five loaves of bread and two fish and GAZED INTO HEAVEN and BLESSED them and broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the crowds.”
Mark 6:41
“And He took those five loves of bread and two fish, and He LOOKED TO HEAVEN AND BLESSED and broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to place before them”
John 11:41
“And they took away that stone and YESHUA LIFTED HIS EYES UPWARDS and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me and I know that you always hear Me, but because this crowd that stands here I say these things that they might believe that you have sent Me.”
John 17:1
“YESHUA spoke these things and He LIFTED UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN and said, “My Father the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that Your Son might glorify You.”
The only time I recall YESHUA falling on His face to pray was when He was distressed knowing that Psalms 22 prophecy was getting ready to occur before being delivered up to be crucified.
Mathew 26:39
“And He went a little further and fell upon His face and was praying and said “My Father if it is possible, let this cup pass over Me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as You will.”
Jubilees 25:11
“And then she (Rebecca) LIFTED UP HER FACE TO THE HEAVENS and extended the fingers of her hands…”
Psalms 123:1
“To You LIFT I UP MINE EYES, O thou that dwellest in the heaven.”
Daniel 4:33-34
“The same hour the word was fulfilled upon King Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like bird’s claws. And when the days were filled, I, Nebuchadnezzar, LIFTED UP MY EYES TO HEAVEN, and my sense was restored to me, and I BLESSED the Most High and I praised and glorified Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and whose kingdom is from generation to generation…”
Even Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes to heaven to bless YAHWEH after being humbled and he did not even know YAHWEH up until that point.
Also, nowhere in scripture do we see the eyes being closed while praying. Interestingly, people.howstuffworks.com says this:
By closing your eyes during prayer, you may be continuing a ritual whose roots are steeped in history. Long ago, looking directly at a king or any ruler was considered insolent. The proper response when appearing before a ruler was to close your eyes or, if you were feeling really daring, look downward. Failing to do so could launch an unfortunate chain of events that might end with a sleepover in the dungeon or a date with the guillotine.
Adopting a deferential pose -- in other words, closing your eyes -- during prayer became an appropriate way to show humility, something that was especially important when asking for mercy. Today, it's a common posture for prayers of all kinds.
So, it appears it is based off of a ritual that is not rooted in scripture, as stated before I have not seen examples supporting eyes being closed during prayer. And they look downwards away from the king because it was considered rude, but yet we see YAHWEH is the opposite, He wants us to look up to Him, call upon His Name, and come boldly to the throne through His Son YESHUA!
It is my prayer that this message will strengthen your prayer life as you change your posture while praying the way YESHUA and our ancestors did. Especially with the days ahead we will need the power of our prayers to be heard for all around the world. As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!