With Lifted Hands

Prayer with lifted hands.

This past week, I have thought a lot about prayer, specifically the action it entails and the power of praying with complete trust in the outcome. As I recently read through the scripture in Exodus, chapter 17, where the Israelites have to face the Amalekites, I pictured this eighty-year-old Moses standing on the hill praying with his hands lifted. Exodus 17:11 details, “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (KJV). This verse reveals to me that prayer is more than saying words. His prayer took heartfelt strength. As long as Moses was putting all his strength into his prayer, Israel was winning the battle. Yet when he grew tired and dropped his hands, they were losing. But look at the next verse. Exodus 17:12 says, “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” (KJV). Aaron and Hur came to help Moses.

As the family of God, we should be there to lift each other up and to pray for and with each other. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Solomon writes, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (KJV). Moses was able to keep his arms lifted because Aaron and Hur were there to help him in his prayer.

I think of all the wonderful people who have surrounded me in my writing journey, offering help while expecting nothing in return, encouraging me when I was plagued by doubt. When I wanted to quit, they lifted me up… (“For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow…” Ecclesiastes 4:10 KJV). How amazing is that… the family of God… where brothers and sisters will not let you fall.
May we pray with all the strength in our hearts and join together so that none of us fall.