Daily Devotional by Greg Dumas
One Prayer Daily Devotional
By Greg Dumas, Lead Pastor, The Crossing Church
1Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. NIV
I have three children, the youngest of which just turned two and a half. I often find myself asking him, “What’s in your hand”? The question is received with a host of reactions, some of which are really funny, and some not so much. When he is caught trying to put his favorite penny in his mouth, he shrugs his shoulders and hides his hands behind his back, as if to say “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
What he doesn’t yet understand or comprehend is the fact that the question is rhetorical and I often know the answer before I ask. In other words, his hands give way to the intent of his little heart. God often asks us “what is in your hand”, or in other words, “what are you holding on to in your heart?”
Hands that are Holy and lifted up aren’t just hands that are open and on display during prayer meetings. Holy hands are considered holy because the intent of the heart is holy. Jesus used the washing metaphor with his disciples and told them to “wash their hands and feet” describing the condition of their hearts after walking around every day in a pretty dirty world.
When it’s all said and done, the only way to truly get rid of anger and disputing is to admit, by way of the Lord’s fatherly promptings, what is really in our hearts? All of us are included, denominations, churches, leaders, and church members; we are all guilty of shrugging our shoulders and deflecting the look of our Heavenly Father. Once we stop pretending, He can heal us, protect us and unite us all over the world. His goal is our unity, and our unity is for His glory, but our cooperation through humility and prayer is necessary.
Maybe we could start by simply saying, “God we have all been selfish in our ambition and in our desires, we have treated each other with contempt, and have been angry without apology, heal our hearts and knit us together, through our prayers allow us to lift up holy hands everywhere, even to the ends of the earth.”
Have you ever tried to hide your real feelings from God? What happened when you showed Him what you were holding on to in your heart?
Wow! Thank you so much for analogy between ourselves to God and a child to a parent. Your reminder hit home that I need to cleanse my hands and heart before God. I need to accept the love He has for me. No matter what he sees, He still loves me, but I need to approach Him with a repentive heart.
Well I think I have been found out.... This feels like it is pointing the finger right at me.
I have had many feelings that on the outside I hide from others figuring if I don't acknowledge them then they will go away. OH HOW WRONG, they get worse. I have been really working on opening my heart to all especially GOD.
I always stand there on Sunday morning watching others raise their hands and knowing that the spirit was trying to get me to raise my hands just like them. I just don't really do it, but this weekend, I listened and raised them. Ok they weren't as high as others and still kind of close in, but they were raised. And it felt odd, but it felt wonderful !!!!!! I didn't turn in to a pumpkin or get laughed at by others, in fact I don't think they care at all. Why do we give that fear of what will someone think so much power? When in truth they REALLY don't care. I felt freed some this weekend.
Thank you LORD for not giving up on me.
Like a hammer to a nail this devotional hits the point right square on its head. There is no point hiding from God, He already knows.
In my own spiritual walk, which has been up and down, I have always been very vocal to God about the momentary situation. In very good times I have always praised Him and in the less than good times I have cried, and yes even yelled at Him (I know – gasp!) But the way I looked at it was like David in the Bible. He always spoke his heart to God. There is no place I can possibly go that God does not see my heart. So I would tell Him so.
But with my being open towards God I have still been very private in public settings. I don’t share openly what is in my heart. For example, I know there have been times during worship that I have felt the spirit move and I should lift my hands more. But I don’t, I keep to myself. Thus I have been selfish, and I feel as this lesson was to point me to becoming less reserved with my praise or prayers to God.
Pastor Dumas, this is a great devotional & so true, thank you for making me see it that way. I did try to hide my feelings from God & frustation had build up to the point of unrighetous anger, only when I broke down & cried out to Him was I able to be freed from it, He scooped me in his arms, like a father would for his child after a fall, & healed me, brought me close to Him & told me "I'll be there next time as well."