Wash Those Dirty hands!

# 60 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 2:8, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; (1 Tim 2:8) Yesterday we began addressing the matter of the role of men and women in the worship service. We used the illustration of men leading much in the same way someone must lead in a dance. For starters, the men are to pray everywhere. Prayer is not restricted to a temple, a church building, or a city. Wherever two or more gather in the name of Jesus, we have prayer. Three conditions for prayer are listed. The men should pray with (1) holy hands, (2) without wrath, and (3) without doubting. To pray with holy hands is both a posture and a condition of the heart. We should have a mental picture of the palms of our hands facing heaven, anticipating a loving and holy God pouring out blessing that we may receive it. Would it not make sense to cleanse those hands first before receiving anything from a holy God? Should a holy God gleefully pour out His blessing into hands caked with dirt? So the first order of business is to wash up! How does a Christian do that? Of course we always seek to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, but we are flesh and blood. We sin, therefore we need cleansing, and the Bible tells us to confess our sins, (agree with God that our hands are dirty) and He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! ( 1 Jn 1:9) To think we don't need a time of cleaning up before lifting our hands to God is arrogant. What did your mother tell you when you came into the house after playing in the yard? She said, “wash your hands” before you come to eat. Wash your hands before receiving what she has prepared for you! That's godly advice for us as well when we seek to receive what the Lord has prepared for us! Spend some time, washing up, confessing your sins, receiving God's promised forgiveness, and then lift those holy hands heavenward to receive!