Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.  1 Timothy 2:8

I find this word of Paul to Timothy to be a helpful and wise word for me today.

“I want men everywhere to pray.”  As we pray we admit our insufficiency, our need, our vulnerability.  We do not command God in prayer to get busy and do what pleases me. No. Prayer is placing one’s self in the hands of a loving, forgiving and blessing Father.  Of course, prayer includes requests.  We are encouraged to express our needs as we see them. But we are not dictators, we are suppliants, beggars, so to speak.

A true follower of Jesus lives, constantly, in this attitude of prayer.  He or she does not live a life of prayer one moment and then a life of no prayer. All of life, in all its circumstances, is to be lived in the attitude of humble, thankful, trustful prayer.

This is a cure for struggling against one another.  Were we to live as unworthy supplicants we would not be so quick to judge others or become upset by what others think.  A praying heart is by definition a forgiving heart. Recall Jesus’ prayer, “Forgive me as I forgive others.”  This deflates the swelled pride, for who among us does not need forgiveness, daily?  I find my daily interaction with my dear wife, Anna Ruth, reveals attitudes in me that are not like Jesus. I need daily cleansing.

“Without anger or disputing.”  Both anger and disputing are built into us as human beings.  By retaining anger, we place ourselves above the other and by disputing we acknowledge our determination to be right!  Some anger and disputing probably have their place but must be under the cleansing blood of Jesus and the leading of the non-contentious Holy Spirit of God.  I find I must repent of lofty attitudes quite often, attitudes unlike holy hands, lifted up, but pointing fingers condemning others. Will I ever learn?

Paul, your instruction to Timothy is appropriate for us all.  Thank you.