Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 1st Letter Volume 19

Paul tells Timothy what Men and Women should Do Part 1

1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. KJV

Paul instructs Brother Timothy to teach the men of Christ to be mindful to pray always and at all times for all things, going back to the principle in his exhortation in the very first verse in this chapter (1 Timothy 2:1) with these words, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." (1 Timothy 2:8) (KJV). These instructions to Christian men are based on the fact that Christian men are the head of their households and they are the head or leaders in the Church, that is, Christ Body of believers just as Paul declared to the Corinthian Church the Divine order that is from Heaven, "But I want you to know {and} realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) (Amplified Bible). When Paul writes here 'that men pray every where', he is simply but powerfuly acknowledging the mightest resource that every son of God has at his disposal in any place and under the most daunting, dier, and desperate circumstances just as the early Apostles did when they were ordered not to speak or teach in the name of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ.

They prayed this prayer to God the Father, "After they were permitted to go, [the apostles] returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, Who by the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant {and} child, said through the Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton {and} insolent {and} rage, and the people imagine {and} study {and} plan vain (fruitless) things [that will not succeed]? The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for attack] and the rulers were assembled {and} combined together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Christ, the Messiah). For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child {and} Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, To carry out all that Your hand and Your will {and} purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur. And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs {and} wonders through the authority {and} by the power of the name of Your holy Child {and} Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom {and} boldness {and} courage." (Acts 4:2-31) (Amplified Bible).

When the Apostle Paul writes here, 'lifting up holy hands', it is first a symbolic reference to the early Jewish custom to wash there hands presenting themselves clean before the alter of prayer as it is written with these words, "I will wash my hands in innocence, and go about Your altar, O Lord, That I may make the voice of thanksgiving heard and may tell of all Your wondrous works." (Psalms 26:6-7) (Amplified Bible). Likewise the lifting up hands in prayer showed that their was nothing that the petitioner (someone praying humbly for something) had worthy to offer God instead turning up their palms to heaven displaying their desperate need for help, just as we saw from the Apostles above in (Acts 4:23-31) and also as King Solomon did after the work of bringing in the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple of God was complete when he began his prayer with these words, "Then Solomon stood [in the court] before the Lord's burnt offering altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;" (1 Kings 8:22) (Amplified Bible). Holy hands indicates one who has confessed his sins before the Throne of Grace (not one who is sinless) and has a contrite desire (that is, feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses), this is the man covered and washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, the Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord whose prayer will be heard.

The Apostle James writes to Christians with these words indicating what the humble desire should be, "So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection {and} heartfelt shame [for your sins]. Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]." (James 4:7-10) (Amplified Bible). When Paul writes here 'without wrath and doubting', he is targeting the two most crucial things that can block prayers from being answered by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. The English word 'without' is translated by the Greek word choris meaning at a space, that is, separately or apart from something. The English word 'wrath' is translated by the Greek word orge meaning anger, indignation, or vengeance, that is, properly desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment.

The English word 'doubting' is translated by the Greek word dialogismos meaning discussion, that is, (internal) consideration (by implication purpose), or (external) debate: - dispute, doubtful, imagination, reasoning, or thought. In other words, Paul is warning Timothy and instructing him to warn other men in the Church to seperate themselves from anger and ire against other believers especially and even non-believers, for this will certainly hinder ones effectual prayers as the Apostle James writes with these words, "Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense {and} to get angry. For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive {and} welcome the Word which implanted {and} rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls." (James 1:19-21) (Amplified Bible) and these words written by the Apostle Paul himself to the Colossian Church, "But now put away {and} rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses {and} slander, and foulmouthed abuse {and} shameful utterances from your lips!" (Colossians 3:8) (Amplified Bible).

To doubt is equal to disbelieving God or unbelief just as the Apostle James said with these words, "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally {and} ungrudgingly, without reproaching {or} faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither {and} thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable {and} unreliable {and} uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]." (James 1:5-8) (Amplified Bible). Everyone of us Christian men must always remember and heed these words spoken by our Lord Jesus Himself concerning a man's prayers, "And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith {and} [really] believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:21-22) (Amplified Bible).

"A direction how to pray, 1 Timothy 2:8. Now, under the Gospel, prayer is not to be confined to any one particular house of prayer, but men must pray every where: no place is amiss for prayer, no place more acceptable to God than another, John 4:21. Pray every where. We must pray in our closets, pray in our families, pray at our meals, pray when we are on journeys, and pray in the solemn assemblies, whether more public or private. It is the will of God that in prayer we should lift up holy hands: Lifting up holy hands, or pure hands, pure from the pollution of sin, washed in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. I will wash my hands, etc., Psalm 26:6. We must pray in charity: Without wrath, or malice, or anger at any person. We must pray in faith without doubting (James 1:6), or, as some read it, without disputing, and then it falls under the head of charity." Matthew Henry

"And how is that to be done? First of all, by keeping out of all places where it is impossible that we should pray; for although He is everywhere, and we want Him everywhere, there are places—and some of us know the roads to them but too well, and are but too often in them—where prayer would be a strange incongruity. A man will not pray over the counter of a public-house. A man will not pray over a sharp bargain. A man will not pray that God may bless his outbursts of anger, or sensuality and the like. A man will not pray when he feels that he is deep down in some pit of self-caused alienation from God. The possibility of praying in given circumstances is a sharp test, although a very rough and ready one, whether we ought to be in these circumstances or not. Do not let us go where we cannot take God with us; and if we feel that it would be something like blasphemy to call to Him from such a place, do not let us trust ourselves there. Jonah could pray out of the belly of the fish, and there was no incongruity in that; but many a professing Christian man gets swallowed up by monsters of the deep, and durst not for very shame send up a prayer to God. Get out of all such false positions." Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…