Without wrath and doubting

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; - 1 Timothy 2v8

If there is one topic that I need all the help I can get on it is prayer. I pray, of course, but my prayer life is often weak and insipid. My prayer can be half hearted at times. I have been a Christian for more than 34 years, but I still get all the teaching I can on prayer.

Here Paul mentions three things about prayer.

It is to be offered by lifting up holy hands. The lifting up of hands, either physically or symbolically, pictures a helpless, willing supplication. It means we have taken our hands off and we are totally dependent on God. Along with that the hands that are lifted up to God must be holy hands, without spot. We must be able to show that our prayers are offered up from a holy heart, and the only way to show that is with a holy life. Our prayer must be made with a supplicant and holy life.

Prayer should also be offered without wrath. God expects our hearts to be free from anger, wrath, and bitterness toward others. We cannot pray properly when our hearts are occupied with wrong thoughts toward others. Prayer must be made after we are cleared our hearts toward others.

‘Without doubting.’ What good does it do to pray if we don’t believe that God can answer? If fact, in reality what good does it do the doubt God, full stop. Too often we doubt that God knows best and we want God to act according to our thoughts and plans. ‘Without doubt’ means that I don’t doubt that God is going to sort it all out. I trust that He knows best.

Prayer – lifting up holy hands, no wrath, no doubts. How do we measure up?