1 Timothy 2:8 Men, Pray

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

Because he wants prayer to be made for all men, especially for rulers, Paul calls for prayer everywhere. He asks especially that the men should pray. It is not that he is necessarily saying women should not pray but that men should take a lead in this. It is a fair inference to say that in the average prayer meeting it is the men who are to take the lead in addressing God. As they lead in prayer, men are to do two things. Paul speaks of lifting up holy hands. The normal stance for prayer was to lift up the hands and Paul insists these hands be holy, which is achieved not by washing them but by using them to do what is holy. The second thing Paul insists on is the forsaking of anger and disputing a theme that is often in the background in the pastoral letters (eg 1 Timothy 1:4, 6, 6:4, 5, 20; 2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 23; Titus 3:9-11). These two things are likely to hinder prayer - lack of holiness (Psalm 66:18, Proverbs 15:29, James 4:3) and anger or disputing (1 Peter 3:7, Matthew 5:23, 24, 6:12, 15; Mark 11:25). Ministers then must pray and they must encourage especially the men in their congregations to lead in prayer too. A church that is unholy or where there is strife and division will fail to be effective in prayer.