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Praying with Clasped Hands

Praying hands (or the clasped hands) is a common prayer gesture or posture among Christians. The clasped hands are usually held before the heart as a symbol of submission, sincerity, repentance and obedience. Some raise their prayer hands as if pleading to God to grant their prayers.

Natahn Ausubel, in his book "Book of Jewish Knowledge said that this prayer gesture is not exclusive to Christians alone. He said the Jews even before the time of Jesus Christ, practiced it: "It has also been commonly assumed that folding the hands in prayer is exclusively a Christian custom. This is not the historical fact at all. As early as the post-Exilic period, when Jews prayed, they folded their hands, and they observed this custom for several centuries even after it had been adopted by Christians."

Jesus and the Virgin Mary were both Jews so their images are often shown in this prayer gesture. Even angel art works oftentimes show angels with their hands drawn together.

In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, this prayer gesture is a sign of veneration and respect as well as a greeting. Termed the "anjali mudra", this is done by the drawing together of one's palms at the heart. In Sanskrit, anjali means an offering and mudra means seal. In India particularly, this gesture goes hand in hand with the word "Namaste" which is something like a sacred Hello and translated as "I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity within me."

So what's the big deal about praying with clasped or folded hands or palms drawn together? Pope Benedict XVI said in his book "Spirit of the Liturgy has this to say: "The body has a place within the divine worship of the Word made flesh, and it is expressed liturgically in a certain discipline of the body, in gestures that have developed out of the liturgy's inner demands..." From this statement, the Pope is saying that the body certainly has a place in worship, in the Liturgy.

The Pope further went on to say that during the feudal times, those who swore their allegiance to a ruling lord would place their joined hands into the hands of their lord as a sign of their fidelity and obedience. In a similar vein, we place our hands in the hands of our Lord when we pray with our joined hands and pledge our fidelity and obedience to Him.

Does using the praying hands gesture help our ability to pray or meditate? Practitioners of yoga believe that doing this gesture brings the left and right hemispheres of one's brain together and quiet the mind.

Personally, I am able to focus on God more when I pray with my hands folded. Try swinging your hands instead and see if you can concentrate. It is just like when I kneel to pray. I acknowledge God's presence with respect. I know a lot of people feel the same way. Praying hands and praying hearts are certainly pleasing to God.

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For some valuable tips on how to make your prayers more powerful and effective, go to www.how-to-pray-effectively.com and discover the secrets to answered prayer. For more articles about prayer, visit our praying hands blog.

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