Praying with clasped or folded hands is quite common among Christians. Is there a meaning to this prayer gesture? Yes there is.
Apparently, such a prayer posture is a symbol of obedience, sincerity, submission and repentance. Some raise their folded hands when they make a plea to God to answer their prayers.
This gesture, however, is not only common to Christians but to Jews as well. In the book entitled "Book of Jewish Knowledge" by Nathan Ausubel, he said: "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.
Not only do Jews and Christians practice it but also the Hindus and Buddhists. The latter draw their palms together to show respect, to venerate their deities and to greet one another. This posture is termed the "anjali mudra", anjali meaning offering and mudra, seal.
Particularly in India, the word "Namaste" is said while doing this posture as a way of saying something like a sacred hello since the word "Namaste" is 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 mentioned the custom during feudal times of placing one's joined hands into the hands of his ruling lord as a sign of his fidelity and loyalty. So when we fold our hands in prayer, we are symbolically pledging to God our fidelity and loyalty and placing our hands in His.
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.
I find that I am able to focus more on God and concentrate better when I pray using the praying hands gesture. It's as if folding or clasping or drawing my hands together sends a signal to my mind to calm down.
It is much the same when I kneel to pray. I see it as a time when I am in God's presence so I do it to show my reverence to my Creator.
Babes Tan-Magkalas has 2 major passions in life : St. Joseph and prayer. She wrote a free ebook entitled "Prayer Tips (for Prayers That Get Results)" where she gives out valuable information on how to make prayers more powerful and effective. Grab your copy HERE.
Thank you for sharing this information. I find it is a way to focus as well, but when we read how Jesus prayed, if often says his hands were lifted high toward the sky. I find that raising my hands to pray brings me to a place of humility and surrender. In either case, the idea is complete surrender and adoration. Thanks for turning my heart toward prayer and my Lord Jesus. Blessings to you! Teresa
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