Why do you join your hands together when you are praying?

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   Vellurposted 12 years ago

   Why do you join your hands together when you are praying?
   
   We all have our reasons, what is yours?

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   Ruchiraposted 12 years ago

   to show my gratitude...I join my hands together when praying.

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Showing gratitude,wonderful.

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   win-winresourcesposted 12 years ago

   Hello Vellur-
   
   Humans have an inborn need for contact and community expressing emotion,  comfort, love, solace, commitment and connection.
   
   Whether praying or loving, and anything in between, our need to establish human connection is powerful as it defines us and our relationships.
   
   As I have described it, I am joining hands with someone else, and particularly those whom I hold dear.
   
   -DW

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes that is a reason. Joining hands with dear ones, wonderful.

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   london55posted 12 years ago

   To stop you fiddling and keep your concentration, at least that's what I was told at school, bit like why you shut your eyes to....

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh yes at school,to keep the kids concentrated and quiet initially.

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   LouTucciposted 12 years ago

   I believe it is done to symbolize unity.

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Unity Oh yes. A great thought.

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   Au faitposted 12 years ago

   I neither join my hands nor shut my eyes.  I speak to God as I would my best friend, since He is.  Enoch walked with God and I don't think he was walking around everywhere with his eyes shut and his hands joined. 
   
   The most important things (IMO) are to be respectful, appreciative, and private.  He said we should go into our closets alone and shut the door when we pray and not make a big show of it publicly in an effort to impress the people around us.

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      Civil War Bobposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well said, Au fait!!

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Respectful and appreciative, oh yes. God is our best friend and each one of us have our own special ways.

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   Civil War Bobposted 12 years ago

   I don't join my hands, but appreciate all the comments so far of those who do.  I used to hand write in my prayer journals, now I type into my computer as I talk to the Lord, so closed hands are out.  Likewise, driving a car or a John Deere while praying didn't work too well with joined hands either.
   I'm with Au fait about talking to One who loves me as much as His Son...good deal the whole way 'round!

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      One can pray in any way, each of us have our own special ways. Your way is very special and wonderful.

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   liftandsoarposted 12 years ago

   I've never joined my own two hands in prayer, but when our kids were small we joined hands with one another partly to express family unity and partly to keep their hands off each other.  Now when in a restaurant with another or home with my wife I instinctively reach out for a hand.
   
   While there are examples of different postures for prayer in Scripture, I don't believe any one posture is commanded. Unless it be this one from I Timothy 2:8.  "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;"  I suspect that Paul means this metaphorically.  To lift up hands is a position of vulnerability before God and also a position of praise.

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Any posture is great,each and everyone of us have our own special ways.

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   Becky Katzposted 12 years ago

   To show our unity in seeking God's will. Nice question. We join hands with others when praying with them. I do not fold my hands together when praying in private. I usually raise them, which feels natural to me, in worship, supplication, and respect. When praying while out in public, I just close my eyes, to block out visual distraction. I don't usually pray while driving, if I do, it is with both hands on the wheel and eyes wide open, as I am in a hazarous situation.

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      Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh yes, unity in seeking God's will - wonderful thought. Each one of us have our own special ways, to communicate with God.

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    TeacherCaroposted 12 years ago

    to express faith! It is feeling of faith, joining hands make me feel sure I am protected....

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       We all need faith to carry on. A wonderful thought.

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    arksysposted 12 years ago

    this might not sound great or magical ... but it is what beggars do.
    
    God might be really close to you but you still do not / should not forget that there is a huge difference between you and the creator of the worlds and a sense of respect must be in the heart, which is why you beg for forgiveness / protection and all the wonders in this world.
    
    this in my opinion is why we join our hands when we pray / ask for something.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Yes we do beg for forgiveness/protection.Wonderful thought.

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    landscapeartistposted 12 years ago

    I never really thought of why I join my hands together.  I guess it would be because traditionally everyone kneels and clasps their hands together in prayer.  Pictures show the two hands together.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Ok, yes we follow what we are taught and see.

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    Carrie Terryposted 12 years ago

    So the presence of God go go through to everyone and be felt at the same. time.  Also becasue its a way to connect and fell the love you have for that other person.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Oh yes,feeling the presence of God and to connect - a great  thought.

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    edhanposted 12 years ago

    To me, it is a kind of respect when talking with God.
    
    God is one who I have the highest respect and I offer myself in that posture when I am praying.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       A wonderful thought.

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    Thomas Swanposted 12 years ago

    We shake hands with other people to engender good will. This contact releases endorphins into the blood stream making us feel good. While making contact with yourself doesn't have the same effect, we probably join our hands together because we believe we are communicating with another being, and wish to promote the same good will in whichever symbolic way we can. Given that we believe "God is within us", the symbolism of putting our hands together is appropriate for contact with God.

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    Tracy K.posted 12 years ago

    Are you asking why do you join hands together "with others" or putting your hands together to pray? I'm trying to get clarity with the question.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Putting your hands together to pray.

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    remanikiposted 12 years ago

    Hands joined together, up in the air in His praise or held out in a beseeching manner just doesn't matter so long as you are able to communicate lovingly with Him.
    
    I never stop to pray when I pass by a temple because I feel that He is not only there but He is with me, within me all the time. Prayer is a wonderful act, done to satisfy your inner self  and to find happiness however you do it.

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       Vellurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Oh yes prayer is a wonderful act.

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    visionandfocusposted 11 years ago

    Great question! I went to Roman Catholic school for 12 years and never questioned it. Oh well. Now that I'm older and hopefully a wee bit wiser, I have to say that it seems to me to have something to do with being centred and grounded, so that you can be in the optimal place to commune with your deity.
    You sometimes see Chinese martial arts practitioners do the same thing too (either one hand or both aligned with the centre of their bodies) to gather their "chi" or life-force before they strike.
    I also like the symbolism of unity as mentioned by someone else.

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