Bloody Hands Lifted In Prayer

As we journey in Isaiah, we see how God feels about pretense. Isaiah 1:15 says,

“When you spread out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you;

even though you make many prayers,

I will not listen;

your hands are full of blood.”

It’s not that they refuse to pray. In fact they appear to put on quite a show of it. But God is not looking for a show. He desires genuine reverence, love, and obedience. The final line of today’s verse is horrifically eye opening, “…your hands are full of blood.”

Those hands spread out in prayer are responsible for much bloodshed. They are covered in sin. God is not fooled when we make a religious show in public, while coddling sin and walking in our own ways. There are “pastors” who proclaim it’s fine to kill a baby in the womb.

While reading this verse, I can’t help but think of false teachers who make the message about people instead of God. They claim you can be right with God in your own way. They lead souls to spiritual death. They still pray, spread out their hands, multiply prayers even, and their churches are often growing. But God will not have it, or hear it, or look on it.

But God does hear:

• Those who are God-fearing and do His will. (John 9:31)
• The righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)
• When we ask according to His will. (1 John 5:14)

God looks on:

• Those who are humble and broken over sin.
• Those who tremble at His Word.
(Isaiah 66:2)

 Lord, give us clean hands and pure hearts. Break our hearts with what breaks Yours.