The topic of whether Christians should raise their hands or clap during worship is one that elicits a variety of opinions. There are good arguments on both sides of this issue, and Scripture does not definitively settle the matter. As with many issues where Scripture is less explicit, this becomes a matter of Christian freedom and conscience. Below we will look at the key considerations around hand raising and clapping during worship.
The Heart Motive in Worship
When evaluating practices like hand raising or clapping in worship, the first and most important question is that of heart motive. Why are people choosing to lift hands or clap hands during singing or praise? Is it out of genuine, spontaneous praise to God? Or is it just going along with what others are doing or seeking to draw attention to oneself? The heart’s motivation is a critical factor.
Jesus strongly cautioned against practicing righteousness before others simply to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1). This would apply to raising hands just to go along with the crowd or appear more spiritual. At the same time, lifting hands as a genuine expression of praise is well attested in Scripture, as we will see below. It all comes down to the motivation of the heart.
In addition to motive, another aspect of the heart to consider is whether the practice is enhancing one’s vertical focus on God, or becoming a distraction. For some, lifting hands helps them focus entirely on God in worship. For others, it can become a distraction if they are too conscious of those around them. Each person must follow their conscience in what helps their heart stay focused on God alone (Romans 14:5-8).
Biblical Examples of Lifting Hands
The Old Testament records several instances where lifting hands was an expression of prayer and praise to God:
- Moses lifting his hands up during the battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13)
- The psalmist calling people to lift their hands in the sanctuary in praise to God (Psalm 134:2)
- Solomon praying at the temple dedication with hands spread out toward heaven (1 Kings 8:22)
- The psalmist expressing his soul’s desire to lift his hands to God’s name (Psalm 63:4)
In the New Testament, we see raising hands as part of expressing prayer, praise, and receiving blessing:
- Jesus blessing the children with lifted hands (Matthew 19:13-15)
- The lame man healed through Peter and John lifting him up (Acts 3:1-9)
- Paul teaching that prayer should be offered with holy hands lifted up (1 Timothy 2:8)
- The apostles praying over the new converts after baptism, laying hands on them (Acts 8:14-17)
Based on these examples, lifting hands has biblical precedent as a posture expressing dependence on God, seeking His blessing, and praising Him. As with all physical expressions in worship, the heart motivation is what makes it significant or not.
Clapping Hands to Praise God
Clapping hands as an expression of rejoicing and praise to God has roots in several Old Testament passages:
- Psalm 47:1 – Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
- Psalm 98:4-8 – Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD…”
- Isaiah 55:12 – For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
These verses portray clapping as a natural expression of rejoicing and praise, both among people and the mountains, hills, rivers and trees. As with lifting hands, clapping can appropriately accompany singing praise to God. The heart’s motivation as praising God, not bringing attention to oneself, is what matters most.
Freedom in the New Covenant
In instructing the Corinthian church about order in their gatherings, Paul teaches an important principle of freedom in the New Covenant. He writes that everything in the church should be done for building up, done properly and in order, and that this should be applied according to their own cultural context (1 Corinthians 14:26, 40). The practices of the Old Testament law are no longer binding, but principles of love, order, and focus on God remain guiding principles.
This means Christians have freedom under the New Covenant to incorporate cultural expressions into worship like lifting or clapping hands. At the same time, boundaries of order, focus on God, and avoiding distraction or calling attention to oneself should guide the appropriateness of any particular practice within a church body. There is much freedom, along with responsibility.
Cautions About Legalism
One danger concerning practices like hand lifting or clapping is legalism – binding something as necessary for others just because it benefits one’s own worship. The New Testament warns against such legalism, teaching that convictions on disputable matters are to be held personally before God, not enforced on others (Romans 14:1-12).
At the same time, those who may not appreciate certain expressive practices should be gracious to those who do, as long as the overall focus remains on Christ. Unity in love and patience should prevail over divisiveness regarding matters of Christian freedom (Ephesians 4:1-3).
Legalism can also rear its head in the form of judging those who don’t express themselves in ways one thinks they should. But again, God examines the heart, and motives for not employing certain practices can vary widely, from immaturity to personality to objections of conscience. Patience and understanding should prevail (Colossians 3:12-13).
Cultural and Generational Considerations
Culture and upbringing play a large role in what practices seem comfortable or uncomfortable in corporate worship. Forms of expressiveness that seem fitting in one culture or generation may feel out of place in another. In some cultures, lifting hands is a welcome expression in worship, while in others it may cause distraction or discomfort. Similar variances apply from generation to generation.
A principle we can draw from Scripture is thoughtfulness for others and unity in the body. If a practice like lifting hands causes distraction for a large portion of a congregation, consideration should be given to whether it is enhancing corporate worship or not. At the same time, close-mindedness towards new expressive forms should be avoided. As cultures and generations change within a church body, patience, understanding and an openness to new things often need to increase.
Personal Conviction and Conscience
With practices such as hand lifting or clapping during worship, Christians of good conscience can come to differing personal convictions. Factors like upbringing, personality, culture, and interpretation of Scripture can all play a role. This is why these practices fall under the category of disputable matters where Christians are called to extend grace to one another (Romans 14:1).
The main guide for participation should be one’s personal conscience before God. Each believer must ascertain if a practice enhances and focuses their worship, or becomes a distracting influence. They should avoid judging others who differ, while also not flaunting their freedom in ways that may violate another’s conscience. And if a church collectively deems a practice inappropriate for their corporate gatherings, that decision should be respected by those who personally wish to express themselves differently.
Maintaining Focus on God
Amid the various opinions on physical expression in worship, the biblical priority of keeping focus on God should remain front and center. Forms of expression like raising or clapping hands can rightly enhance worship when done as a genuine act of praise to God. They become a problem when distracting from focus on God, or used as a way to bring attention to self.
It is a matter of continually evaluating both personal heart motives, and thoughtfulness for how practices affect corporate worship. Are they helping keep focus on praising God, or inadvertently shifting attention to human performance? Corporate gatherings should follow orderly guidelines to help maintain undistracted focus on God for the majority. And individual practices should be governed by sincerity of heart and sensitivity to others.
Wisdom in Practice
When it comes to practices like lifting and clapping hands in worship, here are some principles that can help guide wise and thoughtful participation:
- Follow your conscience before God in what practices help you worship Him without distraction.
- Be patient with Christians who differ in conviction or expression.
- Avoid a judgmental spirit toward those who don’t participate in a way you think they should.
- Don’t impose your freedoms in disputed matters on others as necessity.
- Be aware of practices that may be unnecessarily distracting to a majority in your church context.
- Aim to please God with sincerity of heart, not draw attention to yourself.
- Focus on God and His glory rather than the practices themselves.
As the body of Christ, we have freedom in worship forms, but not at the expense of love, patience, order, and thinking of others. Our unified focus should be magnifying Christ through Spirit-led praise. All disputed practices should serve that overarching purpose for God’s glory.
