I Want Men to Lift Uip Holy Hands to Pray, Does This Mean That Women Can't Pray for Men?
1) Direct Answer
No. “I want men to lift up holy hands” does not mean women can’t pray for men. Women can and should pray for men. That verse sets order for public leadership in prayer, not a ban on women’s intercession.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- 1 Timothy 2:8 says, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands,” and in the same passage (2:11–12) the Bible sets the order that women are not to teach or usurp authority over a man. So the leadership of public worship is laid on men.
- But the call to prayer is for the whole church: “Supplications, prayers, intercessions… be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). That includes women praying for men.
- The Bible shows women in prayer with the brethren: “These all continued with one accord in prayer… with the women” (Acts 1:14). Anna “served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).
- The Scripture acknowledges women praying under proper headship order (1 Corinthians 11:5).
- For official church ministry to the sick, the Bible appoints the elders to anoint (James 5:14). But the promise to pray for the sick is to believers generally (Mark 16:17–18).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If women could not pray for men, Scripture would not command “prayers… for all men” to the whole church or show women praying with the brethren.
- The verse about men lifting holy hands establishes headship and public order, not a prohibition against women’s intercession.
- Therefore, women may pray for men anywhere—home, private, or in the congregation—so long as it does not put them in a role of teaching or exercising authority over men in the assembly.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, God calls the whole Body to pray. Men lead in public order, but women’s prayers are needed and welcomed. “Pray without ceasing” applies to daughters and sons alike.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
For him will I accept
52-0718 §34
Now, these men who had scorned, and had kindly made fun of Job, God said to them, "You go take an offering, and go down to Job, my righteous servant. I won't hear you, because you got too much folly. You haven't stood for truth. You haven't did what's right. Therefore, you take a burnt offering, and go down and offer a sacrifice, and ask my servant Job to pray for you, for I will hear him." There you are. Prayer changes things, doesn't it? "Go ask my servant Job, and let him pray for you. One that's been through th...
Expectations
51-0507 §10
You notice, one night I'll have you stand up and put your hands on one another, and if the person gets healed, then the person say, "Well, sister So-and-so had her hands laying on me." See? Or, "Brother So-and-so had his hands laying on me." Many times a Christian has his hands laying on a sinner. He said, "A Christian man laid his hands on me and I got well." See? After all, it's the Lord Jesus that does the healing, see. It isn't who's doing the praying; it's Who's doing the healing and who's doing the believing....
Does God change His mind?
65-0427 §83
Now, we're all coming over here, and you that couldn't get up, move right up close. And we're coming over to pray for you. Now, I want each one of you men to go right along here, laying your hands in here, if you will. Right along there. And I want to stand here, and pray, and then come lay my hands on them, too. All right. Get right in here. You all move right up close, so everybody can reach, now. Dear God, in Jesus Christ's name, we're praying for these people. Some of them are afflicted, crippled there. Them ha...
The Angel and His commission
47-1102 §46
Now, all right, we want to pray for a little boy here... Father, I lay hands on the little boy, I pray that You Father, in the Name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen. You believe now, Sister... Father, I pray for this little girl that they've arranged for Thy servant to pray for. I lay hands upon her Father, in the way that Thou hast taught that we should do. And You said the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise them up. And I pray that You'll heal, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Yo...
Influence
64-0315 §83
What about you with your arm around her there, the lady this way. Look here. Do you? ... I am a stranger to you. Do you believe me to be his servant? Do you believe me---that what I've said is the truth, that I've told you the truth? Do you believe that God can reveal to me your trouble, whatever it is? You believe He can reveal it? It really isn't anything that you're wanting prayed for. You have a prayer card, I see, in your hand. You're the first one with a prayer card. Do you believe God can tell me what you go...