What does it mean to pray everywhere (1 Timothy 2:8)?

It is not merely a gracious acquiescence but his active wish or will. It is positive apostolic direction. "I will then that the men pray in every place," not all the constituents of the assembly, but the men in contrast with women. This is of great moment. Title to pray belongs to "the men" as a whole, not to women; for public prayer is in question. There is no thought of a particular class among the men; yet is the apostle regulating the house of God. Prayer, then, is not restricted to the elders, even when elders were in full form. It belongs to "the men." Nor has it only to do with gifts, though of course gifted men might form a large part of such as prayed. And this is so true, that the apostle adds "in every place." It may be that there is no allusion to a different practice among the Jews or the heathen. Certainly there is no trace of polemic purpose. Nevertheless Christian practice is most evident in the words — the fullest liberty for prayer on the part of "the men," and this not in private only but in public.

His general exhortation is pursued, but still in view of the due and decent outward order, of that which met the eye even of an unconverted person. "I will therefore that the men" — that is, not women — "that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing." There are occasions and places where it would be wholly unsuitable for women to speak, but as to men they pray everywhere. There is no place where it is not in season, but let it be "without wrath and disputing" or "reasoning." Either would be altogether opposed to the spirit of prayer. Prayer is the expression of dependence on God; and wrangling on the one hand, and all angry feeling on the other, even supposing it might have some righteousness about it, still are unsuitable to prayer. Thus, what may have its place may really be uncomely in drawing near to God. A spirit of reasoning would be quite as out of place.

In speaking thus of the house of God there is no thought of a material building. As I have shown, the building is composed of living stones—believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor am I thinking of their service, in the way of prayers, and intercessions, and giving of thanks for men, as only going on when they are gathered together. We read that men are to pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting. The house does not exist any more when the people are gathered together than it does when all are occupied with their daily avocations. Prayers are to go up continually to a Saviour-God; and men are to pray everywhere. There are places where women are to be silent—that is, in the assembly (1 Cor. 4:34)—but men pray everywhere, and at all times.

Paul was herald of this grace, but moreover apostle in full authority, and teacher in patient wisdom, that even besotted Gentiles might believe and know the truth. Yet reverence and divine order become those who profess the truth. "I will therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up pious [or, holy] hands, without wrath and disputation." All the faithful were holy brethren; and it was no longer the question of a Jewish sanctuary any more than of a Gentile high place. They were free and invited to pray elsewhere. The women were to cultivate modesty and discretion (instead of fashion and finery), with good works their true ornament. To learn is their place, not teaching nor authority, but quiet subjection; for which he cites the case of Eve, who, deceived, brought in transgression, whatever mercy may do even in her chief natural sorrow.

(V. 8). Firstly, the Apostle speaks of men in contrast with women. The men in the house of God are to be marked by prayer. The Apostle is speaking of public prayer, and on such occasions the title to pray is restricted to men. Moreover, the instruction contains no thought of an official class leading in prayer. Praying in public is not confined to elders, or to gifted men, for prayer is never treated in Scripture as a question of gift. It is men that are to pray and the only restriction is that a right moral condition is to be maintained. Those who lead in public prayer are to be marked by holiness, and their prayers are to be without wrath or reasoning. The man that is conscious of unjudged evil in his life is in no condition to pray. Moreover, the prayer is to be without wrath. This is an exhortation that utterly condemns the use of prayer to make veiled attacks upon others. Behind such prayers there is always wrath or malice. Moreover, the prayer is to be in the simplicity of faith and not with vain human reasoning.

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." This refers to praying in public. Audible prayer in the congregation is to be made by men, and not by women. This is apostolic teaching. (There are sects in existence today which claim to have returned to apostolic doctrines and practices, yet they ignore the apostolic commandment as to the place of women in the church. In fact in many of these sects women are the leaders.) The hands which are lifted up in public prayer must be holy hands (James 4:8). True piety and a separated walk are to characterize the man who lifts up his hands in public prayer. And it must be "without wrath," angry feeling against a brother, and without disputing or "reasoning." To harbor an ill feeling against another while praying or to introduce a dispute, a reasoning argument (as done quite often) makes prayer noneffective.

It will be seen in these verses (8 to 15) that in reference to prayer there is a decided difference insisted upon between men and women. Men were to pray everywhere, which would of course include the public place, which is not that of the woman. A brother in the Lord should be prepared at all times to rise to the occasion of lifting his voice in audible prayer. We see this preeminently in the Lord Jesus (Jn. 6:11; 11:41, 42; 12:27, 28), but in the apostle Paul also (Acts 27:35, etc.), and certainly with the lifting up of holy hands. If one's hands are soiled by questionable works, he is generally loathe to pray publicly (and should be), for this will draw more attention to his hands. Let the man not ignore his responsibility to pray; but let him back this up with becoming honorable conduct.

It may seem strange that it is necessary to add here, "without wrath and doubting (or reasoning)." Yet how solemn a warning that public prayer must not be taken advantage of to express one's displeasure in another. This has too often been done. Even Elijah prayed against Israel (Rom. 11:2, 3); and on one occasion we read, "Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, Respect thou not their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them" (Num. 16:15). This is not true prayer, for prayer must express both submission to, and dependence upon, the grace of God. Wrath must here give place to true concern for the blessing of others. Let us not abuse the sacred privilege of publicly addressing God in such a way that God is not really honored. But doubting or reasoning is another grave hindrance to true prayer, for it is the opposite of simple confidence in the Lord. Doubtful rationalizing is certainly offensive to a God of pure love and grace, who delights to answer prayer in the best possible way for His beloved saints. It is insulting, particularly in public, to address Him without some simple, honest confidence of faith, that He will answer according to His perfect will.

He turns to prayer in general as that which is to characterize men everywhere. In the public place it is still the men who are to pray, lifting up pious hands. The apostle maintains throughout, in the most consistent manner, the doctrine that the woman's place is not the public one. Nature teaches the same thing, however little we may listen to its voice. This, of course, no more cuts off the women from evangelizing, nor even from instructing in the truth which they have learned, than it cuts them off from prayer. The apostle is thinking of the house of God as the "house of prayer for all nations," and it is public prayer of which he is speaking. This is where the men as such find their place. Here there is no question, of course, of office; there is no one who is exempted really from the duty of praying in every place. The hands that they lift up must be indeed pious hands. No one who cannot lift up such has title to pray in public. Do not men, in fact, shrink often from public prayer really in consequence of the responsibility which it is felt to entail? The people who do not pray are not obliged to have their hands so scrupulously clean! If we "lift them up," they will be noticed; but what a safeguard there is in this, and how needful that everywhere Christians should be found in the place which God. has accorded them, with "pious hands" lifted up, "without wrath or disputation!"

What can be thought of the statement [by Alford] that "it is far-fetched and irrelevant to the context, to find in these words the Christian's freedom from prescription of place for prayer"? It is far better to own the truth, like Chrysostom and Theodoret, etc., of old, or like Erasmus, Calvin, etc., in Reformation times, even if it condemn our ways. "Far-fetched" it is not, but the unforced and sure meaning of the sentence in itself, whatever be people's practice. "Irrelevant to the context" it is not, for what can be more proper, after exhorting prayers to be made of whatever character to lay down liberty of praying on the part of "the men" "in every place"? The scriptural doctrine of the church, and its history in apostolic times confirm not its relevancy only, but also its immense moment and prove that such a practice must have been followed until the habits which sprang up later at a post-apostolic date made it seem disorderly. Prayers on public occasions were thenceforward confined to the ordained officials. But from the beginning it was not so: as we read here, it was the apostle's will that "the men" should pray "in every place."

But right moral condition is carefully maintained, "raising up holy hands, without wrath and doubting," or perhaps "reasoning." The holiness expressed is that of pious integrity, not of a person set apart, ὁσίους not ἀγίους. It did not become men at the time conscious of evil not duly judged to take so solemn a part, if any, in the assembly. Again, if the evil were known to others, such a part taken must be an offence to their consciences. But the highest motive of all is that which should never be wanting — a sense of the presence of the Lord, and of the state which befits each of the saints so sovereignly blessed in His grace.

Hence "wrath" too is expressly forbidden. Unseemly if it intruded into any action of a Christian kind, it was peculiarly unbefitting for one who was the mouth-piece of all in prayer. So also "doubting" was most unseasonable there, being more or less a contradiction of the dependent confidence which is expressed to God in prayer. If souls lay under any of these disabilities, it became them to seek restoration of communion with God: else public praying might become a positive snare through a hardening of conscience in such circumstances.

Prayer and the need of it may be a great mystery to us, but it is the way that God takes to bless. In His ways with men and in His moral rule in the universe the blessing comes down as the prayers of the saints ascend. Hence it is His "will that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Tim. 2:8). Mark the conditions — personal rectitude, holy hands; no unchristian feelings towards others, without wrath; and faith in God to whom we pray, no doubting. "Ask and ye shall receive."