in Your name I will lift my hands.
Lifting hands in prayer and worship is a gesture of surrender and reverence, common in ancient Near Eastern cultures and throughout the Bible. This physical act symbolizes an appeal to God and an expression of dependence on Him. The "name" of God represents His character and authority, and invoking it signifies trust in His power and presence. This practice is echoed in 1 Timothy 2:8, where believers are encouraged to pray with uplifted hands, symbolizing purity and devotion. The lifting of hands can also be seen as a type of Christ, who, in His earthly ministry, often lifted His hands in blessing and prayer, embodying perfect submission to the Father.

David begins, “So I will bless You.” To bless the Lord is to speak well of Him, praise Him, and declare His greatness. Scripture presents this as a deliberate act of the will, not a reaction to circumstance.

• Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips,” shows that blessing God is a continual confession of His worth.

• Psalm 103:1-2 calls worshipers to “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” reminding us that blessing God flows from remembering His benefits.

• Ephesians 1:3 identifies God as “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us…,” revealing that our blessing of Him mirrors His prior blessing toward us.

David commits to praise “as long as I live,” making worship a lifelong pledge rather than a momentary feeling.

• Psalm 146:2 echoes, “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

• Psalm 104:33 shows the same resolve: “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

• Philippians 1:20-21 presents Paul’s parallel desire: “Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ.”

These references underline that true worship is tethered to the entirety of one’s earthly journey.

“In Your name” points to the revealed character, authority, and covenant faithfulness of God.

• Proverbs 18:10 affirms, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe,” highlighting security found in His name.

• Psalm 20:7 contrasts worldly trust with covenant trust: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

• John 14:13 records Jesus promising, “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it,” showing that God’s name grants access and assurance.

Therefore, blessing God “in Your name” means praising Him on the basis of His revealed identity and promises.

The verse concludes, “I will lift my hands,” describing an outward posture that mirrors inward surrender and adoration.

• Psalm 141:2 links lifted hands with prayer: “May the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

• Lamentations 3:41 urges, “Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven,” tying the gesture to heartfelt repentance and dependence.

• 1 Timothy 2:8 teaches, “I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension,” confirming that this expression carries forward into New Testament worship.

Lifting hands testifies physically to honor, openness, and reliance on the Lord.

Psalm 63:4 reveals a four-fold pattern of devoted worship: actively blessing God, doing so through the span of life, grounding praise in His covenant name, and expressing it with wholehearted bodily surrender. The verse invites believers to make praise a deliberate, lifelong, God-centered, and fully expressive response to His steadfast love.