A practical introduction to the role of hands in heart prayer I first received through the book The Practice of Heart Prayer by Andreas Ebert and Peter Musto. 

It is a recommended course book for beginners in prayer of the heart. The book even includes a CD with guided meditations and exercises. 

What particularly appealed to me was the approach to dealing with hands in prayer.

What was special for me was how gently the sensation and posture of the hands is introduced. There is no predetermined posture – rather, the hands find their prayer posture through mindful sensing. 

First, you rest your hands on your thighs and become consciously aware of them. After a while, you turn them over so that the palms face upwards. Then you wait mindfully until the hands lift themselves and find their prayer position.

This approach promotes a very mindful treatment of the hands, which play an important role in prayer. 

It's not just about the physical hands, but also their energetic aspect. With increasing prayer practice, a fine energetic perception develops. You feel the energy in the palms, which are also called the “hearts of the hands.”

Andreas Ebert and Peter Musto were students of Franz Jalics, a Hungarian Jesuit priest, who last taught heart prayer in Germany. Franz Jalics led us to pray in the hands because they lead us to the heart. 

With some practice, the connection between the energy of the palms and the heart becomes noticeable.

I am very grateful to these great prayer leaders and authors and can warmly recommend their books.

My personal experiences with hands in prayer

When I began to meditate with my hands in prayer, a special dynamic developed. The hands found their own posture - for example, they positioned themselves so that the palms were facing each other and the fingertips were lightly touching. The energy in the palms became clearly perceptible.

It often happened that the hands changed their posture as if by themselves – for example, with bent elbows and open palms facing upwards. 

These movements often occurred when I entered a deeper state of prayer.

The hands also frequently assumed a position with raised arms. Even when this became tiring over time, I let the hands move freely and did not consciously influence them. 

In this way, the position of my hands directly reflected my state of prayer.

Especially in moments when I felt spiritual grace come over me and I was lifted into a higher state, the hands began to move as if by themselves.

Developing your own relationship with prayer hands

I am not suggesting that you should consciously strive for something like this.

My intention is rather to encourage you to develop your own relationship with your prayer hands and not to underestimate their spiritual significance.