Open Hand

An open hand generally signifies generosity and kindness, or preparation to receive. Other times, an open hand means being willing to release something (or things) we would rather keep. 

What does your open hand reveal about you, spiritually?

We will review a real-life dream example shortly, but first, let us look at what the Bible says about this principle.

God’s Open Hand

Because we are made in His image and likeness, there is much we can learn about ourselves by examining God’s actions.  And, one of the many things that God does exceptionally well is to open His Hand.

In Psalms 145:16, the psalmist, King David, wrote that God “opens His hands and satisfies (fulfills) the desires of every living thing.” 

God loves all His creation, unconditionally, and it is not out of duty. In fact, it is His nature to love (God is love). (I John 4:8.10,16)

No one anywhere in this world loves us more than God.  At the same time, no one has the power to grant us the freedom that is ours to enjoy in Him. And He does this by opening His hands.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You. (Psalms 139:7-12)

King David learned from life experiences and dreams (see Psalms 139:18) that though we may walk away from God, God will never take His eyes off us.

When God seems far away, He is exceptionally near to us. Also, we can be fully assured that whether we stay close or drift away, He never withdraws His love. In other words, out of Hand does not mean “out of sight or mind” where God is concerned.

No Divine “Bait and Switch”

Consider these Scriptures that speak of letting go.

Cast your bread upon the water, for you will find it after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. (Psalms 126:5)

Scammers and unscrupulous used-car sales associates will lure us and then fail to meet our expectations.  Clearly, the English idiom “bait and switch” perfectly describes the deceptive tactics used by some. They intentionally deliver something inferior or charge more than was promised. God is not like that.

God is not a man that He should lie, or the son of man that he should change His mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19).

What will we receive in exchange for opening our hands? Oftentimes, not what we want or expect. However, the end will be beyond anything we can imagine. Clear examples can be found throughout the Scriptures.

Open Handed Grace

Abraham left his homeland to journey to a place he did not know to fulfill a promise from God. Yet before long, the patriarch faced a famine. Going to Egypt seemed like a great idea for him, but not for his wife. God had to rescue her (Genesis 12).  After a few more twists and turns in the story, the promise was fulfilled. God blessed Abraham’s Seed with multiplication “as the stars.” (Genesis 22:17)

Years later, Rebekah left home and travelled for weeks to marry a man she had never met (Genesis 24). What was she handed? Twenty years of barrenness. Then her family faced a severe famine. This time God warned them not to go to Egypt. Subsequently, her husband, Isaac (Abraham’s son), became exceedingly wealthy. (Genesis 25, 26)

Likewise, Jesus’ Disciples left everything behind to follow Him. They could never have imagined that the heirs of their faith and obedience would still be multiplying 2000 years later! Jesus’ prayers ensured this would happen. (John 17:20)

I, too, have received grace to open my hands. Recently, a dream from 20 years ago came to mind. It was about my future ministry. During that dream, a completely unrelated scene suddenly “slid” in horizontally, like a transition between two scenes. (Those who have experience editing videos will understand precisely what I am describing.) Embedded visions can be strange, but they are essential. They provide context for our dreams, as explained in my Building Interpretive Skills course.

Embedded Vision: My Vibrating Hand

I was lying in bed when my left hand suddenly vibrated like a cellphone. Startled, I opened my hand and found it filled with several silver coins. There were quarters, nickels, and dimes in US currency. I knew I was to give the money to some people I would mentor.

God confirmed what He has been communicating to me in this Year of Grace (the number 5 in parabolic language symbolizes Grace; 2025 is 5×5). He said, “I have given you the ability or ‘grace’ to open your hand to ‘loose change’ (an English idiom for loose coins) when I prompt you to (haptic vibration).” Additionally, silver means redemption.

Did I initially understand the whole meaning of this dream? Absolutely not. Our understanding of spiritual dreams typically matures over several years. Quite similar to how we can grow in the knowledge of God’s Word or become fluent in a foreign language.

Grace to Open Hands

When God gives a prophetic word, He often confirms it over time in so many ways that it is impossible to overlook. (Patience is vital because deception and false words eventually reveal themselves.) A few weeks ago, the Lord reminded me about something else I had forgotten.

I received a prophetic word from a young missionary while visiting the Pacific Northwest. Coincidentally, my travel date was 05/05/05 (May 5, 2005), again, symbolic of Grace. “Jacquie, your hand is shut too tightly,” she said. “You must learn to open your hand (to the Lord) and release things.” I did not grasp the whole meaning of that word (pun intended).

However, as we close out 2025 (5×5), this year of Grace upon Grace, I have had many opportunities to open my hand. Sometimes, it wasn’t easy to let go of what I preferred to hold on to. 

For example:

I started the year reluctantly selling some investments that I really wanted to keep. After all, they had taken many years to accrue. Surprisingly, at the end of the year, the balance still exceeded what I began with.

Then, in the first quarter, I spent weeks searching for a job, without success. I submitted the matter to the Lord. I suspended my efforts (opened my hand), then focused my eyes and mind on other things. Quite unexpectedly, a door opened to me. I neither applied nor interviewed; I only had to accept the offer.  

Just a few weeks ago, my mom lay dying in a hospital bed. God gave me the special grace to open my hand to release her to His Hand. That night, He opened a supernatural portal to usher her into Heaven with an angelic escort.  I could go on and on with many examples.

God Fills An Open Hand

When God gives us the grace to release what we would prefer to cling to, it is only because He intends to fill our hands with something better. His plan is to fulfill His divine purpose for our lives, just as we just saw in the Scriptures.

Even though I titled this post Open Hand, because that is what the Holy Spirit spoke, the message is not novel. Remember? We labor to “Enter His rest, ” “Surrender our will,” and “Count it all joy” when we suffer various adversities. 

Has God been prompting you to open your hand and release to Him something that you have failed to achieve? Of course, we have the choice to remain defiant and tight-fisted. He will not force us to open our hands or hearts. But why not position ourselves to receive?

Beloved, in Christ Jesus, God has blessed you with exceedingly great grace. Your open hand will enable you to receive unique gifts from Him in 2026. This is the Year of God’s Favor (Isaiah 61:2). How can we be sure of this? In Gematria, 26 is the numerical value of His Name YHWH. Also, we are in the Hebrew year 5786, which is 26. Amen!