Abstract:
ABSTRACT
In contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, clapping of hands in prayer has become an
accepted practice. The Book of Ezekiel has been quoted to support this practice.
Statements such as ‘When I clap my hands and pray let fire come and consume my
enemies; let those against my progress perish’, have become statements in prayers. The
focus of the article was to examine these texts in the Book of Ezekiel as to whether it is
appropriate for contemporary Ghanaian Christians to use these texts to support their
practice. To achieve this, the article subjected the texts in Ezekiel to exegetical exercise
through the historical-grammatical method. This exegesis revealed that the practice is
an interpretation and application error. This is because a proper exegesis of the texts
from Ezekiel clearly shows that the texts have nothing to do with the contemporary
Ghanaian Christian clapping in prayer. In fact, one cannot mimic Ezekiel because God
has not informed the contemporary Christian to do so. The narrative is descriptive, not
prescriptive. It is therefore recommended that Ghanaian Christians who clap their hands
in prayer should not base the practice on Ezekiel’s experience. The article impacts
positively on scholarship. It especially, demonstrates how biblical symbolic actions
should be interpreted and applied. The issues raised can serve as tools for Christian
scholars who wish to interpret texts of this nature.
Keywords: Strike Your Hands, Contemporary Ghanaian Christian Practice,
Interpretation, Application
