Martin Luther on Psalms 134:2

Verse. 2. Lift vp your hands to the Sanctuary & praise the Lord.

As much to say, as when ye pray in the Sanctuary, lift vp pure and holy hands. For he that prayeth in that holy place, must offer vp pure and holy prayers. So saith S. Paule also: lifting vp pure hands, 1 Tim. 2.8. &c. for else ye shall pray in vaine. Pure hands signifie innocencie, from blood, extortion, spoile & robbery. The Prophet therfore setteth forth here two sortes of men comming to the temple & praying. Some there be that come and pray in innocencie and holines. Some againe pray in hipocrisie, hauing their hands defiled with blood.107.7. The prayer of such is sinne, as the Psalme sayth. Paul teacheth in like maner concerning prayer: Timo. 1.2. Pray (saith he) without wrath or doubting. Also our Sauiour Christ saith: If thou bring thy gift to the altar, Matth. 5.25. and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. For this is a common thing, that hypocrites, when they haue done all ye iniury they can against their brethren, are not only without all remorse of cō science, but also they make a great shew of religion and holines, & bragge of the Gospell more then the true Christians doe. Against these the psalme speaketh & warneth them that when they pray in the holy place, they ought to be pure & holy. For who so euer praieth, & is possessed with the sinne of couetousnes, fleshly lust or any other deuil, Psal. 50.16. to him the Lord sayth: VVhat hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances, that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reformed, and hast cast my words behinde thee? For when thou seest a theefe, thou runnest with him, & thou art partaker with the adulterers &c. Such was ye prayer of the Pharisey, Luke. 18.14. which departed out of ye temple vniustified. For this is a common euil among men, yt they which are most impure & wicked, doe glory more of God & his word, then such as are godly & feare God in deede. Wherfore the Scripture expresly declareth, yt such there be as take ye name of God in their mouths, and yet in hart & life are polluted and wicked. And in this place the prophet inueyeth against hipocriets, whiche thinke that when they pray, God seeth not ye vncleannes of their hart. This is therfore a necessary prayer, ye first God would giue vnto vs his word, & defend the same against all vaine spirits & heresies: and secondly that he would preserue vs in innocēcie & keepe vs from hipocrisie.