The Importance Of Washing The Hands
Before Ministering At The Altar

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By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


The Importance
         At the altar, the reverend minister shall first wash his hands before touching holy things, including the altar. Hand washing is of great importance because of the following reasons:
  1. Water has cleansing power, both physically and spiritually. Just as ordinary water washes away dirt and stains, the holy water washes off dirt and stains as well as evil deposits.

  2. Washing of hands with water signifies a change in dimension. The minister is no more an ordinary physical person. He becomes spiritually awake and turned into the realm of spirit.

  3. Hand washing disconnects and disables all the demonic possessions and manipulations.

  4. Evil spirits including demons, mermaids, ghosts, witches and black energies flee away from holy water and the person washed with holy water.

  5. During the day, we use our hands to touch both good and bad things, as well as holy and unholy materials. When we touch these things, we have them as spiritual deposits on our hands and bodies. The spiritual deposits may be good or evil depending on what we touched. We have good and holy deposits when we touch good and holy objects. Likewise, we have evil deposits when we touch bad and unholy objects. The evil deposits may be from evil spirits or objects already possessed or touched by the evil spirits. For example, after you touch oil, you notice that stains of oil are on your hand. The stains may be seen or unseen. You know that this is true by the smell that remains on your hands for some times. The same thing happens after you touch dried fish or soup. It is the residual stains that are called deposits.

  6. Hand washing with holy water restores lost spiritual powers. For example, Jesus lost power when the woman of issue of blood touched His garment.

  7. Washing of hands makes the minister fit to touch holy substances.

  8. Washing hands prevents defilements and contaminations, such that deposits of unholy substances are not transferred to holy substances. It is compulsory to differentiate holy things from unholy things. Likewise, it is good to keep them separate.

  9. Ordinary and everyday hygiene demands that we wash our hands and bodies, in order to keep ourselves clean and healthy.