Have you found that when you go to pray, all you can do is weep? It’s not tears of joy or gratitude but it’s tears that stem from a deep inner sorrow. When the pain of brokenness is so great that the only way to articulate praying is through tears of sorrow and grief.
First of all God knows our heart but Satan also doesn’t want us to live victoriously. He wants to steal pieces of our hearts and make us miserable, he doesn’t give up without a fight. Satan will do anything to accomplish his goal. John 10:10 says. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but then God says,” I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
In Ephesians 6:11-12, 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So this tells us where the battle is and who we are fighting against. We must remember this during our darkest times when we are hurting or have been hurt. Knowing this however doesn’t make the situation hurt any less, it just helps to give us a different perspective so in the midst of our pain, suffering, and tears, we can stand firm and claim victory. John 16:33 says, “33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Whatever we are going through, God has already overcome this so therefore we will too!
We cannot allow the enemy to stop us from fulfilling God’s calling on our lives because no weapon formed against me or you will prosper.
But what about the times when all we can do is give Jesus our tears, pain, and all we have to bring him is pieces of our shattered hearts?
That’s what he wants us to do, bring him all we have and lay it on the alter, lay it at his feet. That is why we need him. We are human and God understands and he will carry us through every step of the way. Psalm 34:18 gives us a promise, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
He is close to us and we can rest in that assurance – because He is faithful to His word.
In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah is broken because she was without a child. When she was pouring her heart out through her tears, Eli actually thought she had been drinking. Have you ever cried in anguish like that, where if someone could see you through the window they would think you were crazy? Sometimes it can feel as though life has been sucked out of us and we have nothing else to give. But that’s ok because our tears are important to our Savior.
Another story is found in Luke 7 – another broken woman who wept at the feet of Jesus. She washed His feet with her tears – how precious were her tears to Him! We find out in John 11 that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus. And in that story, Mary wept for her brother and her weeping filled Him with sorrow.
He was moved by her grief.
He is moved by our grief.
In John 20, when Mary saw the empty tomb, she began to weep and suddenly Jesus appeared in the midst of her sorrow and grief.
Jesus shows up just because of our tears.
Sometimes are tears flow because we don’t know what to pray. But we can rest in the assurance that even when that’s all we have to pray, it is enough.
It may not seem like much to us, but it means the world to Him.
We also have someone who prays on our behalf. In those times when we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. Romans 8:26-28 tells us that For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:26-28
We can simply sit at his feet and pour out our hearts and wait upon him. Our tears are very important to our Heavenly Father. Psalm 56:8 says, 8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.You have recorded each one in your book.
Every tear we shed is precious to Him. Not one single tear is missed by our Heavenly Father. He knows, remembers, and understands.
It’s ok if your only prayer is tears because that is more than enough.
