WHEN TEARS ARE LIKE PRAYERS
By Suzanne Benner
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22).
The other night, I lay in bed softly crying. My husband woke up and asked what was wrong. When I told him that I was praying for Rachel, he said, "Pray out loud," so that he could join me.
My response was, "I am."
You see, there weren't any words in my prayers that night.
It was simply a time of coming before God for someone I love. Seeking God's face in my heart, I was aware of His presence. It seemed as if God joined me with tears of His own, not because, like us, the situation was out of His control, but rather simply feeling the pain and sadness we experience.
Sometimes, words cannot explain what is inside us. At other times, the words have all been said.
God understands. He knew we would have times like this. That is why He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside us. Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
Groans that express what words cannot. Tears that declare what our mouths can't speak. Tears that are prayers.
Is your heart heavy? Have you run out of words? Cry to Jesus. Simply come into His presence, allow your tears to tell the story and wait.
He hears; He sees; He knows. Most of all, He understands.
~God, we need You. Look at our tears. Listen to our cries for help.
By Suzanne Benner
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22).
The other night, I lay in bed softly crying. My husband woke up and asked what was wrong. When I told him that I was praying for Rachel, he said, "Pray out loud," so that he could join me.
My response was, "I am."
You see, there weren't any words in my prayers that night.
It was simply a time of coming before God for someone I love. Seeking God's face in my heart, I was aware of His presence. It seemed as if God joined me with tears of His own, not because, like us, the situation was out of His control, but rather simply feeling the pain and sadness we experience.
Sometimes, words cannot explain what is inside us. At other times, the words have all been said.
God understands. He knew we would have times like this. That is why He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside us. Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
Groans that express what words cannot. Tears that declare what our mouths can't speak. Tears that are prayers.
Is your heart heavy? Have you run out of words? Cry to Jesus. Simply come into His presence, allow your tears to tell the story and wait.
He hears; He sees; He knows. Most of all, He understands.
~God, we need You. Look at our tears. Listen to our cries for help.