May 11 - Cindy Mah

Praying with tears.

In our Moms In Prayer group, we come before God crying against the bondages of sin over our children. We dare to believe that our God is greater than our sins and in Jesus' name we break strongholds to set the captives free.

For years we kept praying for one mom in our group who had an adult daughter addicted to drugs. We kept crying out to God for Sharon (not her real name) to be free from her addiction. It so heartwrenching to see the devastating effects of this sin.

God heard our cries; when Sharon was in jail, she read the Bible. As she turned to Jesus, she felt His presence, it felt like fire. A light had gone on in her and God set her ablazed with His love. Sharon rededicated her life to God by being baptized.

It was so amazing that one day Sharon joined our Moms In Prayer group to pray for her estranged children. As we worshipped God together, Sharon did not have the words to pray... her tears just rolled down her cheeks onto the scripture verses she held in her hands. The tear-soaked scriptures in her hands so beautifully symbolized her offering to God; the realization of His grace of forgiveness in her life. The most beautiful prayers to God are not necessarily the ones spoken in words but those prayed in tears.

There will be times in our lives when we are at a loss for words to express the agonizing grief or the longings in our hearts. We don't need words to speak to God; we go to him in our tears. He knows our heart and will wipe away our tears. The God who holds the world holds our pierced hearts and broken souls... He knows.

"You have kept track of all my sorrows You have collected all my tears in your bottle you have recorded each one in your book" Psalm 56.8

When we want to give up, we go to the God who never gives up on us. As we cling to His words with unimaginable pain, He saves our tears, He redeems it. He takes our pain and can turn it into a passion for Him.