Cry Out through Tears

Their heart cried to the Lord.
O wall of the daughter of Zion,
let tears stream down like a torrent
day and night!
Give yourself no rest,
your eyes no respite!

“Arise, cry out in the night,
at the beginning of the night watches!
Pour out your heart like water
before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him
for the lives of your children,
who faint for hunger
at the head of every street.”

—Lamentations 2:18–19

The saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Maybe the same is true for tears. When we have more words than we can possibly express or when we can’t find the words to speak, tears are a powerful expression. Through our tears, we can cry out to God in a unique way.

In Lamentations 2:18–19, God’s people are quite literally crying out to Him. Their desperate prayers woke them in the night. They poured out their hearts before the Lord with the power and intensity of a waterfall. Their hands were lifted. Their cheeks were tear-streaked.

Do you cry out to Him with this same type of passion? It’s a beautiful picture of surrender and pleading with God. Though we may resist tears because we are embarrassed to cry, tears are a gift that reveal our passion. They reflect our hearts in a vulnerable way as we cry out to God wholeheartedly. He wants us to come to Him with everything, to pour out our hearts before Him, because “God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8).

Let the tears come as you seek Him. Pour out your heart; cry out to Him with every part of your being.

How to Pray

Lord, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Ps. 56:8). You see every tear I cry and you value it as precious. Whether I am crying out in gratitude, sorrow, or desperation, thank you for giving me tears as a way to communicate with you.

What to Pray

• What are you so passionate about that you are brought to tears? Bring those cares, concerns, and thoughts to God. “Pour out your heart like water.”
• Admit your need before God. Humbly come to Him and ask for His help to seek Him diligently.