Have you ever found yourself yearning to connect with God, but the words just won’t come? Instead, you reach for tissues as tears stream down your face. What if you embrace those tears as powerful prayers instead of trying to stop them?

I’m excited to introduce my friend and guest, Jenn Soehnlin. She’s sharing an edited excerpt from her book On the Same Page as God. Jenn dives into the biblical significance of tears as prayers. She beautifully shows us how many heroes of the Bible used their tears to express their hearts before God.

When Life is Unexpected: Embrace Tears as Powerful Prayers | Written by Jenn Soehnlin

Sometimes when we’re hit with an unexpected diagnosis, loss, challenge, or setback, we may find ourselves with no words and lots of feelings. Each time one of my sons receives another diagnosis, I ask the doctor or specialist a few questions and we determine our next steps. 

I cheerfully navigate the drive home with my son, and then once home and my boys are preoccupied with something else, I’ll find a solitary place to break down into tears. Over the next few days or weeks, I may pull out my prayer journal and write out my thoughts, feelings, and prayers, tears spilling onto those pages as I try to process what I’m really thinking and feeling.

Tears as Powerful Prayers

Other times, the words don’t come and all we have is tears, which can be a beautiful and holy prayer to God. When you bring your tears and your broken heart to the throne of God, seeking His help, His answers, and His comfort in your pain, He draws near to you.

Our Bible Heroes Wept

King David

King David wrote, “You keep 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 NLT). God knows how many hairs are on our heads, every prayer we’ve ever uttered, and how many tears we’ve ever cried. Whether they were tears of grief and sorrow or of joy and awe at God’s majesty, they all matter to God. 

The Holy Spirit Will Translate Our Tears

 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” 
(Romans 8:26 NKJV) 

David reassures us that—

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit,” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).

It may feel God is not involved in whatever has caused us such grief, but He is so faithful and compassionate and near when we are in such grief all we can do is cry.

Hannah

Hannah experienced grief over her infertility and went to the temple to pray.

“In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD,” (1 Samuel 1:10 NIV) 

Being able to share her feelings, her heart, and her tears with God helped her regain her trust in Him. As a result, she found peace, regained her appetite, and was filled with hope (see 1 Samuel 1:15-18).

Jesus Wept

Jesus worked, worshiped, and wept, and we tend to overlook the last bit. Tears are viewed as a sign of weakness rather than as a spiritual language that connects us to the heart of God. At the death of Lazarus, when Jesus saw his friends weeping, it led Him to weep as well (see John 11:33-35). He also wept when He saw people struggling under their sin (see Luke 13:34 and Luke 19:41-42). He wept in the garden before His crucifixion, sharing His heart, His grief, and His fear with God. Jesus “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death” (see Hebrews 5:7). Despite knowing that these stories would ultimately end in resurrection and victory, Jesus experienced the brokenness of grief and death and expressed lament through tears.

Jesus loved people so much their tears brought Him to tears. And He loved people so much He went obediently to the cross, even though He wanted God to find another, less painful way for their sins to be removed. Jesus was sent to “… bind up the brokenhearted … to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve … to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” (Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV).

Let’s Embrace Our Tears

We see throughout Scripture many of our Bible heroes—both men and women—experienced grief and wept before God. Let’s embrace our tears as a way to connect with our Father God, who is faithful and compassionate and near in our brokenness, our sorrow, and our grief. God is there in our grief, drawing near to us in our pain, listening to our heart cries, considering every tear as precious, comforting us with His presence, with friends, with a song, or some other form of encouragement we need during our time of grief. 

A Weeping Heart

If you find it hard to cry, give yourself grace. Tears are not a requirement of a life devoted to God and to prayer; they are merely a manifestation of what’s in your heart. But they are not the only way. Richard J. Foster shares in his book Prayer that if shedding tears doesn’t come naturally to you, to

Tears are indicators of what really matters to our hearts, and no one knows our hearts more than the Holy Spirit, our Father God, and our Advocate, Jesus Christ. The whole Trinity is near us, working on our behalf when we pour out our tears before His throne.

Note: This is an edited excerpt from the book On the Same Page with God. 

Jenn Soehnlin is a mother to two sons who are her pride and joy, and who both have special needs. She loves spending time with her family, curled up with a good book and a cup of coffee, and enjoying a wonder walk through nature. She is the author of Embracing This Special Life and On the Same Page with God, and she enjoys writing about faith, praying Scripture, special needs parenting, and more at www.embracing.life. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram. 

Before you leave, I would love to know if you embrace your tears as powerful prayers.

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