Beloved God’s children in Christ,
We shed tears when we worry about our future. We cry out loudly when we fell in sick,when we lost our loved ones. But are we able to shed tears for the perishing souls?
There are time Jesus prayer alone (Mat 14:23). There are time He poured out His heart (Mat 26:39). Also there are times when He prayer with loud cries and tears (Heb 5:7).
Kind David said,I water my couch with my tears (Psa 6:6),Night and day tears are become my food and put my tears in your bottle.Jermiah says,my eyes are worn out from crying because of my people destroyed (lam 2:11). Do we have eyes that shed tears for perishing souls?
While Jesus carrying cross and walk through Jerusalem streets,women of Jerusalem cried at him. But Jesus said to them that Cry for yourself and your children. We should shed tears and raise our children in Godliness.
Why should we shed tears?
Let us see three things.
- We need to shed tears to reap with songs of joy
- We need to shed tears for backsliders
- We need to shed tears for Christ to be formed in Church
1) We need to shed tears to reap with songs of joy
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Psa 126:6. If we want to have good yield, the seeds need to be soaked in tears. It’s good to have desire and burden on souls. But God is looking for men who stand in the gap and shed tears. Rain comes when clouds are clashing with each other because of wind. When the wind of love of God is blowing, burden for souls – the cloud is raining tears. Korea witnessed a great revival because the tears of believers’ prayer wet the floors. As John Knox prayed with a cry saying “ Give me Scotland or I die”, Scotland knew Jesus. Earthly desires and worldly sorrows press us down,not to stand in the gap shed tears for the goodness of our country. We should have shaken them off. If we like to reap with songs of joy,let us cry with tears for the nation.
2) We need to shed tears for backsliders
“I will weep bitterly, …because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people” – Isaiah cries out for backsliding of his people. We should shed tears for God’s children who are in the bondage of sin and who are backsliding from the presence of God. Jeremiah cried for his people who are adulterous and traitors saying “ Oh, that my head was a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! (Jer 9: 1,2) my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive (Jer 13:17). Let us pray with tears like Jeremiah,for the backsliders to be gathered again in God’s flock. Our beloved saviour Jesus, cried unto Jerusalem which was backslidden and set for destruction.
3) We need to shed tears for Christ to be formed in Church
Apostle Paul built the church in tears (Acts 20:19,31). Today world came into church. The ship of faith drowning in the waters of the world. Abominations and habits which are seen with gentiles and seen in God’s children. Ezra cried with tears for the iniquities of the congregation of Israel (Ezr 10 : 1). Because of that Israelites repented. Today’s church is lacking in personal prayer, mediation, family prayer, prayer fellowships. This becomes reason for enemy to enter. Enemy enters freely and ruin families, because there no people to shed tears. Without shedding tears we can’t get the grace of God. Nehemiah got grace to build the ruins and built the temple.
God is looking for people who stand in gap and pray for nation. Let us sow the word of God with tears to have a great revival in our nation. Let us pray with tears for the backslidden to be gathered again in God’s flock.Let us cry with tears for the church which is lukewarm like the church of laodicea to become revive!
