Prayer requests

Recently, I've been in correspondence with some of the wonderful prayer warriors who study here at the blog. I've been moved by the difficult times they are dealing with. And they have assured me that they will pray for challenges that I am facing.
Have you ever tried to pray, but all you can do is cry?
Instead of being able to form words, all that comes out is your tears as you kneel before Him? We may be expressing our brokenness over our own sins. We may be sorrowing over the loss of a life, whether young or old. We may be grieving over the loss of closeness in an earthly relationship.
Many times this comes right after a period of renewal or of a "mountaintop" experience. Why? Because the devil hates it when we have those. And he wants to bust it up. Remember? He's roaming around like a hungry lion, looking for ways to harm us.
But God promises us:

"no weapon forged against you will prevail,    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,    and this is their vindication from me,”declares the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

But that doesn't help my heart when I'm sobbing in pain. Not right away. When I only have pain to put into His hands, do I dare to give Him that brokenness? What right do I have to do that? Aaah, that's the devil whispering there.
Here's the real truth:

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

Now, the psalmist is talking my language. Broken. Crushed. Been there.
He's close to me!
I do know that.
Because in my pain, I can recall other times He has been faithful.
Let's look at a few women who have felt this way . . .  remember our study of Hannah? She is utterly broken because she didn't have a child. Stop and think a minute. As believers, isn't that in our hearts? As Christian women, we yearn to pour life into others. To offer the life we have experienced to others who need it. But sometimes we just don't "have the bandwidth." It's as if the life has been sucked out of us. Such a vacuum that our hearts are simply shattered into tiny pieces.
That's when we need to offer those pieces to the Great Physician.
Another woman who cried: Mary, who wept for Lazarus in his grave. The Bible tells us Jesus was moved by her grief. So we know that He is moved by ours.

Never forget, as we kneel and can only cry, that we have Someone who prays on our behalf. When we don't know how to pray, or when we are too broken to find the words, the Spirit intercedes:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  (Romans 8:26)

I've been touched as I re-read the story of Mary, by the fact that she waited at His feet. She sat patiently and listened. (Check out Luke 10 if you have time.) Perhaps I need to get more comfortable with sitting quietly at His feet. As. Long. As. It. Takes.

One more thing; our tears are actually very special to our Father in heaven. You want to know how I know this? Check this out:

You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? (Psalm 56:8, NASB)

Did you know that? That each tear is precious to Him? He knows why we cry. He understands. He remembers. Let's not ever be ashamed to cry out to God with our tears. Even if we can't form the words to pray, let the tears flow and don't be apprehensive. He cares. Each tear matters.

I'm so glad to know, too, that one day all tears will be wiped away. Not one more will be shed. Until then, I will let my tears fall into His hands of love. It's a holy happening, and it's not insignificant in our walk with Him.

This was a special post today; the Spirit led me to this and I know there is someone who needed to be encouraged. Blessings to all who read here.

Please pray with me for a special couple who knew the joy of hearing a tiny heartbeat within the mother's womb, but who then were told there was no heartbeat to be heard anymore. Pray for them for healing and restoration of peace and joy.

If you have a request or a praise, I hope you will let us know so that we may pray with you.