Nov 08 – RIVER OF PRAYER !

Tears are likened to a river in the above verse. When there is a river of tears from your eyes, the Lord who sees and wipes away tears, will surely and swiftly come near you and change the situation and stop your tears.

There is a funny story about tears. In a village, there was an old man, who was all alone and had nobody to support him. So, he started crying and shedding tears; tears running down like a river. At the end, it formed into a lake of waters around him.

The birds of the air thought it was a pond and enjoyed bathing in it. Beautiful and fragrant flowers blossomed along the periphery of that lake of tears. Many types of fishes were also found in the lake. There was joy everywhere, also with the melodious singing of the birds. By now, the old man who had been crying for many years, stopped crying and looked around at the beautiful lake, the playful birds, colourful butterflies and the fragrant flowers. When he saw these, he was relieved of all his sorrow and was filled with happiness. And he stopped crying.

Now the moment he stopped crying, the lake began to dry up. The fishes were dying and the birds were sorrowful. All the species in that lake came down to that old man and requested him to cry, as they will not be able to live without his lake of tears. The old man, did not have an option. So, he started crying again. And all the lives in that lake were joyfully singing again, because of his tears. This story, although funny, illustrates how the tears of one man could save and benefit a multitude of people.

Prophet Jeremiah was called as the Prophet of Tears, as he cried out for the people of Israel. In his days, Israel was destroyed and the people of the land were taken as captives to Babylon. There was also widespread idolatry all around. The whole nation was full of physical and spiritual deaths.

When Jeremiah saw those things, he said; “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1). Children of God, the Lord takes note of your tears, and He keeps them all in His bottle. There shall surely be a response to every drop of tear you shed in prayer. Your faith will never go vain.

Verse for further meditation: “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).