Thoughts for Life: #35 You Can Sow with Tears

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:5-6).

Tears are precious in the sight of God when they are tears of longing, shed in intercession, or tears of joy as you praise God for answered prayer. The Son of God knows what it means to weep in pray. (Google image, Jesus wept)

The shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), not only speaks volumes about the love and compassion of Jesus; it also explains the relation of tears to the intercession of Jesus. He who weeps with us wept for us as He wrestled with the powers of darkness in the Garden (Heb. 5:7).

Let us make very clear that we are not talking about tears of self-pity. Such tears can be basically carnal. They may give relief from tension, for 'a good cry" often helps the mood of a discouraged or depressed person.

But recurring tears of self-pity give no testimony to spiritual depth or power. We are here discussing the power of tears resulting from deep spiritual desire.

You should never be ashamed of tears shed in loving intercession. In fact, they testify to God of the depth of your identity with those for whom you intercede, the intensity of longing which underlies your intercession, and serve as a testimony of the Holy Spirit praying through you. Tears add a personal and private dimension of piognancy and power.

Such weeping intercession is much more likely to occur when you are alone with God. Normally, our private prayer can be more deep and intense than our public prayer.

Tears are so intensely personal that the praying soul can weep more naturally and freely when only God is the witness to the tears. It is possible, however, to have a weeping spirit even when no literal tear runs down your cheek. God looks on your heart above all else (1 Sam. 16:7).

Your tears, like your words, are very important. However, God sees and knows you as you really are (2 Sam. 7:20; John 21:17). God knows the secret depths of your longing even better than you can express it. By deeply identifying with those for whom you pray, seek to deepen your heartcry to God.

But do not seek to produce outward tears. That would be hypocritical. Welcome the tears when the Holy Spirit gives them, but seek only to feel in your innermost heart the depth of yearning which the Spirit feels.

(Chapter 12, pp. 87-88, italics added for emphasis)

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Let's pray-

"Heavenly Father, may my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps me maintain an attitude of prayer, and even helps me when I don’t know how or what to pray. Thank you for hearing me whether I’m praying aloud or reaching out to you in silence. Jesus, you are my example in prayer, and whatever I ask for in prayer, I believe that it is granted me, and I will receive it. In the name of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will pray without ceasing. Amen"

Germine Copeland

Prayers that avail much

Scripture Reading
Psalm 141:2 (NIV)
Mark 11:24 (AMP)
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Today's Bible verses-

Ps. 96:1-4 (AMP) "O Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! (v. 2) sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately

praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. (v. 3) Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.

Ephesians 3:16-17 (KJV) "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love."

1 Samuel 16:7 b "For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

Today's quotes-

~ Poh Fang Chia- "In our sufferings, we too may find ourselves vacillating between despair and hope, doubt and faith. God doesn't require us to be dauntless in the face of adversity but instead invites us to come to him with our questions. Though our faith may fail at times, we can trust God to always be faithful." [ODB 5/9/20)

~ Skip Heitzig- "What makes the blood of Jesus Christ so precious? First, He is the only person who ever lived a perfect life; He was "without blemish and without spot." A blemish is an inherent defect, while a spot is an acquired defect. Christ was not born in sin, nor did He commit a sin.
The second reason His blood is so precious is because it's the only antidote to the sin virus we're all infected with. As 1 John 1:7 says, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Bleach may remove everyday stains on your clothing, but the only way to get rid of sin stains is with the blood of God's Lamb, Jesus Christ." (BLOODLINE, Tracing God's Rescue Plan from Eden to Eternity, pg. 215)

~ Kelly Balarie- "Dear ones, we need each other now more than ever. We ARE the body. And, this IS the church. More than grandiose sermons, ample programs or big church buildings — this basic, elementary practice of prayer is Jesus’ great vision for “church.” Let’s get back to the heart of the matter…

“And He said to them, “It is written,‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’” (Mt. 21:13 NASB)

Words of wisdom-

~The love of Jesus, is what helps us receive correction. When we displease Him, He shows us love in His efforts to bring correction. Be thankful, as we all are guilty of saying or doing something that dishonors Him. Let's allow His Spirit to lovingly correct us with the Father's Love. It may come through a message a minister gives, something a friend says, or some verse we've read in the Bible.

Today's question-

What is Satan's main objective?

He mainly wants to tear apart the unity of Christ's Church. We must strive to stand in unity, as it's then that we realize that Christ is guiding us in our relationships. When our lives are surrendered to Him, we bring the unity He deserves and desires.
His way for us to dwell in unity in our churches will enable us to get along with others in ways that honor and please Him. When there's disunity, Satan has a heyday, as he wants so much to destroy and eliminate any true witness of Christ. If we'll respond to the correction of our pour habits and choices within the local Body, we are the ones benefiting, as well as Christ getting the honor He deserves.
No one is above making mistakes and causing the Lord to be dishonored, as we're human, and humans will react in true human ways. Misunderstandings often cause disunity, as folks don't realize what they've said or have done can cause others to be hurt.
As Christ is our Passport to heaven, others will judge our actions and speech according to His standard. They are looking for folks with integrity, worthy of God's approval, to be examples to follow. When there's disunity within the Body, questions arise as to the authenticity of our faith and commitment. Our standing together in unity will bring Christ honor and praise. Repentance of our misconduct, wrong motives and failures to respect Him, will bring back the unity He desires to have in our churches.
If there are issues within our local Body of Christ, it's best to deal with them and strive to walk side by side, to agree together to stand in unity. We're to find our strength in Him to accomplish eradicating all disunity, so as to bring others to Him in faith which gives them salvation. They'll not be interested, if we are in discord.
Christ calls us to walk in unity. There's peace, joy and great blessing, when we are willing to deal with any and all issues of disunity. Let our response be to stand in unity in Christ.
[Taken from notes on Pastor Ben Levendusky's message on Unity
6/14/2020]

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