Trying to build a prayer life can be difficult—whether you don’t know how to pray or you don’t feel like praying. So we’re here to help you connect with God with simple prayers for the everyday.
I Can’t Stop Crying
Written by Hannah Marie, Lancaster Bible College
It’s as if everything inside of you is swirling, picking up speed with every second, screaming to be let out. Every thought, every memory, every emotion swells and bites at your throat, demanding freedom. You shove the throbbing lump inhibiting your ability to breathe steadily down your throat. You clench your teeth to hold it all in.
Crying can be exhausting. Crying can be painful. Crying can be frustrating. When the storm starts to swell inside and the tears begin to burn, we tend to shove our feelings into a box and only let the tears leak free when we’re alone. When no one can watch the sobs interrupt our breathing. When no one can see the red that puffs our eyes. When no one can count the number of times we wipe the snot dripping from our nose onto our sweatshirt sleeve.
Oftentimes, crying is associated with shame, meekness, and fragility. It’s as if there’s an unspoken rule: don’t cry in front of other people.
Yet, the truth is, everyone cries. Me. You. Your mom. Your roommate. The grumpy lady at the grocery store. Presidents and prime ministers.
God has blessed us with the beautiful ability to release the emotions inside of us through tears. He has gifted us the ability to cry. And he tells us in Psalms 56:8 that He sees and holds each tear we cry.
Even when we’re alone, and no one else sees our sobs, God notices every droplet slipping down our faces. The same hands that hold the universe, catch each tear that escapes your eyes.
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8).
A Prayer for When You Want to Cry
God, you cradle each tear I cry in the same palms that hold the world. Be with me. My chest aches, my eyes burn, and my face is wet. I feel empty and exhausted. Remind me that my tears are okay. That you, the King of Kings, God of the universe, cried too. Show me you care about me in my sorrow and pain, and that you collect each tear in your hands. Remind my aching soul that one day, you promise to wipe every tear from my eyes. Be near me, God. Amen.
We believe a simple prayer like this helps us in our mission to creatively explore how we connect with God in the ordinary, extraordinary, everyday moments of life. For more everyday prayers, visit this page!
