Crying Out

Have you ever been in a place where you are desperate to see God at work? A place where you feel alone and helpless? If you are like me, then you have. There have been seasons of your life that seemed to have no end; weeks where each day gets a little harder to fight through.

It's during these times when we cry out to God. We call to Him in our need without fail. But, if truth be told, I don't think we are honest enough with our Heavenly Father. I think we are afraid to show God exactly how much we need Him. We've been told our entire lives that "God will take care of you in His timing" and that "Maybe God is answering your prayer and you just can't see it". These things are very true. After all, God is sovereign and He does answer our prayers in ways that we don't always like or understand. But I think we have let these truths affect how honest we are with God as we call out to Him in our time of need. I think it hinders us from truly crying out; from calling out to our creator with everything that we have.

The bible is full of instances when God's people cried out to Him in sincerity. The psalms are packed full of honest pleas before the Lord. Take for instance Psalm 143. This is a Psalm of King David and it is honest, real, and sincere. Verses 7-8 say this:

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Don't hide Your face from me, or I will be like those going down to the pit Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go, because I long for you.

In the verses above, David doesn't just ask God to hear him. he asks God answer him quickly. He is honest. In verse 8 he says that he needs to feel God's faithful love; he feels alone and helpless. But the key is in the last sentence. David wants to hear from God and see God move because he wants to follow his Lord as faithfully as possible. David wants to know God's plan for his life and he longs to see Him at work. He doesn't cry out just to get what he wants or even what he needs. David cries out because he wants to be closer to his Lord.

So the next time you are in a season of life that calls for crying out, Cry out like David. Don't be afraid to be sincere and honest. Ask God to answer you quickly; ask to feel His love in a new and refreshing way.  But only ask if it's because you long for your Lord and to know His ways.