Psalm 22

Prayer is Crying

The amazing Bible is set apart from any other book for many reasons, one of them being fulfilled prophecy. In this psalm alone, hundreds of years before the Romans came to power, David prophesied that the Jewish Messiah would be crucified. The details he included are incredible. Check this out for yourself:

Prophecy                                                                     Fulfillment

Messiah would be forsaken (verse 1)                           Matthew 27:46

Messiah would cry out in darkness (verse 6-8)             Matthew 27:45-46

Messiah would be mocked (verse 6-8)                         Matthew 27:39-40, 43-44

Messiah would be “poured out like water”                    John 19:34

(verse 14)

Messiah would be thirsty (verse 15)                            John 19:28

Messiah would be crucified by non-Jews                     Matthew 27:27-31, 35-36

“dogs” (verse 16)

Messiah’s executioners would gamble for                    Matthew 27:35

His robe (verse 18)

Jesus cried out to the Father, just as we do. His pain was real as ours is. God allowed him to go through intense agony for a far greater cause, as he does with us. The difference is that the pain of Jesus was to save us…......wait, isn’t that the reason for ours as well? Are not the burdens and struggles we face similar to those of our savior? God waits for us to cry out to Him as Jesus did. He longs for us to seek his love and mercy through all our trials, so go ahead and cry out to Jesus! He's "been there, done that." He understands.

Read/Listen to Psalm 22

Listen to Cry Out To Jesus by Third Day

Healing Tears, Genesis 45

Have you ever been so overtaken by emotion you just couldn’t hold it in? Three years ago Steve and I were preparing to sign papers to adopt our son. Our joy was halted hours before, when we received a call informing us of a serious problem. The severity of the issue froze the adoption and all we could do was cry.

In today’s scripture we see, “Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Have everyone leave my presence!’ So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.” Joseph couldn’t hold it in anymore. His breakdown was so noticeable, Pharaoh’s household started talking.

Do you see crying as a form of weakness? Sometimes I do. But if I’m honest, it’s at times of utter despair that I am more willing to let God move. When I stop controlling the situation God is free to work His miracles undisturbed.

For Joseph, tears brought reconciliation and restorations. For my family it was a time for God to show His power. In the morning we had an issue so severe we were looking at eighteen months, at best, before we could adopt our son. Within twenty-four hours though God had the issue resolved completely. New paperwork had been filed and a date set for the adoption. God is good.

Read today entire passage on Biblegateway Genesis 45