20. PRAYING WITH STRONG
CRYING AND TEARS
“Who in the days of his
flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was
heard in that he feared.” (Hebrews 5:7)
It behooves us to always hold in most high regard each and every thing about our Precious Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible teaches us numerous wondrous and glorious things about Sweet Jesus. It behooves us to keep in mind this aspect of Christ recorded in Hebrews 5:7, because Jesus desires that we do likewise at times.
In praying to the One True God our Creator, thank God we do not
have to vainly exhaust ourselves like the prophets of the false god Baal in
order for God to hear and answer us.
“And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and
lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.” (1st Kings 18:28)
And yet they got absolutely no
answer for tormenting their own selves so terribly, because their gods
are no gods!
“Our Father which art in Heaven, I thank Thee that I am trusting
in my Creator God instead of some false god from the devil. I
think on how horribly these pitiful servants of the
false god Baal injured themselves and suffered in their attempt to get an
answer from him. The devil must have been laughing furiously at the
painful torment he was inflicting upon them.”
“O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee
shall all flesh come.” (Psalms 65:2) My Precious
Heavenly Father, I know that Thou art faithful to hear my
prayers, as this promise of Thine declares, and that anytime I
come to Thee in prayer, Thou wilt answer in accordance to Thy
Will and for my good. I praise Thy Great Name for this Blessed
Assurance. Amen.”
We should always desire that the Holy Spirit fully
guide our praying, regarding what we
pray, how loudly, how brokenheartedly and tearfully we pray, and
such. “Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
“Heavenly Father, I heartily thank Thee that God the Holy
Spirit helpeth my infirmities, especially when I am praying unto Thee. Please
make me into a Powerful Prayer Warrior, and always guide
and help my praying, I plead. Amen!”
Thank God that we do not have to pray loud,
hard or long, exhausting ourselves in order for our God to hear us and
answer us. That being the wonderful truth that it is, still at times (if
we are truly serious about moving Heaven with our praying) God
will lead us to pray in similar manner as is recorded of our Lord in Hebrews
5:5-10. In praying thus wise, it sure helps to have an isolated place of
privacy out of everyone else’s hearing, else wise people who hear you “praying vigorously”,
are likely to think you are crazy.
Upon God calling me to
become a missionary in Japan in 1974, He gave me much loving concern for the
multitudes of lost Japanese around me, worshipping idols in deep spiritual
darkness. That burden for their lost souls to be saved led me to fast and
intercede in prayer for God to save multitudes of them.
In 1976 and 1977, as I studied in the Japanese language school in
Karuizawa, I would occasionally walk up to the top of nearby Mt. Hanare to pray loudly in solitude there. There was a small
cave on the “front face” of that mount, where I spent several nights inside
that damp chilly den with the bats and mice, praying to the top of my voice, pleading
with God not to send these Japanese to the eternal torments of Hell fire, but
to show mercy by saving them.
I would attempt to stay awake all night praying. Then as dawn
broke, several mornings I left the cave to walk up the snow-covered frozen top
of that mount. Sitting atop it, I could see all around me 360 degrees. Cold and
hungry, I would watch the sun rise. And as its rays reached that snow white
world, I would yell out to God to shine His Light into Japanese
hearts to dispel the much darkness they live in. Oh, what a spiritually
rich time such occasions were! When rain or snow was falling during
daylight hours, I would be praying inside the cave. Otherwise, during
daytime, I would be on the highest peak of Hanare
Yama (mountain), as close to Heaven as possible as I prayed.
As I write this story for you in 2019 (well over 40 years later),
it brings me joy unspeakable to recall those times of fasting,
bundling up like an Eskimo, and ascending that frozen white mount to
interceding in prayer with strong crying
and tears! I want to challenge you
to listen to the Holy Spirit’s Voice and do as your Lord
leads you regarding this high privilege of addressing Almighty God on
His Glorious Throne in Heaven.
Nowadays, typically my most convenient place of solitude is
inside my car, as I travel and commute alone. I can yell to the top of my voice
without it serenading any other human ears. Think on your daily routine, and of
any time you are alone and can assault Heaven at high volume without
“intruding” on anyone else. Your Lord God is always attentive and listening.
And this sin-laden human race certainly needs much intercessory
prayer! God ordained that believers move Heaven
(by means of intercessory prayer) to move men.
Be a prayer warrior!
All of our thoughts, words, and deeds become our life’s memories. With each thought, word and deed, you are storing
up memories with which you must live all your days on earth.
The older one gets, the more heavily those memories tend to weigh
on the mind. Young man, young woman, sinful memories will haunt
you terribly, just a few more years on down the Road of Life. But
rich memories of loving your Creator God with all your heart and serving Him to
the utmost of your ability will become such rich memories,
a great treasure for you to enjoy anytime in your latter years.
“Lord Jesus, help me to always pray and faint not. Give me strength and endurance in
praying. Guide my praying perfectly and last of all, may I truly
desire that Thy Will be done and not mine concerning the matters I pray about.
Please give me strong unwavering faith to see Thee answer my prayers. Please
bless Missionary Richard with much fruit for his praying and preaching in
Japan. Amen!”
Richard Yerby (Matsuida,
Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us