Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a crier! The husband and children did their best to maneuver through life with a weepy mom. But at times it was overshadowing.

Thus, when there were those heartrending occasions, I literally didn’t think I could face another day. And at one point, crying had lasted so long I developed a major headache that wouldn’t go away and needed medical attention.

Cry aloud before the Lord . . . Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading . . .

Lamentations 2:18-19, NLT

We must come to the point of understanding the prayer of one crying out in agonizing struggle. When I finally learned how to depend on the Lord through a genuine prayer life, I gained the ability of crying out in prayer and finding my Heavenly Father as my refuge and strength. He restored my soul over and over again (Psalm 23).

Hear our prayer, O Lord! Permit the cry of our hearts to be heard. Our tears run down into our drink. But we know you WILL respond –for you have regarded our prayers. Lord, we can look back on all our times of deep sorrow and tears being our food day and night (Psalm 42). How sorrow has manifested itself through our crying tears by the bucketful (Psalm 80:5). But you keep track of ALL our sorrows; You have collected our tears in a bottle and recorded each one in your book (Psalm 56:80. Our tears are not for nothing. You waste nothing but use everything. May we put our hope in you (Psalm 42). We will call upon your name and You will revive us (Psalm 80).

This I recall to mind therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:21-23, NASB