How can Psalm 119:136 inspire us to intercede for others in prayer? The Compassionate Heart of the Psalmist “My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.” (Psalm 119:136) Our verse pictures a believer so aligned with God’s holiness that disobedience around him produces deep, visible sorrow. The tears flow not from personal offense but from grief that God’s righteous standard is being ignored, and therefore people are harmed and God’s glory is obscured. Why Tears Lead to Intercession • Tears indicate spiritual sensitivity; they show we feel what God feels (Ezekiel 9:4). • Genuine sorrow is never passive—love moves us to act. Nehemiah wept first, then prayed, then rebuilt (Nehemiah 1:4–11). • Intercession stands in the gap, pleading that rebels become worshipers (Ezekiel 22:30; 2 Corinthians 5:20). Biblical Models of Grieving Intercessors • Moses: “If You would only forgive their sin…” (Exodus 32:31-32). • Samuel: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23). • Jeremiah: “Oh, that my head were a fountain of tears…” (Jeremiah 9:1). • Paul: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” (Romans 9:2). Turning Psalm 119:136 into Practical Prayer 1. Admit the reality you see—name the specific ways God’s law is ignored in your family, church, city, or nation. 2. Allow Scripture to shape your grief; read passages on God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:1-5) and compassion (Matthew 9:36). 3. Let sorrow move you to specific petitions: • Salvation of individuals who openly reject God’s Word. • Revival in churches that have grown cold. • Justice where God’s standards are trampled. 4. Pray God’s promises back to Him (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4). 5. Keep short accounts—confess your own sin so your prayer life remains unhindered (Psalm 139:23-24). 6. Persevere; tears sown in prayer often precede harvest in souls (Psalm 126:5-6; Galatians 6:9). Cultivating Holy Sorrow Today • Stay in the Word daily; the more clearly we see God’s law, the more keenly we feel its violation. • Ask the Spirit for a tender heart (Ezekiel 36:26). • Spend time among the lost; compassion grows when we look into real faces, not statistics. • Fast—voluntary weakness often heightens spiritual sensitivity. • Gather with like-hearted believers; corporate lament strengthens resolve (Acts 12:5). Encouragement for Faithful Intercessors “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) God treasures the tears of His saints (Psalm 56:8). Every sorrow-laden prayer echoes Psalm 119:136 and aligns us with the Savior who “wept” (John 11:35) and now “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25). |
    |