Authentic Prayer: Grief

When I heard this, I sat down and cried. I mourned for days. I continued to fast and pray to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:4

God hears you when you grieve.

Nehemiah heard firsthand accounts from Jerusalem’s survivors about the horrors of his homeland. The holy city’s protective wall lay in ruins, and its gates had gone up in flames.

Nehemiah listens and weeps. He mourns for days, humbling himself and going without food. Even as he grieves, he worships his great and awe-inspiring God for keeping his promises and showing mercy to his followers. He owns up to his own sins and the failures of his family and nation. He clings to the Lord’s unchanging words in Deuteronomy 30:1-5, trusting that the Lord will bring his people back from a place of misery. As he reminds God that he speaks for his servants, he pleads for God’s attention and announces his intention to worship him.

Grief brings a mysterious potent mix of pain and rage, disbelief and regret, impatience and hope. As you talk to God, he invites you to bring into the open every thought and emotion rumbling inside you. His love creates the safest place in the world for you to express your grief.

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