Psalms 126:4-5 (NIV)

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.

6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Prayer is the pathway for communicating with God. Prayer is communion and involves both listening and speaking. True relationships develop when communication between two parties is strengthened and deepened. In your friendship with God, communication can often be withdrawn during times of disappointment or uncertainty. However, communicating through dysregulation or pain is crucial.

Psalm 126 offers helpful tools for developing communication in pain. The Bible equates your tears to seeds. Seed that is sown bears a harvest, while seed that remains unsown has potential but does not bear a harvest. The language here is agricultural: you can only reap a harvest when you sow the seed.

There is no harvest if you stuff your emotions in your pocket.

There is no harvest if you dump all your seed.

Rather, there is a harvest when you sow or invest your tears in prayer.

In other words, when you go through difficulty, don’t waste it. Don’t miss the opportunity to sow your tears and fears into the Lord. The Bible teaches that your tears will become joy if you invest them properly.

1. Communicate with God: During times of pain and disappointment, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication with God open. When we bring our tears to God in prayer, we are sowing them into His hands, trusting that He will transform them into a harvest of joy.

2. Pray with Honesty: Be honest with God about your pain. God values genuine communication. When you pour out your heart to Him, you are sowing your tears into fertile ground. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Your honesty in prayer is a seed that God can use to bring healing and joy.

3. Expect a Harvest of Joy: When you sow your tears in prayer, expect God to bring a harvest of joy. This promise gives us hope and assurance that our pain is not in vain. God sees our tears and will turn them into a joyful harvest in His perfect timing.