It is good to cry but better to pray

Salaam!

Yesterday, we read that God said to Job’s friends:

“I am angry with you and your two friends because you have not spoken the truth about Me, as my servant Job has” - Job 42:7

Have you ever wondered why God reprimanded his friends but not Job?

They all said some pretty terrible things, including Job. In fact, Job cursed the day he was born because that’s how miserable he was (Job 3:3). And yet, in the end, God is not upset with Job but with his friends. Why?

In my opinion, it’s because Job was saying these things to God. They may seem like raw and unfiltered words, but when directed to God, they become prayers! It is crucial to direct our painful cries to God in prayer, otherwise we simply end up in self-pity. It is good to cry, but it is better to pray!

Have you ever wished you were never born? I genuinely hope you have been and will be spared from that despair, but I’d be lying if I said I’ve never felt that way. In the darkest moments of navigating our son’s illness, I have cried out raw and unfiltered prayers to God, just like Job did.

God is the only one who can handle our brutally honest feelings. It won’t scare Him away. He already knows everything even before we express it.

How do you feel about God today? Are there things you are upset about? Do you feel forgotten or forsaken? Tell Him!! Let’s turn our cries into prayers today by being honest with God.

Complete this prayer in your words (and be honest!): "Lord, today I feel like…."

Hey! You are a Chamatkar.

Jenny Mendes