The Rocks Cry Out

How shall I pray?
Are tears prayers, Lord?
Are screams prayers,
Or groans
Or sighs
Or curses ?
Can trembling hands be lifted to you,
Or clenched fists
Or the cold sweat that trickles down my back
Or the cramps that knot my stomach?
Will you accept my prayers, Lord,
My real prayers,
Rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life,
And not just the pretty, cut-flower, gracefully arranged
Bouquet of words?
Will you accept me, Lord,
As I really am,
Messed up mixture of glory and grime?

from Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder

Jonah 2:2
I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

Psalm 107:12-13
That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one helped them rise again. "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

Hebrews 5:7-8
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God. So even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.


Remind Me of Your Steady Power
by Ted Loder

O God,
this is a hard time,
a season of confusion,
a frantic rush
to fill my closets,
my schedule,
and my mind,
only to find myself empty.

Give me hope, Lord,
and remind me
of your steady power
and gracious purposes
that I may live fully.
Renew my faith
that the earth is not destined
for dust and darkness,
but for frolicking life
and deep joy
that being set free
from my anxiety for the future,
I may take the risks of love
today.