Praying Our Tears

The book of Psalms gives us a gospel third way with your feelings. It’s a third way between what religiosity and what secularity ordinarily tell you. Religiosity tends to deny feelings. Why? Because if you are trying to warrant God’s blessing through a good record, you are psychologically unable to admit dark, intense, turbulent feelings. On the other hand, the secular approach is just the opposite, it tends to hold to the sovereignty of feelings. The discovery and expression of your feelings is a good in itself.

Psalms suggests neither. The Psalms does not say deny or vent, but pray your feelings. Pray your deepest feelings. Bring them before God and process them.  In this text we’re looking at pain, sorrow, and tears. What do you do with these feelings? What do you do with tears? We learn three things. Expect tears, invest tears, and pray your tears.

This sermon was preached by Rev. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 27, 2000. Series "Psalms - The Songs of Jesus". Scripture: Psalm 39:12-13; 126:1-6.

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