Desperate Prayers

What happens when we lift desperate prayers to God?

“Their heart cried out to the LORD: ‘You wall of the daughter of Zion, let your tears stream down like a river day and night … pour out your heart like water before the presence of the LORD; raise your hands to Him.’”—Lamentations 2:18–19 NASB

Even though God’s people had sinned, He mercifully offered them hope, forgiveness, and restoration. Yet, to be restored, they needed to confess their sins, repent, humble themselves, and seek Him.

In Jeremiah’s time, some were truly serious about restoration. Their prayers were not polite, but intense. They wept in intercession, and their tears ran “down like a river day and night.” They poured out their hearts “like water before the presence of the LORD.”

While people were concerned about their own problems, Jeremiah urged them to think about the next generation and understand how sin would impact their children. Their “little ones” were faint because of hunger. What was the long-term impact of their mistakes? How could they receive restoration?

In our time, we’ve seen judgment and tribulation sweep across the globe. God has been reminding us that He’s sovereign and holy; He has eternal standards, and we reap what we sow, as individuals and nations. But He also offers us restoration. This begins when we recognize our sins and mistakes, realizing we have disobeyed God, turned our backs on Him, and gone our own way—when we’re sorry for what we’ve done and return to Him.

Today, ask God to reveal the sins in your life and in your nation. Humble yourself. Cry out for His mercy and forgiveness. Pray with intensity and desperation. Seek Him daily, continually, until there is healing and restoration in your life and your land.

Reflection Question: Compose a prayer of repentance and restoration for our nation.