You are praying, and the tears begin to fall. Maybe softly. Maybe with deep weeping. You don’t plan it. You don’t try to look emotional. It just happens. And sometimes you stop and ask yourself:
Does God understand this?
Is He okay with it?
What does the Bible say about crying when praying?
Let’s answer that together. Not with opinions. But with the Word.
1. God sees every tear
One of the most comforting things the Bible says is that God sees and remembers every single tear we cry. Not one tear is ignored. Not one is wasted.
Psalm 56 verse 8 says:
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
This means when you cry during prayer, God is not upset. He is not asking you to be strong and silent. He is watching. He is close. He is writing it down.
Tears are not signs of weakness in God’s eyes. They are signs of a heart that is open and real.
2. Jesus Himself cried
We must never forget this—Jesus, the Son of God, cried.
John 11 verse 35 says:
“Jesus wept.”
He cried at the tomb of Lazarus. He cried for Jerusalem. He cried in prayer.
Hebrews 5 verse 7 says:
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death.”
If Jesus cried when He prayed, then you can too.
He understands the tears. He lived with them. He prayed with them. He does not judge you when you cry. He joins you in it.
3. Hannah cried, and God answered
In 1 Samuel chapter 1, Hannah went to the temple to pray. She wanted a child. Her heart was heavy. She prayed and wept before the Lord.
1 Samuel 1 verse 10 says:
“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”
She did not say fancy words. She did not follow a prayer outline. She cried from her heart. And God heard her. Her tears were not ignored. They were received.
She later gave birth to Samuel, a great prophet. But the story began with tears.
4. David cried many times in God’s presence
David was a warrior. A king. A leader. But he was also a man who cried to God.
Psalm 6 verse 6 says:
“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”
David never hid his emotions from God. He poured out everything—the pain, the fear, the sin, the hope. And he did it with tears.
God called David “a man after my heart.” That tells us something. God values honesty. He values hearts that come to Him raw and unfiltered.
So if your prayers include tears, you are in good company.
5. Crying is a form of surrender
Sometimes the tears come when words fail. You are too tired to explain. Too broken to describe. So the tears do the talking.
That is okay.
Romans 8 verse 26 says:
“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
Tears are part of that. Groans that speak what the mouth cannot say.
God understands prayer that has no words.
He answers tears.
He receives them.
He works through them.
So what does the Bible say about crying when praying?
It says it is normal.
It says it is welcome.
It says God listens when you cry.
It says Jesus did it too.
It says your tears matter.
The Bible does not say, “Be strong and hold it in.”
The Bible says, “Pour out your heart before the Lord.” (Psalm 62 verse 8)