21 Days of Prayer 2025: Fall Edition Day 13

Daily Devotional: “From Tears to Triumph”

Scripture: “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” — Psalm 126:5 (NKJV)

Expository Explanation:
Psalm 126 is a song of restoration — a celebration of God bringing His people back from captivity. The psalmist reflects on a season when Israel’s joy was renewed after years of sorrow and exile. Verse 5 captures a timeless truth about the cycle of sorrow and joy in the life of faith: that tears are not wasted when they are sown in trust.
To “sow in tears” speaks of enduring hardship, grief, or waiting while still choosing to trust God’s process. Just as a farmer plants seed into the dark soil with hope of a future harvest, believers who endure trials in faith can expect joy to spring forth in due time.
This verse reveals God’s divine order: pain may be part of the process, but it’s never the final product. What’s planted in tears will be harvested in joy — because God turns mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11) and brings beauty out of brokenness (Isaiah 61:3).

Reference Scriptures:

• Galatians 6:9 — “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
• John 16:20 — “You will weep and lament... but your sorrow will be turned into joy.”
• Romans 8:18 — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Devotional Thought:
Every tear you’ve cried in faith is a seed in God’s field. Sometimes the soil of sorrow feels heavy, and you wonder if the rain of tears will ever stop. But while you’re weeping, God is working. He’s cultivating something beneath the surface — preparing a harvest that will make sense of your pain.
Joy doesn’t come because the process was easy; it comes because God was faithful through it all. The same hands that hold your tears will one day hand you the harvest.

Reflection Questions:

1. What situation in your life feels like “sowing in tears” right now?
2. How have you seen God bring joy or fruitfulness out of past seasons of struggle?
3. What would it look like to trust God’s timing in your current “sowing” season?

Application Point:
Tears are not a sign of weakness; they are a sign of investment. Every tear you’ve sown in prayer, faith, or perseverance is producing something eternal. Keep sowing. Keep believing. The joy that’s coming will outweigh the sorrow that’s been.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for reminding me that my tears are not wasted. Even when I don’t understand what You’re doing, I trust that You are working beneath the surface. Give me strength to keep sowing in faith and patience to wait for the harvest of joy You’ve promised. Let my tears water the ground for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Going Forward:
Take a moment today to write down what you’ve been weeping or worrying over. Then, beside it, write “seed.” Pray over it and declare that what has been sown in tears will one day be reaped in joy. Every tear is a testimony in the making.