What is a wailing woman<\/em> according to Scripture? Do such women still exist or should they?<\/p>\n Before exploring this divine calling, let\u2019s begin by understanding the biblical meaning of mourning<\/strong>. In both Old and New Testaments, mourning is a spiritual and emotional response to sin, loss, or divine judgment. It is more than sadness it is a deep cry of the heart marked by repentance and intercession<\/strong>, often seeking God\u2019s intervention, forgiveness, or mercy.<\/p>\n In the Hebrew language, the word for mourn (\u05d0\u05b8\u05d1\u05b7\u05dc<\/em> – ‘abal’<\/em>) and lament (\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/em> – ‘qinah’<\/em>) both carry the weight of grief mixed with spiritual reflection and appeal.<\/p>\n Scripture presents examples of mourning that happened in two contexts:<\/p>\n A striking example is seen in the book of Esther, during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). When Haman, the enemy of the Jews, plotted their annihilation, a royal decree was issued. The Jews mourned in anticipation of the coming destruction.<\/p>\n Esther 4:1\u20133 (NKJV)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. Result:<\/strong> Their prayer and mourning moved the heart of God and the queen. Esther\u2019s intercession led to the deliverance of the Jews and the downfall of Haman.<\/p>\n Spiritual Insight:<\/strong> God honors proactive intercession. Mourning before judgment falls can change outcomes. This is a call to be spiritually alert and intercede before<\/em> disaster.<\/p>\n Another example is the prophet Jeremiah<\/strong>, who mourned after<\/em> the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem, during which King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple, slaughtered thousands, and took many into exile.<\/p>\n Lamentations 3:47\u201352 (NKJV)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cFear and a snare have come upon us, Result:<\/strong> Jeremiah\u2019s mourning expressed the brokenness of God’s people after judgment had fallen. His sorrow became a written testimony for generations, now preserved as the Book of Lamentations.<\/p>\n Spiritual Insight:<\/strong> Mourning after<\/em> judgment is important, but God\u2019s preference is that we mourn before<\/em> judgment<\/strong> as a means to prevent it.<\/p>\n Answer: Preventative Mourning.<\/strong><\/p>\n God is calling His people to spiritual awareness, sensitivity to sin, and intercessory mourning before destruction comes<\/strong>. Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41\u201344, foreseeing the coming destruction because they \u201cdid not know the time of [their] visitation.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, nations, churches, families, and individuals may be under spiritual judgment. God desires women and believers generally to recognize the signs and intercede through tears, fasting, and repentance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Throughout Scripture, God calls women specifically<\/strong> to take on this vital role. Women are uniquely created with emotional depth, sensitivity, and nurturing spirits, all of which make them effective intercessors.<\/p>\n Jeremiah 9:17\u201319 (NKJV)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThus says the Lord of hosts: Key Insight:<\/strong> God instructs that women specifically skilled mourners be summoned to awaken intercession in the community. This was not just cultural, but spiritual, and remains relevant today.<\/p>\n This is not a statement of superiority or limitation, but of design and assignment<\/strong>. Just as God instructs men to lead and teach (e.g., 1 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 14:34\u201335), He gives women a unique assignment in intercession<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Titus 2:3\u20135 (NKJV)<\/strong> calls older women to \u201cteach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste…\u201d<\/p>\n And Jeremiah 9:20\u201321 (NKJV)<\/strong> gives further instruction:<\/p>\n \u201cYet hear the word of the Lord, O women, God is raising a generation of intercessory women<\/strong>, called to pass on this legacy of spiritual mourning. The world needs Esthers<\/em>, Hannahs<\/em>, Deborahs<\/em>, and Marys<\/em> who cry out to God on behalf of their families, communities, and nations.<\/p>\n Woman of God have you wept over your home, your church, or your nation? If not, now is the time<\/strong>. God is calling His daughters to rise as intercessors to take their place in the spiritual realm.<\/p>\n Obey the call. Embrace the assignment. And teach others to do the same.<\/p>\n May the Lord bless you.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nMourning in Two Seasons: Before and After<\/h3>\n
1. Mourning Before<\/em> a Tragedy: Queen Esther\u2019s Time<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nHe went as far as the king\u2019s gate, for no one might enter the king\u2019s gate clothed with sackcloth.
\nAnd in every province where the king\u2019s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n2. Mourning After<\/em> a Tragedy: Jeremiah\u2019s Lament<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nDesolation and destruction.
\nMy eyes overflow with rivers of water
\nFor the destruction of the daughter of my people.
\nMy eyes flow and do not cease,
\nWithout interruption,
\nTill the Lord from heaven
\nLooks down and sees.
\nMy eyes bring suffering to my soul
\nBecause of all the daughters of my city.
\nMy enemies without cause
\nHunted me down like a bird.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nWhat Kind of Mourning Does God Desire?<\/h3>\n
\nWomen\u2019s Divine Role in Intercessory Mourning<\/h3>\n
\n\u2018Consider and call for the mourning women,
\nThat they may come;
\nAnd send for skillful wailing women,
\nThat they may come.
\nLet them make haste
\nAnd take up a wailing for us,
\nThat our eyes may run with tears,
\nAnd our eyelids gush with water.
\nFor a voice of wailing is heard from Zion:
\n\u201cHow we are plundered!
\nWe are greatly ashamed,
\nBecause we have forsaken the land,
\nBecause we have been cast out of our dwellings.\u201d\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nWomen’s Role Versus Men\u2019s Role<\/h3>\n
\nAnd let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
\nTeach your daughters wailing,
\nAnd everyone her neighbor a lamentation.
\nFor death has come through our windows,
\nHas entered our palaces,
\nTo kill off the children no longer to be outside!
\nAnd the young men no longer on the streets!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nA Final Challenge<\/h3>\n
\nHave you mourned for the sin around you and pleaded for mercy before judgment comes?<\/p>\n
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