Again, Jesus cuts through the superficial, humanistic mindset of happiness by exalting a virtue that gains no mainstay in the world. Yet in heaven, it rises to the throne of God as a flagship, leading the way to spiritual blessing. The word translated "mourn" conveys the idea of grief of the deepest kind. It is a sorrow that begins in the heart, takes possession the the entire person, and is then outwardly manifested. It is of significance to note that the idea of bereavement is not primarily in view, though it is by no means excluded. The type of mourning portrayed here is a deep sense of contrition that comes over sin and lukewarmness, over the slowness of our spiritual growth, of our distance from Him; it is grief over our spiritual bankruptcy.
This attitude is manifested in the life of Christ disciples in three main ways: repentance, prayer, and intercession.
Repentance- It is those disciples who have wandered from the flame of the Holy Spirit who have the great need of the Omnipotent God to show them mercy, and pour out a spirit of mourning upon them. They have forsaken their first love and have become cold, calloused, and uncaring. They have become fascinated by the world, and are in danger of receiving the loving rod of discipline from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. They have little passion for the glory of Christ, and live out a nominal existence with a phenomenal God. These saints know little of the presence and blessing of God. They are like a child who has never gotten over his fascination of breaking waves on the seashore. Content with what he finds after the tide has gone out, he has no desire to explore the true depths of the sea. What unknown wonders he could discover if only he would actually venture out into the ocean itself. These Christians are only paddling on the edge of the possibilities of grace. Only when they come with brokenness and repentance over their sin and lukewarmness, will they ever be able to experience the depths of God.
Prayer- It is possible for a Christian to mourn over the slowness of his or her growth and the feebleness of his or her spiritual attainment apart from any actual sin in their life. This is indeed a healthy attitude to have. It keeps the disciple in the place of humility, realizing that the only way he or she will continue to be transformed into the image of Christ is through hiddeness in Christ. The place of prayer becomes the pinnacle of existence, because it is in that place that union and abiding with Christ takes on its fullest expression. In the place of prayer, the word of God becomes etched within our soul. As we gaze upon the reality of the Son of God, we lose consciousness of our self; decreasing and becoming invisible, so that Jesus may have his rightful dominion over us.
Intercession- Besides evangelism, this is by far the most neglected ministry of the modern church. We know little of intercession and its power because we know little of what it means to mourn. Yes we pray for those who are sick or in dire circumstances, but we know little of the power of prayer when it comes to the spiritual transformation of human lives. The apostle John states in 1 John 5:16 that if anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, that he should pray for him and God will give him life. Are we so blind that we do not recognize the enormity of such a promise? Is our faith in God so feeble that when we hear a promise such as that, we immediately become suspicious? When was the last time that your eyes flowed with tears because of the rampant unconfessed sin and lukewarmness that runs amok in the lives of Christians today? When was the last time you mourned over the soul of a lost friend or neighbor?
One who has been gripped by the holiness of God will hate what He hates, and experience His grief over sin in the lives of His people. If we have been blessed with a spirit of mourning, we will dive head long into the ministry of intercession, knowing that we can pray the power of the atonement into the lives of God's children. In response to our intercession, God has promised to give the sinning disciple life. This life is nothing other than the life of Jesus himself. Through the power of the atonement, God will come and replace the bondage of sin with the very virtue of Christ Himself. When a disciple is caught up in the Great Way of God, he becomes so intertwined with the will of God, that his intercession is the expression of the prayer life of the Son of God, who always is heard by the Father and obtains what He ask for. The disciples intercession becomes the avenue for God to express His will and fulfill His purpose upon the earth.
If you do not have this spirit of mourning, don't waste another minute of your life. Hit your knees and cry out to God to give you this blessed attitude.