Learning to Lament
A PRACTICE FOR PRAYING IN HARD TIMES
life is hard.
Life is hard. Especially right now. Many of us are faced with the death of dreams and the loss of jobs. The removal of seeing people we loved, and plans being ripped away. There is war and violence in spades, and natural disasters aplenty. Some are faced with the grief of losing a loved one, or the sight of a sick friend.
It can be hard to know what to do at times. But the practice of lamenting provides us with an opportunity to respond. The Scriptures show us that:
It’s godly to tell God how you feel.
what is lament?
In moments when we feel the weight of life’s difficulties, it’s right to lament. It’s appropriate to cry out to God. And it’s a welcome sound to his ears. Put simply, lament is verbalising our complaints to God. The direction of our complaint is important; it’s not just grumbling or whinging—it’s expressing our frustration, anger and problems TO God. It’s an insistence that God is still good and worthy of our prayers despite any thoughts that are contrary.
Lament is what Jesus does when he weeps for his friend Lazarus and cries out on the cross—questioning God. It’s the language of one-third of Psalms, which verbalise much of our own feelings. It’s acknowledging what the teacher of Ecclesiastes says; there is a time to mourn and a time to grieve. Lament is far from unbelief or ungodliness—it’s a righteous response to the wrongfulness of life’s circumstances.
who to lament for?
In the Psalms, we see examples of lamenting for a variety of reasons, including;
Lament for circumstances: this is often done when the Psalmist addresses national tragedies, famine, wars, sin, and suffering
Lament for others: many psalms are written in such a way that they can be prayed for someone else. Prayerful lament is a beautiful and rich way to offer your voice on behalf of the voiceless, and a way of participating in the pain of others.
Lament for yourself: naturally many psalms address personal circumstances or inner struggles, and they provide a model of bringing those difficulties to God.
how to lament?
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to lament well, but we see countless examples in the Scriptures. Here’s a simple framework to guide you in expressing your hurts, heartaches and hardships to God:
1. Turn to God - address God trusting that he hears you.
2. Cry Out your Complaint - name the problem you see and bring it to God.
3. Express your Feelings - tell God how you feel knowing that he cares.
4. Appeal for God to Hear & Respond - ask for God to respond to your lament.
a prayer of lament
Using those four steps, pray a prayer of lament for the circumstances, people, or areas of your life that are heavy on your heart.
Three things that might help are; reading a passage of Scripture on the next slide, writing your prayer down, and having a quiet space to pray.
examples of lament to learn from
Here’s a few passage from the Scriptures to read that give some examples of godly lament, and a book recommendation:
The Psalms: 10, 13, 22, 42, 77, 88, 130
The book of Lamentations
Matthew 27:45-50
A book I’ve found particularly helpful in this space is Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, by Mark Vroegop.
I’m praying this practice is helpful for you as you lament the suffering, injustice, and hardships of this life.
