Joyful Noise: Lamenting to God
By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
Lamentations 1:20 says, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed.” And yet he looks to God as the ultimate judge, knowing that only He can deal with the sins and destruction; “Let all their wickedness come before you” (v.22).
This kind of honest crying out to God can most certainly help us to grapple with the painful atrocities that seem to happen in our communities, our country and all over the world. We have instant news at our fingertips more than ever through our iPhones, etc. It feels so overwhelming and mind blowing at times.
We lament in prayer when our hearts are broken. Many of the psalms are songs of lament, expressing a range of emotions when the authors were going through sorrowful times. We lament it when we feel helpless in our situations. Some people turn their fearful laments into complaints. Christians should turn their fearful laments into prayer.
The Bible instructs us to lament over our sin. This kind of lamentation is associated with repentance (Matthew 3:8; Acts 2:38; James 5:1). Second Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” Repentance is agreeing with God about how bad our sin is and purposing to turn away from it. When we see our sin the way God does, we lament over it. We grieve at the evil arising in our own hearts and cry out to God to change us. Those who never lament over their own sin have not understood its power to destroy them, nor can they fully appreciate a Savior (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Turn to God. Often a lament begins by an address to God: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). The point is that the person in pain chooses to talk to God about what is happening.
Bring your complaint. Every lament features some kind of complaint: “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:2). More than a sinful rehearsing of our anger, biblical lament humbly and honestly identifies the pain, questions, and frustrations raging in our souls.
Ask boldly for help. Seeking God’s help while in pain is an act of faith: “Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’ lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken” (Psalm 13:3–4). Unremitting sorrow can create a deadly silence as we give in to despair (“there’s no hope”) or denial (“everything’s fine”). But lament invites us to dare to hope in God’s promises as we ask for his help.
Choose to trust. This is the destination for our laments. All roads lead here: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5–6). More than the stages of grief, this prayer language moves us to renew our commitment to trust in God as we navigate the brokenness of life.
The more you pray, the less you will panic. The more you worship, the less you will worry.
Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
