There have been times in my life when prayer feels difficult, when my life is so confusing and stressful that prayer, something I’ve believed is only supposed to be thankful and happy. And the more I’ve studied the Bible, the more I’ve come to recognize that there is a lot in the Bible to support a different type of prayer – one that has us pouring out our true feelings to our Father. We call it lament – and it is the type of prayer that is shown to us most in the Bible, the majority of the Psalms, the central topic in the book of Lamentations and is even modelled for us by Jesus when before He dies, He explains “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” But today, it is a type of prayer we have lost the art for, and so we must recover it. To do this, I want to sketch the broad outline for lament that we in the Psalms.
1. Turn to God
The first step in biblical lament is directing our pain and confusion to God. Instead of withdrawing or turning inward, the Psalms encourage us to seek the One who is always listening. Whether it’s David crying out in Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” or Psalm 77 where the psalmist calls out, “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me,” we see a common thread: lament starts by taking our burdens to God. This is an act of faith because it acknowledges that He is the only one who can truly hold our sorrow.
2. Express the Complaint
Once we turn to God, the next step in the process is to bring our complaint to Him. This is not about grumbling, but about honestly expressing our emotions—whether they be confusion, grief, or anger. The Psalms are full of bold complaints. In Psalm 13:1-2, David asks, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” These verses teach us that God is not afraid of our raw emotions. Lament gives us the space to voice our questions without fear.
3. Ask Boldly for Help
After expressing the complaint, lament moves toward asking God for His intervention. In Psalm 13, after David lays out his feelings of abandonment, he prays, “Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death” (Psalm 13:3). In Psalm 77, after recalling his despair, the psalmist remembers God’s past faithfulness and asks for His help again. Asking God to act in lament is an acknowledgment of His power to change situations, bring healing, or give peace.
4. Choose to Trust
The final part of biblical lament is a declaration of trust. Even when the situation hasn’t changed, the Psalms model how to rest in the character of God. In Psalm 13, after expressing his sorrow and asking for help, David concludes, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5). This doesn’t mean the pain has vanished, but it shows that lament brings us to a place where we can rest in God’s sovereignty.
