Lamenting to God

July 5, 2023

The Bible talks about a kind of prayer called a lament. Most people don’t know how to lament. A lament is a passionate complaint to God.

God doesn’t want you just to praise him. God wants you to lament to him. It’s actually an act of worship when you complain to God. It’s an act of rebellion when you complain about God. God cares about your complaints. He cares about you.

So, how do you lament to God? This is a form of prayer.

1. I complain and tell God what I think is unfair or painful.  

You’ll find that in many of the laments of the Bible, the

complaints are usually in the form of question. “God, why are you

allowing this? God, why don’t you do something? God, when are you going

to answer my prayer?” The complaints often take the form of a question.  

I tell God what I think is unfair or painful. This is the start of a lament. Let me give you an example. David says,

“Psalm 142:1-3 “I

cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my

complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.  When I am

overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.”

In a lament, the tone can be very different. You can

lament out of anger. You can lament out of frustration. You can lament

out of fatigue. “God, I am so tired. And I’m sick and tired of being

sick and tired.” You can lament out of disappointment. You can lament

out of fear. “I’m scared to death God, help me. I don’t know what’s

going to happen this week and I’m scared to death. Help.”

When Moses complained to God, God answered. When the

children of Israel complained, they got stuck in the desert. So, there’s

a right way and a wrong way to complain to God. What’s the right way?

You do it in faith. You complain in faith. In other words, "God, this is

how I feel... I am sad, mad or scared. But, I know you are good and I

trust you. My faith is in you. Help me."

2. I appeal to God’s nature.

When you read the Psalms you read David and other people

complaining to God and at the same time saying, “but you’re a good God

and you’re a loving God and God, you’re kind and God, you’re fair. I

don’t like what’s going on but God, you see everything!”  

Abraham was arguing with God over Sodom and Gomorrah. He

appealed to God. “God, you’re a fair God.” Moses complains to God and he

appeals to God’s nature. David does it, Hezekiah does it.

I appeal to God’s nature.

3. I remind God of what he said.

I remind God of what he has said in his Word. 

Several times in the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah goes,

“God, you’ve promised to do this, and you’ve promised to do this, and

you’ve promised to do this; and if you don’t do this, you’re going to

look bad.” He is appealing to God’s reputation.

This is exactly what Jacob did. He’s scared to death to go

back home, to have his family reunion with his brother who wants to

kill him. Notice the prayer that Jacob prays. He reminds God of what

he’s said. He said, “You’re the one who told me to go home. So you’ve

got to help me God.”  

4. I express my total trust in God.

When you see David’s Psalms, almost every Psalm ends with

no matter how much he’s railed on God, he goes, “but I’m still going to

trust you. God, I don’t like this and I don’t like that and that didn’t

turn out the way I wanted, but I’m still going to trust you.”

I express my total trust in God. This is what you end your prayer with. A great example of this is:

Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Even

though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the

vine; and even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and

barren; and even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle

barns are empty, [they’re in a terrible drought, a terrible depression] yet I will still rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength!”

So what do I do about the stuff that’s out of control? I

give them to the person who does have the power to control. “God, you’re

in control and I know you care. And because you care I’m going to

complain and I’m going to appeal and I’m going to remind you of your

promises and I’m going to express my trust in you.”