Praying Through Pain: Moving From Grief to Praise a 10 - Day Plan by Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Ph.d.Chikamu

Day 6

Connecting With God Through Lament

We deepen our intimacy with God when we talk to Him honestly about our struggles. Scripture shows us many occasions when those who walked closely with God found themselves in positions of grief and questioning even as they attempted to follow Him. The entire book of Lamentations is an example of one long lament. The prophet Habakkuk also expressed his pain and grief over the judgment that was about to come upon Israel. Even Jesus pleaded with His father in the Garden of Gethsemane to spare Him the suffering He was about to endure while simultaneously expressing His trust in the Father’s will.

In particular, the book of Psalms offers some of the most moving sacred verses or hymns that express deep sorrow, grief, and sometimes regret. Altogether, these kinds of psalms, called lament psalms, make up the largest category in the book, accounting for about one-third of the psalms. In this type of verse, we see the psalmist expressing in great detail and with moving imagery the challenges of human struggle. However, the psalmist does not end there but continues asking God for help for himself and/or the community. Finally, the psalm ends with praise to God. Each of these psalms is a study of how we too can pray through our pain.

Lament psalms share a three-part stylistic structure. First, the psalmists cry out to God, expressing the depths of their pain. Then they ask God for help. Eventually, the psalmist surrenders to God and arrives at a place of praise and trust. It might seem that the arrival of praise comes quickly as we read through several verses. However, these psalms most likely reflect an extended chronology of time expressed in poetic form. Over the next three days, we will look at each of these steps.

The path to praise took David through many years as a fugitive trying to save his life. It took Jacob into the wee hours of the morning, and it took Hannah perhaps many years culminating in intense praying in the temple. There is no standard time frame for processing from pain to praise. At the same time, through this process of continuing to talk with God about the hurt and asking Him for help, we are being prepared to pivot from grief into praise.

Reflect

Read and reflect on Psalm 130. In what ways do the psalmist's expressions resonate with you? How can you present your struggles and questions to God as steps towards deeper intimacy with Him?