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The Prayer of Lament

According to a 2021 survey by Statistics Canada, 18% of men aged 15-24 and 15% of men aged 25-34 reported feeling lonely "always" or "often.” The Canadian Mental Health Association stated that approximately 10% of men in Canada will experience significant mental health challenges, with 5% of men being diagnosed with depression each year. Men are disproportionately affected by suicide, making up 80% of all suicide deaths in Canada, which continues to be a leading cause of death among men aged 10-49​ in Canada.

Men carry heavy burdens that weigh them down every day. Most men can identify with feeling overwhelmed and worn out. It’s almost as if weariness is a rite of passage into manhood.

Many men experience deep sorrow, yet few will ever open up about it for fear of being judged or viewed as weak. We aren’t often told that it’s okay to cry, and even fewer of us have ever seen vulnerability modeled by another man.

Yet, 40% of the Book of Psalms (about 60 of them) are psalms of lament—a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. The Old Testament has an entire book (Lamentations) dedicated exclusively to lamenting. In today’s passage, the psalmist cries out to God and bares his soul before the Lord. We are not meant to bottle up all our pains and frustrations but to release them to Him.

God knows our struggle. He is fully aware of the worries and woes that assail us and has made provisions for us to come to Him and cast our cares onto Him because He cares for us (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). He stands ready to help us and to be our strength when we have none. He is not scandalized by our issues or our weaknesses. He longs for us to cry out to Him so that He can come to our rescue. He is our “refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 41:1), and we are encouraged and invited to lean on Him when we have come to the end of ourselves.

Part of becoming a mighty man of prayer is learning not to hide your heartache from the Lord but instead normalizing running to Him and pouring out all your woes onto Him—He can surely handle it.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to You with the burdens and struggles that weigh me down. Help me to be honest and open about my pain and frustrations, knowing that You are my refuge and strength. Teach me to lean on You and cast my cares onto You. Thank You for being an ever-present help in times of trouble. Amen.

Reflection: Are there any burdens or worries that you need to surrender to the Lord today?