Concert of Prayer
Week Four: Lament
March 22, 2020

Praying in homes throughout the Quad Cities and beyond

The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy...
-William Cowper

Lament defined: to mourn aloud; to express sorrow.

Lament is a form of worship. Called "the sacred song of sorrow," it is in Scripture for a reason: God would have you lament. He would have our church lament. He would not have us lament once as a mere duty; we must it acknowledge it for what it is, an exercise of faith, and incorporate it into our lives.

It is not honest to act as if everything is fine. It is not healthy to constantly fake a smile and say "I'm fine." God would have you bring your loneliness, sorrow, doubt, and anger to Him.

Read aloud: Psalm 13

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
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.

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.

Pray: God, teach me to lament. Teach our church to lament.

Sing:      I Will Wait for You (Psalm 130)

Out of the depths I cry to You,
From darkest places I will call.
Incline Your ear to me anew
And hear my cry for mercy, Lord.

Were you to count my sinful ways
How could I come before Your throne?
Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze;
I stand redeemed by grace alone.

I will wait for You, I will wait for You,
On Your word, I will rely.
I will wait for You, surely wait for You,
Till my soul is satisfied.

So put your hope in God alone,
Take courage in His power to save,
Completely and forever won
By Christ’s emerging from the grave.

Now He has come to make a way,
And God Himself has paid the price,
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in His sacrifice.

I will wait for You, I will wait for You
Through the storm, and through the night.
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
For Your love is my delight.

Silence will harm you. It leads to doubt, anger, and cynicism. Address your questions and complaints to God out loud. This leads you to the right response.

Doubts are better put into plain speech than lying diffused and darkening, like poisonous mists in [the] heart. A thought, be it good or bad, can be dealt with when it is made articulate. - Alexander Maclaren

Sing
Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul
click here for sheet music

Lament: Use a psalm of lament as your guide, ex: Psalm 13, Psalm 22, Psalm 77 

1. Turn to God 

2. Complain 

3. Ask boldly for help 

4. Choose to trust and praise

Read aloud: Lamentations 3:19-24

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

Sing: Great is Thy Faithfulness

CCLI 206793