Why Pray Lament Psalms?

Over the last three months, I have been preaching through a short series on selected psalms. Three of the psalms in the sermons series were laments.

Consider the following.

• “O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ Selah.” (Psalm 3:1–2)
• “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’ … “I say to God, my rock: ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’” (Psalm 42:3, 9)
• “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (42:5, 11; 43:5).
• “How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? … Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?” (89:46, 49)

Lament psalms help us cry to the Lord with our problems, complaints, sorrows, hardships, questions, and griefs. It is no wonder then that a large percentage of the psalms are lament psalms. Furthermore, some entire books of the Bible are lament, like Habakkuk and, umm, Lamentations. While we don’t always find an answer to life’s questions, bringing our laments to the Lord moves us from unrest to hope.

As an application, we include lament in our rotation of prayers in our church gathering. It “so happened” that we cycled back around to lament on Father’s Day. Many church members expressed the encouragement they found as we all prayed together, lamenting how some of our fathers have passed away, and others do not have godly fathers. As we lamented over these things, we also fixed our hope on the reality that we have a Heavenly Father who cares and provides for us. Best of all, our Father loves us so much that he gave us his only Son, Jesus, to bring many sons and daughters to glory.