Written by Sandra Richter, a contemporary Old Testament scholar, author, speaker and professor. This is an excerpt from her book “The Epic of Eden: Book of Psalms.”
The great 4th century Church Father, Athanasius once said: “The Psalms have a unique place in the Bible because [whereas] most of Scripture speaks to us, the Psalms speak for us.” No truer words have been spoken. When we open up the book of Psalms, we find 150 of the most compelling, captivating, and heart-wrenching prayers ever uttered. And a full third of these can be categorized as “laments.” What is a lament? It is a psalm of complaint that names, often in graphic detail, the agonies and injustices of life. As Martin Luther once said, in a lament “you look into the hearts of the saints” and what you see there is a potent mixture of pain… and hope…To read a lament is to watch an ancient believer as they stand against the storm. For a modern believer to pray a lament is to allow the ancients to join you in the midst of your storm.
Prayer:
Written by Debbie Przybylski, a contemporary author and founder/director of Intercessors Arise International.
Lord, I know that you are faithful over all things, even the hard, dark times of my life. Help me not back away from you in my time of grief. Help me instead to lean into you and trust you, even when I do not understand your ways. Please keep my head above the waters of anguish and my feet from slipping off the ground of truth. Help me see you in these hard moments and glorify you in my response. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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