Psalms of Lament | Psalm 142
Aaron Gray | July 15, 2018
Fully one-third of the Psalms fall into the category called laments. Some are individual laments, others are communal, and still others are imprecatory, asking for God to take action against the wicked. In these psalms, we find permission to grieve, hope to heal, and trust in the care of our God.
Discussion Questions
- Who has God placed in your life to help you grieve and lament life’s hardships? Who do you know who is currently suffering that you can love and serve by helping them as they lament?
- What griefs do you need to genuinely lament? Are you good at lamenting or do you find yourself avoiding or fighting against negative emotion? Why?
- How can you tell the difference in your own life between letting your complaint be known to God vs. grumbling in a sinful way? How can you help others see the difference?
- When we suffer well, we witness to an unbelieving world the goodness of our God. How do you need to learn how to suffer well as you lament and grieve?
Prayer Points
- Take time on your own to truly lament the suffering and hardships that you are facing. Then, bring those hardships to your community so that they can pray for/with you.
- Pray that as we learn to suffer and lament well, our lives would be a witness to unbelievers of the goodness of God.
For Further Study
- The Cry of the Soul book by Dan Allendar and Tremper Longman
- Ten Things You Should Know About the Imprecatory Psalms blog post by Sam Storms
- Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering book by Tim Keller