Lament & Hope Resources
Here are some resources that we have used when running Lament sessions. Please feel free to make use of them in your times of lamenting and finding hope.
These videos unpack what the Bible says about lament and finding hope...
We used this lament meditation to help us to find our laments and choose which ones we'd bring to God on that occasion. We held rocks which represented our laments...
When praying for the world we used this guide...
Lament For Our World
1. Turn to God
2. Voice your complaint/lament
- When I think of this situation I feel....
- why ...
3. Appeal to God to hear and respond
- Please act in this situation, please...
4. Together we say...
“May your Kingdom come, and your will be done.”
1. Turn to God
2. Voice your complaint/lament
- When I think of this situation I feel....
- why ...
3. Appeal to God to hear and respond
- Please act in this situation, please...
4. Together we say...
“May your Kingdom come, and your will be done.”
When lamenting together we used words straight from the Psalms in the Bible - a liturgy of lament. We read them aloud together...
Liturgy of Lament
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
I am worn out from my groaning.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”
(Psalm 130:1,6:3, 38:9-10, 22:3,10:1, 42:7, 6:6, 22:11, 10:12, 130:2)
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
I am worn out from my groaning.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”
(Psalm 130:1,6:3, 38:9-10, 22:3,10:1, 42:7, 6:6, 22:11, 10:12, 130:2)
When we are finding our hope, our 'and yet' it can be helpful to look at the hope found in the Bible. Here are some verses with 'and yet's.
Yet’s
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Ps 130:5
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. Ps 6:9
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. Ps 22:27-28
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. Ps 10:14
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life. Ps 42:8
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God. Ps 42:11
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Ps 73:21-26
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Ps 63:7-8
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. Job 13:15
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Ps 130:5
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. Ps 6:9
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. Ps 22:27-28
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. Ps 10:14
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life. Ps 42:8
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God. Ps 42:11
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Ps 73:21-26
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Ps 63:7-8
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. Job 13:15
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26
It can be helpful to be able to identify our feelings when lamenting. Here's a link to a feelings wheel that we can use to help us...
https://allthefeelz.app/feeling-wheel/
https://allthefeelz.app/feeling-wheel/