Lament: Week 16 (Feb 6-12)
Lament Practice: Week 16| Week of Feb. 6 - 12
Communities @ Grace
Overview of the Night:
15 Minutes Before Start Time : : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
15 Minutes : Review Last Week’s Practice
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
5 Minutes : Practice for Week Ahead
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Goal for Week: As we practice prayers of lament, we will look at the benefits and how to express your own lament through writing.
15 Minutes Before Start Time : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
Do you like surprises? What’s a good one you have received?
Tell us about a time God surprised you?
15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience
Read a Psalm, use a part of it to talk to God about your situation
Journal about a struggle you are having, injustice in the world, grief etc.
Write a prayer of lament or poem about a sorrow or grief
What did God tell you about your situation?
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
“Prayers of lament are a way to approach God with the realities of sorrow, frustrations and angst that distract and consume us.” - Adele Calhoun
What are some healthy ways to deal with sorrow and worry so they won’t consume you? (Leader Note - spend time identifying your feelings and telling God about those feelings you’re experiencing, listen, then take steps toward managing it.)
God can empathize with our sorrow and desire for things to be different. Let’s read Genesis 6: 5-7. Like us, God has hopes and dreams.
What do you think God envisioned when he created humans?
How do you handle the feelings that bring you to the point of wanting to walk away from the life you’re currently living?
There is power and comfort in learning to use prayers of lament. They can be a means of building your relationship with God. The fruits of practicing the prayer of lament can help you:
Name the underlying emotion you feel in your situation
Trust in God’s ability to keep all parts of you, and carry you through
Be honest with God about your feelings instead of immediately jumping to catastrophic thinking
Not carry your burdens alone
Which of these fruits have you experienced?
Which one do you want to develop?
Let’s look at a lament written by someone who is grieved by their children’s sinful life.
“Lord, It’s years and years now, and in hundreds of prayers you have heard my anguish over my kids who don’t follow Jesus.
Do you hear me? See my tears? Why is it taking so long?
When will it be enough to turn your hand to it? Will it happen?
My heart aches as the passing days pile up, but I see no change. Will they ever return home to you?
There is an ache in my heart and a fear that they will never change.
Why aren’t you listening? There’s terror in my bones that this is not in your plan for them.
I turn to you for this because I know you love me and them.
Such joy there will be when they come to you.
To you be the glory! You are my hope.”
What specific emotions are shown here?
How could this prayer help the writer?
Can you share about a time when God answered a prayer but it took years of praying before seeing an answer?
5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
Be sure you have the Prompt page and the Template page printed to give each person. These are available at the Communities Kiosk in the lobby.
Briefly review each of the suggestions in the 6 sections.
Here are the options for practice this week. Choose one or more to use.
Reflect on a current pain or concern you are having and talk to God about it.
Use the provided template to create a prayer of lament. Say it, pray it and discuss it with God this week.
Journal about any shifts in your attitude, feelings or how the situation changed as you focus on it this week.
Be prepared next week to either share the prayer you wrote or how the process is going for you.
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Consider praying as a whole group or in triads for personal prayer requests.
End on time, in order to honor everyone’s time.
Prompts for Prayer of Lament
Each of these optional prompts are ideas to help you get your thoughts going
Invocation -
LORD, I SEEK (what do you need)
RESCUE AND DELIVER ME FOR YOU ARE (God’s character)
FOR YOU ARE (what has God done in your past)
Complaint
DELIVER ME (what is your problem)
FORGIVE ME (confess your sin)
HELP ME FORGIVE OTHERS
Affirmation of Trust
NEVERTHELESS (how can I trust in God)
YOU ARE MY (what does he promise to be)
Petition
SAVE ME FROM (what)
DELIVER ME FROM (what else)
FOR YOU (how has God intervened in scripture)
Statement of confidence
BUT I WILL (how can you hope, knowing God hears you)
Vow of Praise
I WILL PROCLAIM (what will you declare about God)
I WILL SING (why will you praise God)
Template for writing your Prayer of Lament
Invocation __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Complaint __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Affirmation of trust __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Petition __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Statement of confidence __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vow of praise __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________