TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2
Read: Psalm 13
Listen: Psalm 13
TODAY’S MESSAGE
God invites people to come to him in their troubles and to pray (James 5:13). He wants to hear from us when we’re hurting. God desires to hear how we truly feel and not just to ask him for solutions. A lament is an honest and painful prayer that states exactly how we feel. It’s a prayer that says, “I’m not okay with this!” The Bible’s spiritual “heavyweights” prayed these prayers, and so can we. They’re necessary and spiritually healthy.
A lament includes three parts. (1) We turn to God with our complaint. We clearly state the things that grieve, confuse and upset us (Psalm 13:1-2). (2) We request God to move, see and answer. “Look on me and answer, Lord my God” (Psalm 13:3). (3) We place our trust in God. It doesn’t mean we understand or like what is happening, but we trust God even though we don’t see the resolution yet. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5).
We can lament any situation that causes pain, grief or disappointment. Whether it’s a lost opportunity where someone said “no” and a door didn’t open, declining or struggling health for us or loved ones, or a broken or challenging relationship—God invites us to turn to him in it. We can bring our complaint, request and trust to him even when it’s unresolved.
TODAY: If you are in a rough spot, use Psalm 13 as a model to form a lament. Turn to God with your complaint, then request him to answer, and place your trust in him. Write out your lament in your journal or mobile device. Pray this as the situation comes to mind throughout the day.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Read Zechariah 5-6. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Notice the Branch imagery and what he will do.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
