A SEASON OF LAMENTING PRAYING OUT OF OUR

  • Slides: 12
Download presentation
A SEASON OF LAMENTING: PRAYING OUT OF OUR PAIN C Bible Study November 10,

A SEASON OF LAMENTING: PRAYING OUT OF OUR PAIN C Bible Study November 10, 2020 Refuge Church Ministries II Pastors Brown and Brown

Romans 8: 22 -23 Elements of Lament How to Lament Well Final Thoughts Tonight’s

Romans 8: 22 -23 Elements of Lament How to Lament Well Final Thoughts Tonight’s Agenda

Romans 8: 2223 • “For we know that all creation has been groaning as

Romans 8: 2223 • “For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children , including the new bodies He has promised us. ”

Elements of lament using Ps. 13 • Most laments contain 4 elements: • Turning

Elements of lament using Ps. 13 • Most laments contain 4 elements: • Turning to God • Bringing the complaint • Asking boldly for help • Choosing to trust This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Turning to God • Look at Ps. 13: 1 -2; • The sufferer will

Turning to God • Look at Ps. 13: 1 -2; • The sufferer will turn to God first. They cry out of the depths of their pain with vivid descriptions (see Ps. 6: 6 -7); • Will asks God URGENT questions: 1) How long, Lord? 2) Will I be forgotten forever? 3) How long will you hide your face from me? 4) How long will my enemy have the upper hand? • We see here that David is feeling abandoned by God. He’s wrestling with his inner thoughts of being forsaken by God. Feels God is distant. • Can any of you relate to David’s pain? If so, how did you respond? • David’s response here shows what about him? A. he hasn’t been to church in a while B. he is disappointed with God C. he’s human

 • I’m tired of all this-so tired. My bed had been floating forty

• I’m tired of all this-so tired. My bed had been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope. (MSG) • I am weary with my groaning; Every night I soak my bed with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping. My eyes grow dim with grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. (AMP) • I am worn out with grief; every night my bed is damp from my weeping; my pillow is soaked with tears. I can hardly see; my eyes are so swollen from weeping caused by my enemies. (GNB) Psalm 6: 6 -7

Bringing the Complaint • Every lament has a complaint component to it; • What

Bringing the Complaint • Every lament has a complaint component to it; • What do you notice about David’s complaints? • In a biblical lament the sufferer is humbly and honestly identifying his pain, his questions and the frustrations raging in his soul. • This is not simply a rehearsal of his anger! • When you take your complaints to God, what’s your motive? Check all that apply: • Anger_____ Sadness____ Downhearted_____ Discouraged_____ Hopeful______

Ask Boldly for Help • • Look at Ps. 13: 3 -4; David calls

Ask Boldly for Help • • Look at Ps. 13: 3 -4; David calls on God to answer and deliver him; He fears death and his enemies are relentless! Note: What David knows is that he is not just speaking as a private individual, but also with a consciousness that he is God’s anointed, the representative of God’s people. So an attack on him was also an attack on the nation. • David was a powerful, mighty warrior, but without God’s divine intervention he is defeated! (and so are we!) • Seeking God’s help while in pain is an act of faith. • Lament is a vehicle that invites us to dare to hope in God’s promises as we ask Him for help.

Choose to Trust • Look at Ps. 13: 5 -6; • David has confidence

Choose to Trust • Look at Ps. 13: 5 -6; • David has confidence in the God’s protection rooted in God’s faithful love; • Trust is the destination for our laments. All roads lead here; • David vows to praise God because his past experience with God…He Has Been GOOD! • The confidence of the future good is rooted in the past good! • Can anyone relate to David’s thought? Share an example, please. • This prayer language that David uses helps move us toward our commitment to trust in God as we navigate through the brokenness of life;

Pastor Mark Vroegop says… • Lament is the language for living between the poles

Pastor Mark Vroegop says… • Lament is the language for living between the poles of a hard life and trusting God’s s 0 vereignty. It is a prayer form for people who are waiting for the day Jesus will return and make everything right. Christians don’t just mourn; we long for God to end the pain.

 • As Christians we should learn to lament well (life is full of

• As Christians we should learn to lament well (life is full of sorrow and God has a plan); • We should talk to God regularly about our pain, sorrows and struggles; • Start reading the lament psalms and hear the hearts of the writer (remember they are real people with real pain. ) Ps. 10, 13, 22 and 77. • Look for the 4 elements we discussed earlier. • Write your own lament. See if you can follow the flow of the text as you release your troubles unto the Lord. How to Lament Well

 • Summary…. • Lament is not our final prayer; • It is a

• Summary…. • Lament is not our final prayer; • It is a prayer for in the meantime; • Most of the lament psalms ends with a “vow to praise”- the writer offers thanksgiving to God for His deliverance; • We know that sorrow is not the end of the story for those who believe in the resurrection of Christ! • We have much to look forward to…every tear shall be wiped away and death is swallowed up in victory, when heaven and earth are made new and joined as one, when the saints rise in glorious bodies…. we will sing “Hallelujah!” (Book of Revelation) Final Thoughts… (ntwrightonline. org…Five Things to Know About Lament)