As I was preparing for a coaching session with someone recently, I started studying laments. In the dictionary, a lament is defined as a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. In a more biblical sense, a lament is defined as a prayer in pain that leads to trust—meaning that it’s a deep and powerful expression of pain brought before the Lord that ultimately reaffirms your faith in Him.
There’s actually an entire book in the Bible called Lamentations, but there are also so many great laments in the book of Psalms—it’s full of them. Psalms has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible for that reason—because it’s filled with so much raw emotion that’s just so relatable to so many.
Psalm 88 in particular is one that really stands out to me. It’s actually one of the few Psalms that doesn’t resolve and ends in darkness. The last verse says: “You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.” I find it so moving how this serves as such a strong reminder of just how much God welcomes our darkest cries of pain.
Crying out to the Lord really is such a beautiful thing. He sanctifies our sorrow as we surrender it to Him. It’s about passionately taking it all before the Lord and letting it lead you to having deeper faith and a closer relationship with Him.
My Light for My Lord 