“Our close relationships, when they are at their best, bear this image of Christ to us. Like Christ they hear us, care for our tears, accept us, and don’t offer quick fixes or silver linings. Yet through prayer and sensitivity, they are somehow able to take us by the hand and journey with us toward Christ through the suffering. Distance from our friends who reflect Christ to us is an additional loss in a season of grief. So, what can we do? Scripture points to a critical way to express the messiness and complexity of our grief to God: lament.”
Family Worship
Family Worship Devotional Download
Open In Prayer
Worship
– Blessings by Laura Story
– When Trials Come by Keith and Kristin Getty
– He Will Hold Me Fast
Icebreaker Question: What losses and changes have you faced in this season?
Devotional
• Passage: Psalm 13:1-6
• Key idea: We learn to trust God with all of life as we lament over suffering
Application:
o Pray Honestly. To help you pray in this way, consider these questions:
What thoughts, emotions, and questions do you want to hide from people in this season?
Can you begin to put some of your grief into words and speak those words to your Heavenly Father?
o Protest. To help you pray in this way, consider these questions:
What parts of your story do not make sense in light of who God is?
What attributes of God do you struggle to understand in this situation?
o Make Bold Requests. To help you pray in this way, consider these questions:
What bold requests do you want to bring before your God?
How do you long to see God act in the midst of your suffering?
o Move Toward Trust and Praise. To help you pray in this way, consider these questions:
Can you say to God, “Lord, I believe you more than I believe anyone, including myself”?
What promises do you already know in the gospel that speak directly to how you feel?
Discussion Questions
• Have you ever taken time to lament?
• What specific steps can we take with our family or other loved ones to lament together?
• After you spend time Lamenting the losses and changes of this season, discuss how God used that time.
Ideas for Prayer
• Pray for our church family to grow in lamenting through prayer and bringing all of the challenges of life to God.
• For one week, take time at the end of each day to lament before God over the challenges and difficulties you faced. Rather than turning on the TV or looking for an easy escape, honestly bring the hard parts of this season before the Lord.
