Lament is a kind of prayer which comes almost naturally, but which few people actually recognize or appreciate. Prayers of lament are expressions of frustration, anger, or grief which arise out of painful situations in which we feel overwhelmed, abandoned or punished by the presence of brokenness, suffering and loss.
Prayers of lament remind us of our human vulnerability, but they are prayers of faith and hope, not despair. While lament expresses our deep frustration in a painful situation, it also expresses our trust in the God, incarnate in Jesus Christ, who is already at work in the world, healing what needs to be healed and redeeming what needs to be redeemed.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes lament a form of “groaning”, similar to labor pains. But “in the risen Christ the Church's petition is buoyed by hope, even if we still wait in a state of expectation” the Catechism says. It reminds us that "the Holy Spirit ‘helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words’" (cf. #2630)
Expressions of lament are common in the Old Testament where the Hebrew people frequently felt overwhelmed by the disasters which beset them. At least one-third of the Psalms are prayers of lament; lament is also common in the Prophets and plays a key role in the book of Job. An entire book of the Old Testament, Lamentations, consists of prayers of lament. In the New Testament, people in need often approached Jesus with a short prayer of lament: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” (cf. Mark 10.47). Jesus himself prays a kind of prayer of lament in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his death: (“Abba, Father,…take this cup away from me." cf. Mark 14.36) and again on the cross: (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” cf. Matthew 27.46).
One way to pray a prayer of lament is to reflect on the prayers of lament in scripture, such as the Psalms of lament (see Psalms 3, 6, 7, 13, 17, 22, 28, 31-32, 35, 42-43, 51, 52, 54), Job’s laments in the Book of Job (chapters 3 and 29-42), and the psalms in the Book of Lamentations.
Another way to pray a prayer of lament is to create one for yourself, using the examples in Scripture as a guide. As a general rule, prayers of lament have three parts:
• the first part is a statement of complaint – an emotionally honest description of what is wrong.
• the second part is a request – it expresses what we asking God to do.
• the third and final part is an expression of hope and trust – our confidence that God hears our
prayer and will respond in God’s own way and in God’s own time.
Books
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy--Discovering the Grace of Lament. Mark Vroegop and Joni Eareckson Tada.
Crossway, 2019.
A Grief Observed. C.S. Lewis. Harper Collins. 2001.
Hurting With God—Learning to Lament with the Psalms. Glenn Pemberton. Abilene Christian University
Press.
Lamentations (Wisdom Commentary Series). Gina Hens-Piazza. Michael Glazier/The Liturgical Press.
2017.
Luminous Dark. Alain Emerson. Muddy Pearl. 2018.
Peace--Understanding Biblical Themes. Walter Brueggeman. Chalice Press. 2001.
Permission to Grieve--Lament as a Posture and Practice of Formation in a Culture of Denial. Toby D. Castle. Wipf and
Stock. 2024
The Psalms As Christian Lament--A Historical Commentary. Bruce K. Waltke. Eerdmans. 2014
Psalmist's Cry--Scripts for Embracing Lament Paperback. Walter Brueggemann and Steve Frost. The
House Studio. 2010.
Risking Truth--Reshaping the World Through Prayers of Lament. Scott Ellington. Pickwick. 2008.
A Sacred Sorrow--Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament. Michael Card. NavPress. 2005.
Spiritual Complaint--The Theology and Practice of Lament. Miriam Bier and Tim Bulkeley. Pickwick. 2013.
Articles Online
Biblical Laments—Prayer Out of Pain. Michael Guinan OFM. FranciscanMedia.org
The Book of Job Shows the Path to Transformation.Alberto Cano Arenas, SJ. La Civilta Cattolica.
Dare to Hope In God—How to Lament Well. Mark Vroegop. DesiringGod.com
Five Psalms of Lament. Christianity.com
Five Things to Know About Lament. Glenn Packiam. ntwrightonline.org
The Four Basics of Lament. Mark Vroegop. Crossway.org
Holy Lament. Fr. Richard Rohr et.al.
How to Hope in Silence. Michael Sanem. Incarnation Is Everywhere.
Introduction to the Book of Lamentations. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Lament Toolkit—Understanding and Practicing Biblical Lament. Faithward.org
Lamentation—The Weight of Grief. Shemaiah Gonzalez. IgnatianSpirituality.com
Lamentation Practice for a Time of Crisis (Center for Action and Contemplation)
Learning to Lament. Varaidzo Mudiwa. LifeTeen.com
Prayer Tool—How to Lament. 24/7-Prayer.com
Praying In the Language of Lament. Donna Mann. SpiritualCare.ca
Praying When It's Hard
Praying When the World Has Gone Wrong (video). Archbishop Justin Welby.
REflections on Lamentation. Richard Rohr et.al. Center for Action and Contemplation.
Thomas Tallis' Lamentations of Jeremiah (video)
[Last Update: 04.28.23]