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Praying the Psalms, Part 2
As Christians it’s common to think we’re not allowed to pray for ourselves and, even worse, we sometimes think our prayers are always supposed to be upbeat, thankful and grateful.
David knew better. He understood that prayer is supposed to be a raw form of communication with God, stripped of all pretense, and accordingly, he made good use of the ancient Jewish practice of lament. Consider Psalm 6:
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.3 My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.5 No one remembers you when he is dead.
Who praises you from the grave?6 I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.10 All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;
they will turn back in sudden disgrace.This is a classic prayer of lament. It taps into a tradition of that goes deeper than mere cathartic self-expression, rather it dares to remind Yahweh of his own oligation to be faithful. Old Testament scholar Walter Bruggeman notes:
“As doxology celebrates the peculiar character of Yahweh as faithful, so complaints [or lament] insists upon Yahweh’s faithfulness and protest against Yahweh’s refusal to be visibly and effectively faithful.”
Lament gives a necessary voice to the pent-up frustration of a world gone mad, or the exhaustion of a life lived in senseless trial and suffering. Against such atrocities as war, exploitation, slavery, and rape the reverent prayer of assent (“thy will be done”) is often an affront to the God whose main attribute is hesed, or “lovingkindness.” Unto a God who claims to be the source of extravagant mercy, grace, and love, only a passionate plea for vindication is appropriate in certain circumstances.
These are bold and courageous prayers, the kind that take chances and risk disappointment, but which acknowledge the the Old Testament God who is moved by reminders of his own character and covenant promises.
Prayer Exercise
What do you need to lament? Set aside enough time alone to pray through the frustrations you have using Psalm 6 as a outline and touch-point, much like we’ve learned to do with the Lord’s prayer.