Short prayers based on the book of Lamentations
<aside> 🙏🏻 “How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labour.” (Lamentations 1:1)
Our God, the judgment you will unleash upon your enemies is terrifying. One day, your Son, the Lord Jesus is going to return and judge every aspect of everyone’s lives, and He will punish with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord those who do not know you as their God. We see a glimpse of how awful this will be in the judgment that you brought on Jerusalem long ago, when you made that great city bereaved like a widow in mourning and despised like a slave put to forced labour. We praise you that we do not need to fear being punished like this, because Jesus has already taken this judgment for those whose faith is in Him. Holy Spirit, fill us with wonder, whenever we reflect on the wrath of God that is coming, as we remember that we have been rescued from this. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Jerusalem has sinned grievously; therefore, she has become an object of scorn. All who honoured her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans and turns away.” (Lamentation 1:8)
Almighty God, we confess that we have sinned and been unfaithful to you. There are sins we’ve managed to keep hidden from others, and we would be humiliated if they were to know about them, but we cannot hide them from you. We are ashamed of what we’ve done. Thank you, our God, that your Son willingly allowed Himself to be stripped, to be exposed, to receive the curse of nakedness, and the humiliation we deserve, so that the shame we feel because of our sin could be covered, and we no longer need to fear standing before you. Lift up our heads that we may rejoice in this glorious provision. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “I weep because of these things; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to keep me alive. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed.” (Lamentations 1:16)
O for a closer walk with you our God. We confess that we are not as faithful to you as we should be. The pull to go back to our old life before Christ saved us is strong, and we are prone to giving into temptation. Foolishly we wander from you, and then complain that it feels like you are far from us. Thank you that do not leave us, that you stick with us, and that you stand ready to forgive us, to comfort us, and to reaffirm you promise to be near to those who have called on your Name. Keep us in your love, for without your keeping, we cannot keep ourselves, and by your Spirit, bring back those who are drifting. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “The Lord is just, for I have rebelled against his command. Listen, all you people; look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity.” (Lamentations 1:18)
You, our Lord, are a God of justice. All sin and rebellion will be punished by you, and the judgment you hand out will be fair. We acknowledge that this is right and that we deserve to receive the penalty of death. Yet you have said that if we confess our sins and seek your mercy, you will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness. We thank you that rescue from the wrath you will bring upon sinners can be ours because Jesus experiencing this terrifying judgment on the cross in our place. So, to you to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, we confess that we have sinned in mind and thought, in word and deed, and that our trust and only hope is in the one who died for us. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all its palaces and destroyed its fortified cities. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation within Daughter Judah.” (Lamentations 2:5)
Lord, we cannot comprehend how awful hell will be for those who do not come to you for salvation and who are left to face the penalty for their sin; for hell is a place where you will both unleash your righteous anger and remove your blessing. What it means to be tormented consciously and eternally is frightening, but so is the thought of having everything in this life that is good and which we enjoy gone; and yet that is what our sin deserves. We praise you for your gift to all whose faith is in Christ of eternal life. We praise you that because He was condemned for our sin, we will not be condemned in this way. For those who do not have this assurance, we pray that you graciously would call them to believe in Jesus and be saved. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Your prophets saw visions for you that were empty and deceptive; they did not reveal your iniquity and so restore your fortunes. They saw pronouncements for you that were empty and misleading.” (Lamentations 2:14)
Our God, how we need to hear your Word; to hear it taught clearly, accurately, and faithfully. We confess that we are naturally drawn to the voices of those who says what we want to hear, so give us a desire for the whole counsel of God. Help us to understand your word rightly and to not keep it to ourselves. May we be willing to be proclaimers and teachers and spreaders of your word and to be faithful in this, not holding back from exposing sin and calling people to repent and trust in Christ. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.” (Lamentations 3:1)
We praise you our God that we will never be that person who has seen affliction under the rod of you wrath, because your Son was. Thank you Lord Jesus, that you were that man; that you were made sin for us; that you endured the darkness; that you were forsaken; that you experienced the holy wrath of God at our sin, so that we never will be. Glory be to your Name. We pray, Holy Spirit, that you would open the eyes of our hearts so we see more clearly what our Saviour has done for us, and grow our love and gratitude for Him. Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “I am a laughingstock to all my people, mocked by their songs all day long.” (Lamentations 3:14)
Our Father in heaven, we are appalled when we consider the way your Son was treated by His own people as He hung on the cross. For the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, the Lord of glory, the Saviour of the world, and your beloved Son to be mocked and laughed at and be treated as a criminal, a false Messiah, a false prophet, and a blasphemer who claimed to be God is astonishing, and yet that is what He was. We marvel at the love, and mercy, and patience, which He showed. His refusal to retaliate or threaten revenge, and His willingness to endure the taunts as He died to save us. We worship you, we adore Him, and we delight to say, “Hallelujah, what a Saviour!” Amen.
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<aside> 🙏🏻 “Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope.” (Lamentations 3:21)
Help us Lord God, in the midst of the dark and depressing times we go through in life to remember who you are. Help us to call to mind, not our misery, but your character, your abundant faithfulness, and great mercy and grace. And as we do, would you encourage our hearts and fill us with hope. A hope grounded not in what we see or feel, but in what you have promised to those whose faith is in your Son, because you have promised to them you will renew this world and restore them to yourself. We praise you that our situation is not hopeless, and a day is coming when our all tears will be wiped away. Amen.
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