Walk: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

 Reading: Lamentations 3:1-3: "... He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.  ...".

Walk

In all our times of darkness, Lord, You have been with each one of us. Especially in times when we remain so angry at You that we would not listen, or accept Your truths.

And the darkness still comes.

But now we know that You are always present. And we need to keep on walking daily, sometimes one step at a time.

Holding on to Your hand. Holding on to Your words in our hearts and soul every moment.

Thank you for holding on to each one of us--to being with each of us--in all circumstances.

May we focus on Your living light even in the darkest places.

Your thoughts,

Stands: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

                Stands

                She stands now

                before each watch

                pouring out her heart

                for her dying children

                faint from hunger

                perishing under famine

                of body and soul

                separated from God

                their protector by

                her actions.

                She stands now

                pleading His mercy

                upon their future

                upon His promises.

                Hands raised high in prayer.

                She stands before each watch.

Psalm 37:9:"For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land."

Reflection: Wail: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reflections Questions

                1. What can happen to our grief when we bury it?

                2. Have you ever hidden your emotions from yourself? What did it do to your prayers, your heart?

                3. In what ways can our suffering numb us to other's suffering, instead of exercising compassion? 

Share: Do you believe that God will redeem your "soul" in peace from the battle which is against me" if you ask? (Psalm 55:18)

Wail: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Lamentations 2:19-22: "... Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger...". 

Wail

Lord, there is so much hunger today in our hearts and souls as so many lies are distorting and blocking Your words. And twisting Your truths and Your mercy.

Please protect each one of us from believing in the false deceptions, especially our younger generations who may not yet have experienced real danger and consequences.

May Your Spirit speak into their hearts with Your heart to shatter the fabrications.

Show each one of us how to truly walk in prayer lifting us to You by Your Spirit. To live the life You choose for us and be Your children even in sorrow and grief.

Your thoughts,

Ruin: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

                Ruin

                She did not heed

                warnings given in

                abundance.

                Chose instead oracles

                filled with false

                blessings

                deceptive visions

                misled promises of

                fortune.

                Vast now the ruin

                exposed iniquity

                bountiful

                with fruit from

                forbidden tree.

Psalm 37:8: "Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret--it leads only to evil."

Reflections: Word: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions 

                1. Have you ever been caught by false advice, or false vision, which led you into wrong decisions?

              2. What voices of truth do you usually heed?

              3. Looking back, what warnings did you not heed? Why?

Share: How did the Lord break through your personal captivity and allow tears to dissolve your deception?

Word: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Lamentations 2:13-18: "How shall I admonish you? To what shall I compare you? ... For your ruin is as vast as the sea; ... The Lord has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word which He commanded from days of old."

Word

Forgive us Lord, for the many, many times we only see tumult and ruin and refuse, or fall apart, as we forget Your promises and Your words--both of warnings and restoration.

Your purpose is to restore each one of us and that may first cause total destruction as our lies are exposed.

In this current pandemic we have seen it happen so much as false responses and excuses mix and twist the true words building up more confusion and misunderstandings.

Our personal fears and weaknesses come into the light for each one of us.

We pray to be able to let go of the surrounding tumult and still take steps into You presence and Your purpose. To live into each day on Your road with You.

Please continue to give us Your strength into our hearts and words and prayers.

Your thoughts,

Sorrow: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

                 Sorrow 

                Soul light is gone

                prophets cannot see

                vision to guide

                all removed.

                Sorrow engulfs

                tears, stand in

                despair as children

                faint from lack of

                nourishment.

                Spent with weeping

                she wanders over

                broken walls

                unprotected.

Psalm 37:7: "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices."

Reflections: Woe: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions:

                1. How do you give access to unholy forces in your own life?

                2. Have you been able to hold onto your vision of the Lord in time of great sorrow? How?

                3. If you too found your vision blinded in grief, what restored you?

Share: How does either insight help you comfort or pray for another who is in distress?

Woe: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Lamentations 2:7-12: "..... My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth, Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city."

Woe

It is often so hard to see the depth of our sins, and false desires, and recognize how far we have walked away from the Lord.  

And yet if we cannot recognize the truth we cannot return.

In our country--in our world--we each need to remember His truth. To keep each of us from shouting blame at others.

And begin to kneel before the Lord one by one to seek His forgiveness, His mercy, His light, and His path.

Lord, please show us how to pause whenever we need to, so that we don't forget or stray or let weakness take hold of us--no matter in what situation we find ourselves.

Please hold all our tears and restoration in Your hands.

Your thoughts,

Destroyed: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

               Destroyed

               Did she think her protector 

               immune from righteous anger

               decide him too gentle, too loving

               unaffected by her flirtations.

               Did she not recognize his pain 

               at her betrayal.

               Destruction the wake of rage

               uncontrolled fury

               demolishing all he had built

               with such tenderness, such labor

               devoted commitment;

               tabernacle removed, relationship severed

               desolations remains.

Psalm 37:6: "And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, And Your judgement as the noon day."

     

Reflection: Wrath: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions:

                1. Have you ever experienced completer silence from God in the wake of personal destruction whether of your own making or not?

                2. How did you react to the silence? Did it feel like more betrayal? Or punishment? Or confusion?

                3. Why is silence more difficult to handle than outright accusations?

                4. What does God's wrath over Jerusalem's actions tell us about His love?

Share: When did you personally remember God's forgiveness?

Wrath: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Lamentations: 2:1-6: "How the Lord has covered...With a cloud in His anger!...The Lord has swallowed up; He  has not spared All the habitants of Jacob...In fierce anger he has cut off All the strength of Israel; ...The Lord has become like an enemy."

Wrath

Lord, too often we forget that, like our earthly parents did, we still cross the line. And then experience anger and consequences in our rebellion.

We cannot ignore our sins and actions and try to blame others.

But even in Your anger You remain present to turn us back to Your love. To guide us to recognize our vulnerability is a reminder to stay on Your path only.

Without Your presence Lord, we sin.

Show us, we pray, how to be honest before You in all our thoughts and actions.

So that we will walk in faith on whatever path You choose for us.

Your thoughts,