Legacy Church Blog

Lamenting National Tragedies

“Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the  shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd.” (Paul Miller, A Praying Life)

A lament is a specific type of prayer in the midst of sorrow, longing, and the feeling that things aren’t as they are supposed to be. We are always dependent on God. We cry out to God in lament when we feel we have nowhere else to turn. It’s a child-like prayer that is aware of the darkness but also focused on Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

Lament neither gives up on hope nor does it ignore reality. It recognizes where we are and where we need to be and cries out for God to narrow that gap. In Romans 4:18, Paul uses an unusual phrase to describe Abraham’s lament: “In hope he believed against hope.” Abraham stakes his life on hope, but never takes his eyes off reality. That’s faith expressed through lament.

Lament expresses faith in God and expects God to act. It recognizes God rightly gets the glory if the situation changes. Refusing to lament attempts to short-circuit God and attempts to limit his ability to act. It allows you to claim credit if the situation ever changes.

Writing A Lament (Adults)

The Psalmists typically follow a basic pattern when they write their laments.

Direct Address | Address God directly, expressing
dependence on him. You have nowhere else to turn; as one scholar wrote, to turn anywhere else is blasphemous idolatry.

Lament / Cry for Help | Express your specific compliant to God.
Confession of Sin / Assertion of Innocence | Sometimes you suffer because of something you’ve done. Other times you suffer because of something done to you. And other times it's a combination of both. Confessing your sin is a sign of humility; taking responsibility for another’s sin is refusal to admit hurt and can be a sign of arrogance.

Imprecation | Imprecation leaves your desires for justice, vengeance, and vindication with God, asking him to act. This side of the cross, imprecation should include a longing for repentance, meaning the punishment for the sin falls fully on the shoulders of Christ. It can also include a longing for those in authority (often the government) to execute justice.

Confidence in God’s Response | The expression of confidence in God often starts with, “But you…” This is a theologically full statement, often including applicable attributes of God.

Praise | Most laments end with a statement of praise to God.

Writing A Lament (Children)

Dear God,
You are the great king over everything and you are my father.

I need your help because, ______________________________________________.

When I think about this, I feel ___________________________________________.

Here is how I want you to help __________________________________________.

I can’t fix my problem, but you can! You are the most powerful one in the whole universe. So please help me. Please fix this. Please make it right. Thank you for listening to my prayer, my father, almighty God. Amen.

Big thanks to Elliot Grudem, Tremper Longman, and Paul Miller for this material. 

For access to the class material on lament in our Spiritual Disciplines class - click here. 

The Preeminent Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). With these opening words, the apostle John draws us into the majesty of Christ. Jesus is not just a teacher or prophet; He is the Logos—the eternal Word through whom God created, sustains, and redeems all things. This truth is not abstract theology; it is the foundation of our salvation and the anchor of our hope.

Before anything was made, the Word was. He was with God and was God. This means Jesus is not a created being but co-eternal with the Father, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature (Heb. 1:3). All things were made through Him, and in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:16–17). The same voice that called light out of darkness in Genesis 1 is the voice that called Lazarus from the tomb—and the voice that calls sinners from death to life.

God has always revealed Himself through His Word. In creation, His Word brought order and life. In redemptive history, He spoke through prophets, covenants, and promises. But in the fullness of time, God didn’t only send a message—He sent His Son. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is the perfect and final revelation of God. To know Him is to know the Father (John 14:9).

This is vital because fallen humanity doesn’t just need advice or information—we need revelation and transformation. We are born blind, dead in sin, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. We needed more than external instruction—we needed the incarnate Word who obeyed perfectly, suffered willingly, died substitutionally, and rose victoriously. He is the message and the means of salvation.
Jesus as the Word means that God is not silent. In a world full of noise and confusion, where truth feels subjective and shifting, we are not left to speculate about who God is or what He wants. God has spoken, finally and fully, in His Son (Heb. 1:2). His Word does not change, and His promises will not fail.

This truth gives unshakable comfort to believers. Jesus is not just the revelation of God’s will—He is the guarantee of it. His life reveals the holiness of God; His death reveals the justice of God; His resurrection reveals the triumph of God’s mercy and power. He is our Prophet who reveals truth, our Priest who reconciles us, and our King who reigns forever.

Because Jesus is the Living Word, we do not build our lives on opinions, feelings, or trends—but on truth, revealed and incarnate. His Word gives life. His Word holds us fast. And His Word will never return empty—it will accomplish all God has purposed, bringing many sons to glory (Isa. 55:11; Heb. 2:10).

Let us hear Him, trust Him, and cling to Him—for in Christ, the Word, we meet the God who saves.