Anguish isn’t just a small part of our existence. All of humanity has in common the fact that we come into this world crying; it’s how we start our life. In fact, the apostle Paul says that the entire creation groans in sorrow and anguish (Romans 8:22). We live in a world plagued by emotional and heart struggles. The Bible says depression, anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness, and suicide all affect God’s people too. We don’t like to talk about that in the church because we feel like if we had a vibrant spiritual life, if we really understood the gospel and really had faith, then we shouldn’t struggle with those things; those struggles are only for people without Jesus. The Bible shows us otherwise. A vibrant spiritual life does not always prevent mental health struggles. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts still come and that is why the Bible tells us what to do with them. So join us this Sunday as we look at a kind of prayer that has often been forgotten in the modern church: a prayer of lament.
