I’ve been writing recently about the Book of Lamentations for an adult Bible Study that I have been assigned by Cokesbury, the United Methodist Publishing House. Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah about the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. This collection of poems is an entire exercise in naming Israel’s pain, and as we read through it, Jeremiah’s faith is evidenced again and again. He never tries to solve their problems but lays it all at God’s throne. 

Jeremiah 1 (Common English Bible)

¹¹ All her people are groaning, seeking bread. They give up their most precious things for food to survive. “Lord, look and take notice: I am most certainly despised.” ¹² Is this nothing to all you who pass by? Look around: Is there any suffering like the suffering inflicted on me, the grief that the Lord caused on the day of his fierce anger? ¹³ From above he sent fire into my bones; he trampled them. He spread a net for my feet; he forced me backward. He left me devastated, constantly sick. ¹⁴ My steps are being watched; by his hand they are tripped up. His yoke is on my neck; he makes my strength fail. My Lord has handed me over to people I can’t resist. 

 It is painful to read Jeremiah’s despair over his fallen city, but he sets a proper example for us to take that pain straight to the Lord. Placing our pain in God’s hands is the antidote to the weeping and wailing that we all do from time to time. We are always invited to “take it to the Lord in prayer.” Doing this is not only cathartic, but practical. It is a humble admission that we cannot solve or fix things on our own. It is an act of obedience to stop trying to be self-reliant. It focuses our hearts on God’s sovereignty as well as God’s love for us. After all, God loved the world enough to ease the pain of sin by sending us Jesus. God can surely handle our pain.

You may have experienced opportunities to name and release your pain during worship services or at retreats. From writing something down and burning it, to sitting with a prayer partner and speaking it aloud, or simply opening up a personal journal and letting it all leak out of your pen, we are invited to practice this discipline as a way to let go of past hurts and grievances and move forward in the freedom of knowing that what you give over to God is gone from you forever.

 Read this verse from the Amplified Bible: 

^“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, ⁷ casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]” (1 Peter 5:6-8).

I love how this translation says to cast all your cares on God “once and for all.” The spiritual practice of naming our pain and giving it to God should be a once and for all thing, indeed. God loves you that much!

And God is able to handle your pain … but only if you turn it over.

Take it to the Lord in Prayer by Michelle Robertson