Maybe There Has Not Been Enough Lament
Hebrews 5:7 reminds us:
“In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”
Honest Prayers and Hidden Struggles
In hundreds of sessions, I’ve heard the frustration of women who pray for freedom and healing but hesitate to be honest with God about how they really feel. Many carry shame, grief, and unspoken pain tied to eating and body image struggles.
Our culture often teaches us to deny or distract. We are told that success equals health and thinness. Family and church traditions sometimes reinforce silence around emotions, leaving little room for grieving in community.
These patterns create space for the enemy’s whispers—lies that reinforce old rejections. Over time, these lies form pathways in our minds, convincing us: “If I feel this bad, I must be doing something wrong.”
So we bury our feelings under unchecked thoughts, dieting, food, and busyness. Then we wonder why our prayers don’t seem to be answered the way we expect.
Learning From the Psalms
Somewhere along the way, we lost the instruction found in the Psalms. David and others modeled honest prayer—prayers filled with questions, lament, fear, frustration, loneliness, and regret.
Their example reminds us that God doesn’t ask us to deny our feelings or bypass our pain. Instead, He invites us to bring everything to Him, raw and unfiltered.
What Healing With God Looks Like
This is not meant to be a hard word but a hopeful reminder: we always have support in Christ. Healing is not about erasing emotions or demanding God change our circumstances to make us feel better.
Instead, it’s about asking:
- Lord, what are You doing in me?
- What do I need to know?
- Where am I not agreeing with Your truth inside me?
Healing happens not in bypassing our feelings but by meeting Jesus in the middle of them. He has already carried it all—our tears, our pain, and our struggle.
God’s Gentle Way
I know it’s hard. But this is not punishment. God often heals us little by little, preparing us for bigger plans we cannot yet understand. His process is purposeful.
Be encouraged:
- He will be gentle.
- He will not be harsh.
- He may lead us to hard truths, but never to deception.
A Prayer of Rest
Friend, we leave you with this prayer as a reminder of His willingness to give us rest when we come into His presence:
Lord, help me bring my honest self to You—tears, frustrations, and all. Teach me to lament, to question, and to trust You in the process. Meet me in my weakness, and let Your truth replace the lies I’ve believed. Thank You that You are gentle, that You hear me, and that You are already at work in my healing. Amen.
