Faith and prayer

40 Lament Journal Prompts

These lament journal prompts are for Christians who journal as prayer and are carrying something heavy: a loss, a long wait, a diagnosis, a broken relationship, or sorrow over the state of the world. Lament is the honest prayer of complaint, sorrow and longing. You will find it all through the Psalms, where people tell God plainly that they are hurt, tired and confused.

Writing a lament can help you stop pretending in prayer. It gives you room to name what you lost, ask your hardest questions and say what makes you angry, without tidying it first. Many people find that putting the words on paper helps them notice what they actually feel, and keeps them talking to God instead of going quiet.

There is no rush here. Some lament psalms move toward trust and some stay in the dark, and both are in the Bible. Write the truth of today, and let hope come when it is real. These prompts are for reflection and are not medical advice; if you are in crisis, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line.

All 40 prompts

Each prompt is marked quick (2 to 5 minutes), reflective (about 10 minutes) or deep (20 minutes or more).

  1. What is one word for the heaviness you are carrying right now? Write it at the top of the page and let it be your whole prayer for a moment. quick

  2. Where in your body do you feel this sorrow today, and what would you like to tell God about it? quick

  3. Write the question you keep asking God, exactly the way it sounds in your head. quick

  4. What did you lose, or what are you still waiting for, that you have not yet named out loud in prayer? quick

  5. Which time of day feels hardest right now, and what usually crosses your mind then? quick

  6. Write "How long?" at the top of the page and list what you are tired of waiting for. quick

  7. What is one thing you wish God would do this week? Write it plainly, as a request. quick

  8. If your tears could speak this morning, what would they say? quick

  9. What have you been pretending is fine when you pray, at church or with friends? quick

  10. Make a short list of what you are angry about right now, without deciding yet whether you should be. quick

  11. What would you say to God if you were sure you would not be scolded for saying it? quick

  12. Before you sleep tonight, what is one sorrow you want to hand over, even if you pick it back up tomorrow? quick

  13. Read Psalm 13 slowly. Which line sounds most like your own heart today, and why? reflective

  14. Lament psalms often begin with a complaint. Write your own complaint to God about one specific situation, in your own plain words. reflective

  15. Who else is hurting with you, or because of the same loss, and what do you want to pray for them? reflective

  16. What do you miss most about the way things were before? Name small, ordinary details. reflective

  17. Where do you feel God has been silent, and what has that silence been like for you? reflective

  18. What does someone say to you about your sadness that does not help, and what do you wish they would say instead? reflective

  19. Write about a time you felt you had to hide your sorrow to look faithful. What did hiding cost you? reflective

  20. What are you afraid will happen if you stop being strong for a while? reflective

  21. Read Psalm 42. Where do you notice the writer arguing with their own soul, and what argument is going on inside you? reflective

  22. What part of this grief feels unfair? Tell God about it as if you were laying out your case before someone you trust to listen. reflective

  23. What does your longing look like? Describe the outcome you hope for in as much detail as you can. reflective

  24. Write about one sorrow beyond your own life, in your town or far away, that weighs on you. Pray it as a lament. reflective

  25. What have you stopped asking God for because asking hurt too much? reflective

  26. Write this prayer as a letter that starts "Dear God" and ends however feels honest today. What goes in the middle? reflective

  27. Write your own lament psalm in four parts: call out to God, describe your trouble, ask for what you need, and add a line of trust only if it feels true. It is fine to leave that last part blank. deep

  28. Read Psalm 88, a prayer that ends in darkness. How does it feel to know a prayer like that is in the Bible, and what would your own unfinished prayer sound like? deep

  29. Write about the anger underneath your sorrow. Who or what is it aimed at, including God, and what would it mean to say all of it honestly in prayer? deep

  30. What did you believe about God before this happened, and what feels shaken now? Write both without forcing them to agree. deep

  31. Trace the story of this loss from the beginning. Where were the moments you prayed, and where were the moments you could not? deep

  32. Is there guilt or regret tangled up in your sorrow? Write it out, and tell God what you wish had been different. deep

  33. Read Lamentations 3 slowly. The writer moves from bitter grief toward remembering. What, if anything, do you find yourself able to remember today? deep

  34. What would it look like to keep showing up in prayer while you still do not understand? Describe one small, realistic way to stay. deep

  35. Write about a past season of sorrow you came through. What carried you then, and what feels different about this one? deep

  36. Who might you invite to lament with you, such as a friend, a pastor or a small group, and what would you want them to know before you share? deep

  37. If trust feels far away, describe the distance. What would one step closer look like, and what makes you not ready to take it yet? deep

  38. Write a lament for the person you were before this loss. What did they hope for, and what do you want to say to God about them? deep

  39. Look back over your lament pages. Where do you see your prayers changing, even a little? Write about it without pressing yourself to be further along than you are. deep

How to use these prompts

Start with a prompt near the top of the list if you are tired or raw, and save the longer ones for a day when you have more room. Ten minutes is enough for most prompts, and two minutes is enough for a hard day. Many people write in the morning before the day gets loud, or in the evening when the sorrow tends to surface, but any quiet corner works. You might open by naming God in whatever words feel honest and close with a simple amen, even if the middle is messy. If you get stuck, write the sentence you are afraid to write, or simply write "I don't know what to say" and keep going from there.

Questions

Is it okay to be angry with God in a prayer journal?

Many of the psalms bring anger, complaint and confusion to God in plain words. Writing your anger honestly can be part of prayer rather than a step away from it.

Do I have to end every lament on a hopeful note?

No. Some lament psalms turn toward trust and at least one does not. You can move toward hope when it feels true, and leave a prayer unfinished when it does not.

How is lament different from grief journaling?

Grief journaling often helps you notice and record what you feel. Lament takes those feelings and speaks them to God as complaint, question and longing. Many people use both.

Can I use these prompts with a small group?

Yes. You might read one of the named psalms together, give everyone quiet time to write, and invite people to share only if they want to. Keep what others share private.

What if I am struggling more than journaling can help with?

Please reach out to someone you trust, such as a pastor, a counselor or a doctor. If you are in crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away.

Scripture to journal with

Hope

40 prompts

Faith