Songs for Suffering

It is not uncommon to hear of people who have lost their faith as a result of suffering. This book will help people to pray during seasons of suffering, using psalms as the primary resource and addressing difficult issues of faith such as despair, failure, tragedy, and fear. The Psalms are the ideal resource to keep someone in contact with God through such times of difficulty. They take pain and trouble seriously, and afford dignity to the sufferer by expressing what we feel in these times. The Psalms even allow negative responses toward God to be voiced in a safe context and take seriously God's capacity for redemption. In the Psalms, evil and its agents are real, and this allows a measured and God-centered response to those who cause suffering. The chapters in this book cover issues such as: - Despair and loss of faith - Giving voice to anger and complaints to God - The ideas of changing God's mind and of moving God to act for justice - Regaining a right perspective on issues of security - Moving from lament toward praise and confidence