lament X

Lift your voice all ye nations;
Lift your voice to be heard.
Sing with thankfullness
And pray without ceasing.
The Lord's ear is attentive
To those who humble themselves.
Am I to fall prostrate
Or should I stand unto the works of my God?
The worship of God is lead by the Spirit,
Leading to the praise and glory of our Savior.
Whatever I do, whether in word or deed,
May I do it all in the name of Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God through Him.

My heart pours Father.
May it not overflow with evil or vanity.
When I come to you to bring my life as an offering,
May I bring it with a clear conscience.
Imperfection is what I fear,
Though perfect is what I cannot be.

As I worship father,
Look on me with continued justification.
See my heart, not my sin.
See my willingness, not only my physical interpretation of worship.
See my heart oh God.
Amen.

lament IX

What self of me seeks perfection?
Is it the sinful nature inside of me,
For the sake of Pride?
Or is Spirit pleading with me to live for God?
Does my human nature interpret wrongfully
The Latter?

What I seek God is perfection.
Unto you may I be spotless.
Through Your justification
I am cleansed from sin,
Yet I seek to do my part.
I look not for a faith of works,
But I glory in a work by faith.

Your blood has atoned me;
May I desire to cover this earth with love.
You ask not for my strength,
For you pursue in my weakness.
I was found in my distress
And overjoyed with success when I usually fail.

Harsh words cannot be on my lips.
Impure thoughts cannot be my thoughts.
Sinful nature cannot stand in my temple.
I cannot rule my life.
Perfection only reigns when imperfection is bowed.
Imperfection only bows when perfection loves.
Amen.

lament VIII

To know God, we must seek.
If I am to live, I must walk as Jesus walked.
Until I come to my kingdom,
I must strain for the Wisdom of God.
There is no life, if there is no knowledge of God.
There is no life progression outside of God.
To not know God is to seek depravity;
To know God is to have life.
If I am to know myself, I have to know God.
Amen.

lament VII

From the sinking sands You pulled me,
And removed the chains from my feet.
When I was in despair, I called to You.
I knew that You heard, but I knew not if you listened.
But now oh Lord,
I see Your eyes on the righteous;
Your ears attentive to their prayers.
For you oh God rescue Your children.
Through an immature faith,
My faith has been lifted.
How all hope seemed to fade,
You have brought me out soaring on winds.

Oh God, vindicate me.
Bring about Your powers through my evil deeds.
In my restoration bring forth Your grace to others.

I have wronged God of heaven and earth.
I know Your calling of my life,
Yet I chose to gratify the sinful nature.
Oh God, please do not despise.
As You have lifted me, may I stay lifted.
May my sanctified life carry on to perfection
For the glory of the Lord.
You Oh God have justified me.
I will stand before You free from accusation
And without blemish.
Your Son suffered in my place because of my iniquity.
Your son died for me.

Until I reach Your glory,
May I hold prescious to your mercy
And stand for Your truth.
For You look on me and forgive.
Amen

lament VI (a broken hallelujah)

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled King composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know
What's real and going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The Holy Dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
And it's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Amen

lament V

I have sinned;
I know I have done wrong
If reality were not real,
I would not dread my consequence.
I place my hope in the Lord.

My God, are reactions consequences?
If they are not, I despair to think of what you have in store.
I need You to desire me to rise again.
If you desire me to rise,
How then can you punish?
I place my hope in the Lord.

This turmoil burns my living bones,
And my heart spills over with coal.
My love which was once so strong
Has, in a moment of weakness, fallen.
If I humble myself, how high will I be exalted?
Can I find Your peace here - on the streets of sinners?
Should I seek peace and joy
If I have wrought destruction?
I place my hope in the Lord.

Those who have ears, let them hear!
God is almighty and just!
What the fallen have done, God is right in judgement!

Those who have eyes, let them see!
My shame that I bring to my father,
Is shame I refused to see.
Oh Lord, Your child, who I am, do not despise.
Redeem.
I place my hope in the Lord.

To seek out the endless days I am to receive
Brings joy to the broken heart.
To one day stand before the almighty,
My heart yearns.
May I Lord, rest here in eternal peace.
May I Lord, rest in You.
Amen.

lament IV

Will You be there, my God of ages?
Will I see You rise above my storm?
Will You be there?
Why cannot the past be erased,
Or memories quicken into nothingness?
For I am as nothing.
No matter what I do,
Why must evil prevail
And good deeds be shunned in the eyes of others?
I need You Lord.
Seek not after me with Your wrath
But find me in my pilgramage
To say "all is well My good and faithful servant".

Please oh God, send my nature of sin
to the darkest pits of Hell;
But do not let them pull me down with them.
Forget me not as You forget my sins.
As far as the east is from the west,
So spread Your arms to take me in
And consume with Love.

Call me out of my despair
And lead me on to victory
Through the work of the cross
And the power of the empty tomb.
Oh Lord, when You call,
Will I be there?
My God, when You lead
Will I follow?
Rescue me Father, for my sins are holding me.
Restore my Spirit and bring me peace.
Amen.

lament III

Falling away from me
Is Your land of milk and honey.
Even when I am risen to mountain heights
I can see only the borders of Your land.

Your love, oh Lord, is in my horizon;

and my hope floats on the backs of eagles.

The Kings have their place,

and even the poor claim a home.

But I, Oh God, have no place to rest my head.

I am tossed and turned by waving seas
and travel forth from mountains to the abyss.

My heart rules my life.

I know you God.

I know You have plans for me.

Who then can say "I will guide my life?"

Or

"Who I am, speaks only of me."

Why then do I sin?

If I know you, how can I fall?

May my feelings bring forth prosperity through truth;

not consequences - God, you discipline the ones you love.

May I never fall away.

Wherever I am - there You are.

If I am to sing praises to Your name,

Or if I am broken in a corner,

There You are.

My eyes faint, but my vision holds.

Where e'er I be, I can see Your love.

Should I seek You from the mountain,

or should I hold You with a clutching hand,

I know I am separated, yet forever held.

Amen

lament II

Let the heavens rain
and let the oceans sing.

For as one who casts his cares on the Lord
so the peace of God comes like a rushing wind.

In my failure you bring beauty;

In my heartache you surround me;
When lions surround me to tear me apart

you are there.

As men circle me to devour their meat,

in your presense they vanish;

When I look to you in their midst

they disappear.

Blessed is the voice that calls on the Lord;

Who calls Him for restoration.

Blessed are the hearts that let go;

Who let go and trust in the Lord.

Blessed are those who know God

How you have surrounded me with life.

Those who search me out,

they seek me through You;

and bring with them a trumpet of victory.

As I am poured out as fine wine

at the feet of those whom angels manifest,

You, oh God, encourage me.

You pull me from the myre.

From the thorns I am upheaved.

My feet are set upon a shore of counted sands,

where my lifes worth is counted so much more.

I cast my cares upon you.

So as He whose joy was set before Him to endure the cross,

as will I, with no hope in myself, take my cup

and lay my life at your feet

Amen

The Beginning - a lament

Near and far,

As I am an enemy to myself.

Does my foe need even try?

In the shelter of your wing

Oh God, I see rest; yet choose defeat.

How the highest mountain is climbedand

lo, how the lowest valley reached

by the smallest blowing wind.

Who am I oh Savior that I am not defeated,

Or that I am not vanished in thy twinkling?

Disgust me not oh narrow mind!

See even how the beasts step back,

they step back because of my sin.

Who am I God Almighty,

For I cannot turn even away from myself?

Am I yours?

If the light within me is Your light,

Then why is my light that shines forth so dark?

Is it not true that my salvation is turned carnal

When I fear not thy commands, nor fear thy punishment!

To my shame, my character is built in secret

When I have nothing to prove to others but You;

Oh how I still fail.

Let not my sins bring shame to those around me.

May I, and I alone, bear the consequences.

May I be renewed to move on.

Oh God you are righteous and Just.

When I fail, You remain in faith.

When I turn away,

You hold out Your hand to Guide.

Oh may I never forget.

You, Oh God, are the lover of my soul

In whom I am to delight.

Let not myself triumph over me.

To you my God, I lay my life.

In the shelter of Your wing;

In the hollow of Your hand.

Amen.