How to Cry Out to God

from sermon "The Reign of God: Rejection (Psalm 89)"

1. Relate: cry out to God in community (Ps 89 is a communal lament, composed to give voice to the longings of God's people)
2. Refocus: reorient your heart and mind around who God is and what He's done (Ps 89:1-18)
3. Remind: remind God of His promises (Ps 89:19-37)
4. Reason: dialogue with God about the dissonance between his promises and the current reality (Ps 89:38-45)
5. Call on God to remember: ask God to 'remember' his covenant (Ps 89:46-52)

Remember:

• Lamenting is different than complaining (God-centered, not self-centered)
• God's covenant is the defining reality (don't hold God to promises he hasn't made)