We sing praise. We offer thanksgiving. But when was the last time we lamented—truly, biblically, lamented? Psalm 13 is a model of a spiritual discipline we’ve nearly lost. Yet, throughout Scripture, from Job to Jeremiah, from the Psalms to Paul, the faithful pour out their pain with honesty before God. Lament is not faithlessness—God welcomes our honest cries. In six short verses, Psalm 13 gives us the structure, the language, and the heart of lament that leads us back to joy.
Psalm 13 is often analyzed as having three strophes (i.e., stanzas) of two verses each:
- Strophe 1 – Lament and Despair (vv. 1–2)
- “How long, O Lord?” is repeated four times.
- Expresses feelings of abandonment and sorrow.
- Strophe 2 – Petition and Plea (vv. 3–4)
- “How long, O Lord?” is repeated four times.
- Expresses feelings of abandonment and sorrow.
- Strophe 3 – Confidence and Praise (vv. 5–6)
- Transition from grief to trust.
- Affirms God’s steadfast love and anticipates future praise.
This three-strophe structure mirrors the classic lament form: Complaint → Petition → Trust
Like Job, Habakkuk, and Paul (2 Corinthians 12:6–10), David shows us that strong faith is not incompatible with deep distress. We are emotional creatures. Lament is not weakness—it is the path through weakness to faith.
What do we do when God feels far away? Psalm 13 shows us how to turn our pain into prayer, our doubts into dependence, and our trials into trust.
I. Turn to the Lord for Answers (v. 1)
“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”
David’s repeated question—“How long?”—reveals his inner agony. He’s not accusing God of injustice but expressing how it feels to be abandoned. This is the cry of someone who still believes God could act, even if He hasn’t yet.
The verse contains climactic progressive parallelism:
- How long will You forget me—forever?
- How long will You hide Your face from me?
In Hebrew thought, “God hiding His face” means the withdrawal of favor, blessing, and care. David is overwhelmed by divine silence—and so he calls out with urgency.
When David says that God forgot him, he is certainly aware that God cannot literally forget any man. His meaning is that God has, for some reason, chosen to not extend to David the help he desperately needs.
David also knows that when God hides His face, it means a withdrawal of all blessings and care. Therefore he calls out to God to look to him once again.
Notice also that two times David uses the word me, indicating that his hurt was personal. When righteous people perceive the absence of God, it is very troubling (e.g. Job 29:1ff; 30:20ff).
When it feels like God is distant, lament is not rebellion—it’s worship that clings to God even in the dark.
II. Tell the Lord Your Problems (v. 2)
“How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?”
The second strophe continues the lament with more progressive parallelism:
- How long will I wrestle with thoughts and sorrow?
- How long will my enemies triumph?
David would prefer to take counsel from God, but is unable to do so with God’s silence. He has great sorrow caused by God’s absence. He feels isolated, left alone to counsel himself—and it’s not working. His spiritual loneliness and external threats blend into one suffocating weight.
So, he comes before the Lord. He seems to feel distant from God at this time, but he knows where he is supposed to be so he tells God of his concerns.
This isn’t a complaint of entitlement. It’s a declaration of vulnerability before a God who knows and cares.
God does not rebuke those who bring their honest hurt. He invites us to bring our questions—not just our praises.
III. Ask for God’s Help (v. 3)
“Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death”
David now moves from complaint to petition. The psalm pivots as David pleads:
- Consider me.
- Answer me.
- Give me light.
“Light up my eyes” may refer to physical strength or renewed hope. Without God’s help, David feels he’s on the brink of death.
He doesn’t demand—he pleads. Yet even in the asking, he calls God “my God”. The relationship is still intact.
Boldness in prayer doesn’t mean we doubt God—it means we trust Him enough to bring our worst days to His throne.
IV. Describe What You’d Like to See (v. 4)
“And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.”
David isn’t only concerned about himself—he’s concerned about God’s reputation. If the enemies of God’s people rejoice, what will the world think of God’s justice?
He desires God to act in such a way that His righteousness is made known. This is not just about survival—it’s about witness.
Lament can be intercessory. David wants his deliverance to glorify God, not just benefit himself.
V. Plead with Confidence in God’s Covenant Love (v. 5)
“But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
Here comes the turning point. The lament gives way to confidence.
David knows that his request is based on the only thing it could be based on—God’s lovingkindness. This refers to God’s covenant love in which He promised to bless those who were righteous. It’s the same love that moved God to rescue Israel and that fuels every act of salvation.
David knows that, although he is not perfect, he is righteous. And being righteous, David is very confident he will be rewarded with God’s salvation. Though nothing has changed in David’s circumstances, his heart shifts. He will rejoice in the Lord’s salvation, not because it’s arrived yet, but because he knows it will.
Biblical faith doesn’t deny the pain—it trusts God through it. Lament and trust are not opposites.
VI. Let God Know You Still Trust Him (v. 6)
“I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
The psalm ends not in defeat, but in devotion. David remembers what God has done before—and that past faithfulness becomes his fuel for future hope.
David is not singing right now, yet he is so confident that God will save him that he knows he will again be singing soon.
Note the grammar: “He has dealt bountifully…” David’s memory of God’s goodness assures him that this season too will pass.
Faith remembers. The songs we sing in the past can sustain us in the silence of the present.
Conclusion
Psalm 13 models the path from sorrow to song. It doesn’t skip the steps of grief, confusion, or fear—but walks through them honestly and faithfully.
Key Lessons:
- It’s okay to ask “How long?”
- It’s good to speak your sorrow to God.
- It’s right to ask boldly.
- It’s wise to want God to be glorified through your deliverance.
- It’s powerful to anchor your heart in God’s past faithfulness.
- It’s holy to choose trust even when you still hurt.
Psalm 13 begins and ends with faithfulness—the very thing we need to be striving for even when life is difficult.
Personal Study Guide for Psalm 13
Reflection Questions:
- When have you felt like God was silent or distant? How did you respond?
- What does it mean to “trust in God’s steadfast love” while still waiting?
- Are you honest with God about your emotions—or do you try to “filter” them in prayer?
- What past blessings can you recall today as fuel for faith?
- Where do you need to move from sorrow to singing?
- How can you help others lament biblically and faithfully?
Action Steps:
- Memorize Psalm 13:5–6. Recite it daily as a reminder that trust and sorrow can coexist.
- Journal your own lament. Begin by writing “How long, O Lord…” and complete it with your honest thoughts.
- Reflect on a past time when God felt distant but later proved faithful. Write a short paragraph thanking Him for that season.
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for allowing you to bring your doubts and grief before Him.
- Ask God to “light up your eyes” (v. 3)—to renew your hope and spiritual clarity.
- Pray for those who are spiritually weary or suffering in silence, that they may find strength to trust again.
Couple’s Study Guide: Trusting God Together in Tough Seasons
Reflect Together:
- Have we ever gone through a season where God felt distant to one or both of us?
- How can we help each other walk in faith even when prayers seem unanswered?
Pray Together:
- Thank God for His covenant love that holds your relationship steady in hard times.
- Ask Him to strengthen your spiritual intimacy by helping you pray and wait together.
Shared Action:
- Choose Psalm 13:5 as a “trust verse” for your week. Say it together each day.
- Make a “Remember Book”—write down past answers to prayer as reminders for when God seems silent.
Family Devotion: God Still Hears Us
Read Psalm 13 Together
Discussion Questions:
- Have you ever prayed and felt like God didn’t answer right away?
- What did David ask God to do in this Psalm?
- How does David show trust in God at the end?
Activity:
- Create a “How Long, O Lord?” prayer jar. Each family member writes a prayer request they’re waiting on and adds it to the jar. Review them each week and see how God answers over time.
- Make a “God Has Dealt Bountifully” timeline. Draw or write about times God has helped your family in the past.
Prayer:
- Ask God to help your family trust Him, even when it’s hard.
- Thank Him for always being near—even when He seems quiet.
Final Thought
Psalm 13 shows us that lament is not a lack of faith—it’s an expression of faith in pain. David doesn’t skip over the darkness. He presses through it, crying out with raw honesty, yet anchoring his hope in God’s unchanging love. His situation hasn’t changed by the end of the Psalm—but he has. His eyes are lifted. His voice begins to sing. So when you feel forgotten, overwhelmed, or afraid—don’t run from God. Run to Him. Ask your questions. Bring your grief. Trust His love. And sing, even while you wait.
“I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” —Psalm 13:6
By Jeremy Sprouse
Jeremy has been married to Erynn since August 1999. They are blessed with six children: Jaden, Isaiah, Isaac, Ean, Joseph, and Evelyn. Jeremy preaches for the Patrick St. church of Christ in Dublin, TX and is the author of To Train Up a Knight.
Knights of The Father 