When Jeremiah doubted, he did not try to solve his problems on his own. Instead, he committed his cause to the Lord. For him, this meant praying that his cause would be vindicated. Our case may be different, but the principle is the same: if we believe that God is with us and has the power to help us, then we should ask him for the help that only he can give.

Jeremiah 20 is the prayer of a suffering believer. Imagine the prophet in solitary confinement—weakened with physical pain, exhausted by emotional turmoil, fearful of what tomorrow might bring. Now hear the first words out of his mouth. They come in the form of an invocation to Almighty God. “O Lord,” the prophet cries. “O Lord!” (Jer. 20:7).

God always invites us to take our troubles straight to him. This is what godly people have done throughout history. It is what Job did on the ash heap, when he was grieving the death of his loved ones (Job 1:21). It is what David did in the cave, when he was hiding from King Saul (Ps. 57). It is what Jonah did in the belly of the great fish, when he ran away from God (Jonah 2). It is also what Jesus did on the cross, when he was suffering for our sins and felt separated from his loving Father. “My God!” he cried out. “My God, my God” (Matt. 27:46).

Even when we think that God is the problem and not the solution, as Jeremiah did—even when we think he is incriminated by what we are experiencing—we should talk things over with him. In every dark night of the soul, we should take our troubles to the secret place and meet with God in prayer. Where else can we open our hearts so freely? Who else could possibly address our concerns? There is never any need for us to hide our feelings. We can always take our struggles to the Lord in prayer.

Praying and Praising in Prison

Something amazing happened to Jeremiah as he prayed that night in prison: he began to take heart. Somehow, the Holy Spirit was ministering to his soul. Suddenly—and totally unexpectedly—

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