A Cry for Our Children: A Prayer from Lamentations 2:19
"Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street." - Lamentations 2:19
O Lord our God,
In the stillness of this sacred night, I come before You, my heart heavy with grief and concern. As the darkness envelops the world, I recall the words of lament found in Lamentations 2:19, "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street." How profoundly these words resonate with the cries of our society today, particularly for the young ones who wander through these streets, facing challenges that no child should endure.
Lord, I rise in the night as You have instructed. I cry out to You, not just for my children, but for all the children whose innocence has been swept away by the tides of misfortune and despair. I am reminded that You hear our laments, that our cries do not fall on deaf ears but are received in Your eternal ears. I pour out my heart to You, O mighty God, like water cascading forth from a broken vessel. I ask that you take this offering of anguish and sorrow and transform it into hope and healing.
Father, in this moment of desperate prayer, I lift up my hands toward You, pleading for mercy for the young souls faint for hunger. I see the children in our cities, on the corners of every street, their faces painted with the colors of hunger and need. Their eyes reflect the longing for sustenance, both of body and spirit. O God, see their plight! Hear their silent cries that echo through the alleyways and under bridges. No child should be forgotten or forsaken; they are a gift and a blessing from You.
In the depths of my heart, I ask that You stir within us a compassion that mirrors Yours—a love that compels us to action. Grant us the vision to see the faces of these children in our communities and beyond. Ignite in our hearts the fire that drives us to make a difference, to provide for their needs, and to advocate for their rights. May we open our eyes to the realities faced by those who are struggling, and not turn away but instead be moved to help.
Lord, I pray specifically for the physical and emotional nourishment of all children who suffer from neglect and hunger. Provide for them what they need most—food, shelter, and love. Raise up individuals and organizations who will step in to fill the gaps, who will be Your hands and feet in this world. And may we, as a collective body of believers, stand united in support of these vulnerable young ones.
I remember, Lord, that You are the Great Provider. Just as You fed the hungry multitudes, I trust that You will supply the needs of every child who calls out to You. Pour out Your abundance upon them, Lord, and may they come to know Your love through the generosity of others.
I pray, too, for the hearts of those responsible for these children—their parents, guardians, and communities. May their hearts be turned toward kindness and responsibility. Heal the brokenness that leads to neglect or abandonment. Allow reconciliation, foster care initiatives, and adoption processes to flourish, ensuring that no child is left alone or unheard.
Heavenly Father, as I conclude this humble prayer, I commit these children into Your loving care. Wrap them in Your protection and envelop them in Your peace. May they find strength in their weakness and hope in their struggles. Let their cries reach Your ears, and may we all be instruments of change in their lives.
In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
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Lamentations 2:19 - "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street."
"Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street." - Lamentations 2:19
Lamentations 3:19 - "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall."
Lamentations 5:19 – "You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation."
Lamentations 5:19 - "Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation."
Ezekiel 19:1 - "Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,"
Ezekiel 19:14 - "And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 4:19 - "Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness."
"Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall." - Lamentations 3:19
2 Chronicles 35:25 - "¶ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations."
Lamentations 1:19 - "I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls."
Lamentations 5:2 - "Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens."
Lamentations 3:2 - "He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light."
"Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel," - Ezekiel 19:1
"Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation." - Lamentations 5:19
Ezekiel 2:10 - "And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."
Lamentations 2:5 - "The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation."
Ezekiel 27:2 - "Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;"
"He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor." Lamentations 2:2
Lamentations 4:2 - "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!"
"He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor." Lamentations 2:2
2 Samuel 1:17 - "¶ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:"
"And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation." - Ezekiel 19:14
Acts 8:2 - "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."
"Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens." - Lamentations 5:2
Lamentations 2:12 - "They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom."
"Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness." - Lamentations 4:19