Psalm 137 is a difficult and complex psalm. What follows is a prayer based on that psalm but before using it please read the reflection, “What to Do with Psalm 137?—A Reflection” so you can provide a pastorally sensitive and contextual introduction or framing.
Psalm 137: 1–5 (NIV)
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
Prayer
God of justice,
some of us have come weeping,
weeping for the homes we have left,
weeping for the end of hopes and dreams,
weeping for the lives lost,
weeping for all the horrors we have seen and experienced,
weeping for all the suffering we have endured.
God of justice,
some of us have come weeping,
and we can no longer sing.
God of justice,
some of us come here today
to sit with those who are weeping,
to listen,
to be witnesses to their pain,
and to sing on their behalf, testifying
that even in the darkest of moments,
you are the light that doesn’t fade away.
Sung Testimony
“Within our Darkest Night” Taizé
Psalm 137:5–6 (NIV)
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
Prayer
God of memory,
help us not to forget you,
but cling to you for our hope and consolation.
Bring to mind all the good you have brought us,
remind us of the gift of Christ, your son,
who gave his life so that one day we may be saved.
Till then we look forward to the day you return
when our sorrow will end, and the world be set right.
Sung Testimony
“Within our Darkest Night” Taizé
Psalm 137:7–9 (NIV)
Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.
Prayer
God of justice and memory,
do not forget your promise
that one day you will set the world right
and restore peace.
God of justice and memory,
do not forget the evil that has been done,
hold all those accountable for the atrocities committed.
[If appropriate, list those that are particular to your community and context.]
Let us release our anger and desire for retribution to you.
Heal us so that we do not in turn oppress others.
God of justice and memory,
send your Spirit of conviction upon any of us here
who in small or significant ways are oppressing others.
Bring us to repentance,
humble us as we experience the punishment we deserve,
help us set to right the wrongs we have done,
and transform us so that we work for justice and peace.
God of justice and memory,
we hold on to your promises.
We look forward to the day when peace will come,
and all of creation will burst forth in song.
Amen.
—Joyce Borger © 2025 ReformedWorship.org, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Sung Testimony
“Within our Darkest Night” Taizé
