Jan 11, 2024

Why You Should Pray For Patience

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by Katie Rapp

If you grew up anywhere around the church, or maybe even if you didn’t but just knew a well-meaning person that liked to hand out random popular saying, you probably have heard something along the lines of “Don’t pray for patience!  You won’t like what God will put you through to teach you!”

“Don’t pray for patience!  You won’t like what God will put you through to teach you!”

I always giggled when I heard this and thought, “It must be right.  I’m NEVER praying for patience.  That is one thing I never want to learn!”  Here is the problem though, Patience is a fruit of the spirit.  It isn’t something that is learned, so to speak.  It is something, that as Christ-followers, he gives and gives freely.

Through this 40 day Sugar Fast, I have been convicted of something ( a lot of somethings, but let’s just take this one conviction at a time, shall we?).   I say “I’m running out of patience!” ALL. OF. THE. TIME.

I say “I’m running out of patience!” ALL. OF. THE. TIME.  

Romans 12:12 urges us to “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”  While the all too familiar 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that “Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.”  When do we lose our patience and who do we lose it with?

If you are anything like me, it is with the people I am closest to, people I love, my husband, and my children.  They are the ones that hear “I’m losing my patience and it isn’t even 8 am!”

It is about to get real.  I bristled at this myself because no one likes conviction.  It is meant to be uncomfortable, but here is the truth.  My running out of patience was not their issue.

It wasn’t because of them, it was because of me.  It was and is my sin problem.  My lack of asking the giver of all good things for patience.  My lack of fruit in my Christian walk.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8 to “Ask and it will be given to you.  Seek, and you will find.  Knock, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

We can simply ask for more patience.  That is amazing and freeing.  All we have to do is ask.

We can simply ask for more patience.  That is amazing and freeing.  All we have to do is ask.  

A lack of patience is a weakness but in our weakness He is strong.  So we can turn to Christ.

We can stop, at that moment when our 4-year-old has made the 5 millionth mess of the day, and ask for more patience.

We can stop when our 9-year-old is throwing shade over the electronics policy and ask for more patience.

We can stop, when stress at work causes our husband to be a little less than kind when he comes home, and ask for more patience.

Whatever the circumstance, we just have to ask and remember what Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:1-2  “to live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”

So dear readers, I have a challenge for you.

This week, I challenge you to ask for more patience in the moments you feel like you are running out or don’t have any at all.

I challenge you to go to the Father who gives freely and abundantly to his Children.  When we are followers of Christ, we can’t run out of patience because we can always ask for more.

Who’s up for a challenge????

Looking for a community or someone to grab coffee with who is in a similar life season? We’d love to connect with you and get to know you better! Below you will find a few people that can’t wait to meet you, shoot us an email so we can make a plan!

Tyler OJ Campus

Teresa Ator: teresaa@gcc.org

Bethanie Tayler: bethaniet@gcc.org

Tyler UB Campus

Max Heller: maxh@gcc.org

Chrisleigh Heller: chrisleighh@gcc.org

Lindale Campus

Molly Pontius: mollyp@gcc.org

Debra Kirby: debra@gcc.org