10 Prayers for Patience

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Lord, today is rough. And I haven’t even climbed out of bed. There’s too much clouding my mind, too much to face, and I can already feel the meltdown brewing inside. I don’t have enough patience—with myself or anyone else—to make it through the morning, let alone the day.

Would you meet me here and give me yours? Would you lift me up and carry me out of my room? Would you walk me through my day? Thank you for never being tired or drained. Thank you for having the power to renew my patience and my strength. 

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“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)

Lord, I don’t feel humble, gentle, or patient today when it comes to my spouse. It’s not just the big things—although they never seem to go away—it’s also the little things that pile up and chisel at my smile. Sometimes it’s hard to remember the days when the relationship was easy and fun.    

Walk between us today. Speak peace into our hearts. Give us an infinite amount of patience when it comes to understanding each other. Draw us back to the days when being together didn’t feel so hard. Thank you that there are three people in this relationship, not two. Thank you for cheering on my marriage, not from the sidelines, but from the middle of the field. 

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

Lord, some of Your people are hard to love. They can be moody, mean, difficult, and impossible to understand. They blame me for things I didn’t do and have expectations I can’t meet. Sometimes I wish You hadn’t put them in my life. 

I need You to show me how much You love them. Reveal what You see under the surface, where they’re hurting, and tell me how to make a difference. Thank you for giving me your patience to be kind and compassionate when I don’t have my own and for loving me when I’m the one who’s difficult in someone else’s life.   

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“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” (Psalm 143:5)

Lord, I miss the way we used to be. It’s my fault, I know. I haven’t had the patience to rest at your feet and meditate on your Word. I’ve been too impatient to wait on your will. I’ve gotten used to making things happen right now instead of waiting on you to guide my steps.  

Bring me back to those days when I hungered for your plans. Give me the patience to linger in your presence. Pause my racing thoughts and self-imposed time limits. Thank you for being the only one who can truly take away my urge to do life by myself. Thank you for showing me that putting you first is what’s best for me.   

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“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” (Psalm 127:3)

Lord, it’s horrible to admit, but some days my kids feel like the opposite of a reward. If “iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17), today’s the day I might just be whittled away. Right now, I’m hiding in the bathroom, trying and failing to reign in my overwhelming frustration. 

Fill me with everlasting patience and drown my anger with your peace. Help me parent my kids the way you parent me—with kindness and love. Thank you for giving them to me.   

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Lord, I can’t move. I can’t sit still or stand. I can’t breathe. I think I’m dying. Everything’s falling apart inside me and around me. I don’t know what to do. 

Please wrap your arms around me and don’t ever let go. Slow my racing heart. Clear my spinning head. Calm my frantic lungs. I need Your patience to breathe through this moment and make it to the next. Thank you for being a God of the moment, a God who cares, a God able to guard my heart and mind.   

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“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

Lord, it’s hard to admit, but I need to be right. I just know if I explain my way one more time with one more example, the other person will see my side. But the more I push my view, the more my words and actions destroy my relationships.  

Remind me that relationships are more important than who’s right and who’s wrong. Tell me to back off when I can’t seem to pull the plug on my pride. Cover my frustration with your patience. Thank you for putting things into perspective and showing me what doesn’t really matter. Thank you for loving me when I think I know everything and you know I know nothing. 

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“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Lord, I’m stuck in a place I don’t want to be. It seems everyone else is speeding forward. It’s so hard to watch sometimes. What if my life always looks and feels this way? Things have to change. I must move on. I need something new right now. 

But that’s not your way. You want me to grow when I want to run away. Soothe my anxiety. Take away my desperation. Stretch my perseverance. Thank you for knowing what’s best for me. Thank you for helping me let go and giving me the patience to wait on your timing not mine.    

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“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

Lord, it doesn’t matter how I old get; adulting is hard. Someone should’ve told me that most of being a grown up was making it up as you go along. That there wasn’t some magic manual that would be imprinted on my brain. The responsibilities keep piling on—family, financial, my future. It never ends. 

Give me your patience to handle the big and small. Slow me down. Teach me how to be calm. I don’t want to waste my life frazzled, exhausted, and weighted down. Thank you for offering me rest and for not making me to do life on my own.  

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“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I’m human—which often makes me oblivious to what’s around me. I’m in so much of a hurry to get my own stuff done, I forget to stop and notice what’s going on with everyone else.  

Nudge me when I get distracted and caught up in myself. Remind me that I need my family and friends, and they need me. Thank you for knowing we weren’t meant to walk through life alone and for giving us the opportunity be Jesus to each other. Thank you for helping me shine for you. 

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