Praying for Patience
Have you ever heard someone say, “Never pray for patience”? This popular expression is often shared sarcastically as a way to imply that the prayer will be answered with opportunities to be patient like getting stuck in traffic, waiting longer than usual for your food to come out at a restaurant, or facing a long line at the DMV (or the RMV for my fellow Massachusettsans). Of course, as Christians, our desire to look more like Christ should include being more patient.
My wife and I recently got approved for an apartment that is part of a subsidy program run by the city of Boston. The process was long, included lots of paperwork, tons of emails, and many ups and downs. Through it all, our church family was praying with us and has supported us as we plan financially for the transition. This apartment was a huge answer to prayer as we plan for longevity in the work God has called us to in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
As we had the opportunity to rejoice with everyone who had been praying with us over these past several months, I began reflecting on the stress I had experienced during this drawn-out application process. In the end, God’s timing worked out better for us with our current lease. In this realization, our prayers of praise were coupled with prayers of opportunities to grow in patience for God’s timing rather than our own, and He answered that request quickly.
We were informed that our new lease had to begin sooner than expected which meant a greater and sooner financial burden. Just as soon as the wave of stress and distrust crashed over me, the Spirit’s conviction reminded me of a loving God who had already provided and would continue to do so. Within just a few days, we were overwhelmed with the generosity and love from our church family who made this upcoming move possible. Had it not been for God’s timing, I am not sure how this apartment would have even worked out, and even more importantly, we would not have had this sanctifying experience of learning to be more patient in the midst of God’s timing.
Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed by Paul in Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22) The Bible is full of stories of patience – just to name a few: Abraham and Sarah wait decades for the son God promised them, the Israelites wander the desert for forty years waiting for the Promised Land, and the entire world waits for thousands of years for the promised Messiah following Adam and Eve’s sin. Notice that these stories of patience (as with many others) in the Bible are of people waiting for a fulfilment of a promise God has made.
When people jokingly advise to not pray for patience, the joke is not that you have a desire to be more patient; the joke is that you will have to work to get there. Just like with any growth opportunity, the expectation for results without work does not make sense. Do you want to get physically stronger? You have to lift weights. Do you want to increase your running endurance? You have to run. Do you want to be smarter? You have to learn. To look at a more spiritual example – do you want to be more biblically wise? Read the Bible.
None of these should come as a surprise, and the same is true of patience. We should go to God in prayer over everything, but the expectation should not be that we will just wake up one day and suddenly be the most patient person in the world. We see that God has given us everything we need for a life of Godliness, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3-4) I would argue that this provision is not without trials. Job, Jonah, Joseph, Daniel, David, and so many more walked through many sanctifying trials in the midst of serving God.
“How do I know God’s will for my life?” is a commonly and rightly asked question in Christian circles, but it seems that God often provides clarity over time, and that time is often longer than what we selfishly desire. As we zealously seek to do the will of our heavenly Father, our prayers and our lives should be marked by humility and patience. As you wait for prayers to be answered, rest in the promises of God. Do not be anxious about tomorrow because God will provide (Matthew 6:25-34). God will work all things together for His glory in His time (Genesis 50:20, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Romans 8:28). We serve a wise, omnibenevolent God. The Bible shows us time and time again that His timing is better than our own, and being patient is an opportunity to rest in that truth.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)