Go Ahead and Pray for Patience (Galatians 5:22)

How God describes Himself

In Exodus 34:6 the Lord introduces Himself with four traits: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness. All four show up again in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. If God calls Himself patient, we're meant to grow in patience too.

The bad advice

Someone prays for patience, and afterward a friend says, "Don't do that, God will give you something to be patient about." DeWayne used to believe that too. James 1:3-4 says testing produces patience and makes us mature. The trials aren't punishment. They're the gym.

Two kinds of prayer

If you're already in the fire, ask for the strength and wisdom to be patient in it. If you're asking for patience in general, expect God to give you chances to practice. And it never really ends. As one participant asked, when do you graduate? You don't.

Try this

• Pray for patience today and mean it.
• When you lose your patience, own it, and ask God for the next chance to do better.