Filled With Patience

FILLED WITH PATIENCE

a prayer to open

Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

We generally think of patience when we’re waiting in line at the grocery store or when the person driving in front of us is going twenty below the speed limit. But patience as a fruit of the Spirit is more like not losing heart in the midst of difficult and trying circumstances. When you are tempted to despair, believe the worst, or doubt God’s goodness, be patient: Do not lose heart. Remember what’s true: Jesus is returning. The Kingdom has come. The Kingdom is coming! You are forgiven and saved. Do not lose heart.

• Where in your life do you see the kind of patience James described? In what areas are you struggling to live with this sense of patience?
• What is your life saying about your patience level, whether to those who know you or to those who simply observe you?
• Take a few minutes in prayer, asking God to show you where you need to grow when it comes to patience. What did he illuminate for you?

Father, help me model patience wherever I am. Give me the grace to wear it throughout the day and practice it in situations in which I might otherwise be tempted to despair. When I am tired, under stress, worried, or afraid, grant me your perspective, wisdom, and energy. Help me go beyond myself and act in step with your Spirit. Amen.