A Prayer for Patience ..Rev. Kyle Norman

 A Prayer for Patience

By Rev. Kyle Norman

“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” - James 5:8

I used to have the proverbial lead foot. Every journey was taken to be a race. I would zip around in my car, weaving in and out of traffic. Other drivers were mere obstacles in my way. I saw the estimated times of arrival on my GPS to be nothing more than a challenge; How many minutes could I shave off my time? 

The outward effect of speeding was obvious; I received speeding tickets ... a lot of speeding tickets. What I was unaware of, however, was the inward toll that such impatience was having. Internally, my spirit was never at peace. My heart and my mind were always projected onto a journey I had to rush into. I was time-bound, ruled by the clock. Thus, I was never present. I wasn’t present to others; I wasn’t present to myself. Nor was I ever fully or truly present to God. After all, it’s hard to be present to God when you are too busy speeding to the next thing.

I bet I’m not alone in this. We live in a fast-paced world, a world that continually tells us to maximize our time and increase our efficiency. And with the call of impatience playing in the background, we often find ourselves facing a rising discouragement with our spirits; we feel unmoored from that which can truly satisfy our restless hearts. 

Psalm 31 says, “I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “you are my God” My times are in your hands.” See, ultimately, a patient spirit is about recognizing the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. Patience reminds us that we are not more important than the people around us. Our time is not more valuable, and our work not of higher quality. Patience helps us recognize that God’s plan for this moment is of more importance than our plans, and it may just be that God’s desire for us is to share, or receive, an expression of Christ’s love. What might the Lord be asking you at this moment? 

Let us pray:

Gracious Lord, my heart can become easily overwhelmed by the busyness of my life. Please forgive me when the tasks of the day, and the demands of my schedule, crowd out the space needed to be still in your presence. I know your promise that I can do all things through you who strengthen me, but I can become so easily flustered as I try to muscle my way through life in my own effort. 

I pray that you increase within me the capacity for patience. Lead me into times where I am called to rely not on my strength but yours; move me into places where I am called only to stop, to rest, to breath, or to listen. Help me be still and know you here, now.

More than anything, Jesus, help me to observe the hours and the minutes of my day as set firmly in your schedule. Give me the strength to step outside of my plans for this moment so that I can enter more deeply into your will. You are Lord of this time, and I lay before you as your servant. 

I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.