We all know what it’s like to feel annoyed, angry, or irritated. Have you ever spent any amount of time with a hungry toddler, or waited to hear back about a life-changing opportunity, or wondered if you’d ever find the right person for you—or been stuck trying to get a simple answer from an AI chatbot that still has some bugs? Then you know what it’s like to have your patience tested.
Life is full of unexpected frustrations that can keep us from feeling at peace. So how can we remain calm, cool, and collected when we feel impatient? God wants to help us grow in patience and He invites us to seek His comforting presence through prayer. Below, you’ll find a few prayers for patience that can help you overcome frustration and find peace.
Developing Patience Takes Patience
Patience is a journey, not a destination. Developing patience is a process requiring time and intentionality. In other words, developing patience takes patience. There’s no magic prayer for perfect patience, but we do have the next best thing—unlimited access to our patient God, who can teach us patience one day at a time.
How God Helps Us Build Patience
Sometimes frustration can cause us to forget that the Holy Spirit is present in every Christian. He’s with you when you’re stuck behind a slow driver, waiting for an important call from the doctor, reading social media comments, or trying to find your next step in life. In those moments, He’s ready to bring comfort and peace while you wait.
So before you pray, simply remember the presence of God in this moment.
But the Spirit of God is more than just present in the waiting. He’s actively helping you become more patient. Here’s what one Jesus follower wrote about how the Spirit helps us grow:
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 5:22-23 ESV
The “fruit” in this passage refers to the qualities that the Holy Spirit helps us adopt. When we pursue God by praying, reading the Bible, and serving others, we can’t help but grow in the fruit of the Spirit.
What does this mean for you? Well, it’s really good news: Growing in patience is a group project—and the Spirit is doing a lot of the work. That’s not to say that growing in patience isn’t hard; it can be. But it’s much easier to get through hard times and develop difficult skills when you remember that God is working in you.
How to Become a Patient Person
The best way to become a patient person is to seek God every day. As you do, you’ll grow in love for all people, lowering your frustration with others (even bad drivers). You’ll also grow in trust, believing that God has a plan for you and the whole world, which can relieve your fears about the future.
3 Calming Prayers for Patience
Use these example prayers to start your next prayer time and to ask God for patience throughout the week.
A Prayer for Patience and Perseverance
God, Thank You for Your infinite patience. I’m struggling to find peace as I wait. Please calm my mind and help me to trust Your timing. I don’t want to let impatience cause me to act in a way that doesn’t honor You. So please help me to grow in patient perseverance as I get to know You more each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for Patience Toward People
Lord, You are perfect, and I’m not. Thank You for showing me so much grace, even when I fail. Please help me to extend this same grace and patience toward others. Please don’t let annoyance lead me to think, speak, or act in a way that dishonors their God-given value. Help me to be quick to forgive and ready to show empathy toward people I don’t understand. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for While You’re Waiting
Father God, thank You for being a constant source of comfort. I don’t want to feel impatient, but it’s so hard to keep waiting. Please help me to trust Your love and plan for me when so much feels out of my control. And please help me identify God-honoring steps I can take while I wait. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Keep on Growing
Remember, it takes patience to grow in patience. You’ll probably have moments this month where you lose your cool. That’s okay! Ask for forgiveness and keep moving forward. Keep pursuing God, not just in prayer, but also through Scripture and relationships with other believers. As you do, you’ll find yourself being pulled toward greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control every day.