Sample prayer

God of Love, You demonstrate Your patience for us through Your continual forgiveness of sin. Day after day I fail, yet Your Word assures me of Your enduring love and forgiveness (Psalm 13:5-6, Psalm 85:2-3). It is the riches of Your kindness, tolerance and patience that lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Thank you for Your Son Jesus, and for the way He modelled patience with His disciples. Jesus was exasperated with them to the point that He said, “How long must I put up with you?” Yet He still continued to mentor them in the “little faith” they had (Matthew 17:14-21). Thank you for Your unending patience with all of us.

Please forgive me for my impatience, especially when ________. God, I ask that You will enable me to have patience with the everyday innocent and not-so-innocent failings of my children. It is my job to teach them how to be Your little disciples. Please enable me to reprimand my children and restore them with gentleness and mercy as You do. Thank you, that with Your help, I can be patient as You are. Not a day goes by that I don’t need Your Holy Spirit poured out in me so I can be Christlike in my patience, especially with those who live in our home, or ________. (List any other items that challenge your patience personally).

Lord Jesus, I pray You would help me to put up with others, to forgive whatever complaints I have with them and forgive as You forgave me (Colossians 3:13). To live in way that is worthy of You and to bear fruit that is pleasing to You, I need to be strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might (Colossians 1:10-12).

I pray as ________ and ________ grow in You, that they will be patient with everyone, not paying back wrong for wrong but instead, they will always try to be kind to others (1 Thessalonians 5:14b-15). When things are not going their way, they may be tempted to be impatient with You or others. Please give them the faith to trust in Your perfect timing, the patience to wait on You, and the strength to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12, Psalm 130:5). As circumstances and people are difficult, I ask that ________ and ________ will remember to come to You for help when they are tempted to be impatient. In Jesus’ name, I pray against any plan Satan would have to cause impatience to take root in my children’s lives. Rather, I ask that You shape their characters, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, so they will be patient and gracious as You are.

Lord, I pray that as a family we could be completely humble and gentle, patient, and bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). I ask that our love for You and each other would be expressed as patience and kindness (1 Corinthians 13:3-4). Please send Your Holy Spirit to work in us so others can see Your love in us, by the way we are patient with each other. Amen.

Scripture-guided prayer for parents

Read and pray through one or more of the selected Scriptures under each heading. Focus on listening to God and allowing His Spirit to direct you as you pray.

Character focus

Begin by letting God know how much you appreciate His patience and forgiveness.

Nehemiah 9:5-6, 29-31 | Isaiah 54:7-10 | Jeremiah 33:6-9 | 1 Timothy 1:15-17 | 2 Peter 3:9, 14-15

Heart search

Acknowledge when and how you lack patience.

Psalm 37:7-8 | Proverbs 14:29 | Proverbs 15:18 | 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 | Colossians 3:13

Gratitude

Thank God for ways you have seen patience exhibited in your family.

Family requests

Ask God to enable you and your children to be patient.

Proverbs 19:11 | Ephesians 4:2-3 | Colossians 1:10–14 | Colossians 3:12-14 | 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15