Five Day Patience Devotional Day 1: Why Patience Matters
Five Day Focus: Patience
Day 1:
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient…
Psalm 103:8
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
James 5:7-11
Be Patient and Persevering
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.[c] Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Devotional:
Throughout my life, and especially my life as a believer, God has gently revealed over time when I have character defects that need His healing and intervention. When I was a new mom, He granted me a supernatural patience for my son. As a child with special needs, it was imperative that I not rush him, push him, or lose patience. It was a season that I remember fondly, and for which I was grateful. When my daughter came, I soaked and rested in the same patience. For about two years, she was a screaming banshee whenever she did not like something. For those who experienced the volume and tenor of her screams, a knowing nod, widened eyes and a step back accurately describe the memory of her wrath. Yet, God granted me the ability to walk it out without losing my cool. However, as I look more closely that patience did not extend to my husband, and often I struggled with impatience when it came to poor customer service.
When my children pulled out of the toddler years, my patience bubble started to pop. I have begun to find that my patience with my children wears thin when I am in a few trying situations:
1. When the behavior is repetitive.
2. When a learned skill regresses.
3. When my sense of order is threatened.
4. With whining! (Lord have mercy…….)
Clearly, too, a good portion of my time is spent instilling patience and the delaying of gratification into my children. If I want to be able to teach my children this trait, it is vital that I also allow God to reveal to me what it takes to flow in the patience He wants us to have. As parents, we have a great and noble task of raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). The earlier part of this same verse chides parents that we should not be frustrating or exasperating to our children. By modeling impatience when I need to convey God’s way of dealing with challenges, I am working backward and likely contributing to slowing down God’s ability to work and grow patience in them.
I want to take some time to focus on what the Bible would say about patience, and during this five day focus I am praying that He will work deeply in my heart and yours to show us a new beginning with the patience we all desire in our parenting.
Let’s take some time to soak in the Bible definition of the word Patience:
PATIENCE
pa'-shens (hupomone, makrothumia):
"Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/patience)
There is no doubt that this is easier said than done. Today, let us refocus our hearts to the truth that patience is the fruit of God’s Spirit, and that we need Him to guide us as we endure challenges in our parenting.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank You that You are willing to take me on a journey to discovering how to suffer along with You as I open my heart to allow You to change my behavior. Help me to walk this journey out. I desire to be patient and longsuffering as I parent my children. Uproot any deep-seated wounds or bitterness that get in the way of Your work. Heal me from the inside out. I don’t want to scratch the surface, but go deep and let You undo and remake me.
Intercession:
In your prayer journal, go over your list of requests. Add to it as needed. Pray over each need. Note praise reports, give God the glory. Share needs with the group as you feel led!
God, thank You for Your faithfulness. I trust You to cover us with Your protection and Your loving arm. Thank You for ministering to me through Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Day 1:
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient…
Psalm 103:8
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
James 5:7-11
Be Patient and Persevering
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.[c] Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Devotional:
Throughout my life, and especially my life as a believer, God has gently revealed over time when I have character defects that need His healing and intervention. When I was a new mom, He granted me a supernatural patience for my son. As a child with special needs, it was imperative that I not rush him, push him, or lose patience. It was a season that I remember fondly, and for which I was grateful. When my daughter came, I soaked and rested in the same patience. For about two years, she was a screaming banshee whenever she did not like something. For those who experienced the volume and tenor of her screams, a knowing nod, widened eyes and a step back accurately describe the memory of her wrath. Yet, God granted me the ability to walk it out without losing my cool. However, as I look more closely that patience did not extend to my husband, and often I struggled with impatience when it came to poor customer service.
When my children pulled out of the toddler years, my patience bubble started to pop. I have begun to find that my patience with my children wears thin when I am in a few trying situations:
1. When the behavior is repetitive.
2. When a learned skill regresses.
3. When my sense of order is threatened.
4. With whining! (Lord have mercy…….)
Clearly, too, a good portion of my time is spent instilling patience and the delaying of gratification into my children. If I want to be able to teach my children this trait, it is vital that I also allow God to reveal to me what it takes to flow in the patience He wants us to have. As parents, we have a great and noble task of raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). The earlier part of this same verse chides parents that we should not be frustrating or exasperating to our children. By modeling impatience when I need to convey God’s way of dealing with challenges, I am working backward and likely contributing to slowing down God’s ability to work and grow patience in them.
I want to take some time to focus on what the Bible would say about patience, and during this five day focus I am praying that He will work deeply in my heart and yours to show us a new beginning with the patience we all desire in our parenting.
Let’s take some time to soak in the Bible definition of the word Patience:
PATIENCE
pa'-shens (hupomone, makrothumia):
"Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/patience)
There is no doubt that this is easier said than done. Today, let us refocus our hearts to the truth that patience is the fruit of God’s Spirit, and that we need Him to guide us as we endure challenges in our parenting.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank You that You are willing to take me on a journey to discovering how to suffer along with You as I open my heart to allow You to change my behavior. Help me to walk this journey out. I desire to be patient and longsuffering as I parent my children. Uproot any deep-seated wounds or bitterness that get in the way of Your work. Heal me from the inside out. I don’t want to scratch the surface, but go deep and let You undo and remake me.
Intercession:
In your prayer journal, go over your list of requests. Add to it as needed. Pray over each need. Note praise reports, give God the glory. Share needs with the group as you feel led!
God, thank You for Your faithfulness. I trust You to cover us with Your protection and Your loving arm. Thank You for ministering to me through Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
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