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PRAY WITH PATIENCE

You have passed through the two hardest tests on the spiritual road: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what you encounter.

PAULO COELHO

Too many times throughout biblical history, people have given up on a goal or objective —or even themselves, refusing to pray with patience. They have made their move too soon, and the move they’ve made is one of resignation.

Abraham and Sarah made their move too soon. They couldn’t wait for God to give them a miracle child. They decided to help God out. Abraham took Hagar to be the mother of his son Ishmael and complicated God’s ideal will for this patriarch and his family. Elijah made his move too soon, telling God, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”[1] But Elijah had given up too quickly. He had made his move too soon. God would soon send him on a mission to anoint Hazael as king of Aram and Elisha as Elijah’s own successor. God also reminds him about 7,000 others in Israel who had not bowed to Baal.[2]

After the death of Jesus, the disciples decided to throw in the towel on their ministry. They forgot what the Lord had said about rising in three days. Peter decided to return to his job as a fisherman, and other disciples followed his lead.[3] But Peter made his move too soon, not praying patiently. Two other disciples, not part of the original twelve, had also given up. They were not praying with patience. They were so discouraged by Jesus’ crucifixion that they no longer had any hope. They were walking to a town a few miles from Jerusalem when Jesus joined them. They proceeded to walk with Jesus and didn’t even recognize him. Tears had blurred their vision; anguish had clouded their comprehension. They talked to Jesus about the crucifixion. He finally challenged them to believe in the resurrection. Beginning with Moses and taking them through the books of the Prophets, he taught them about the things concerning himself. They still didn’t know it was Jesus until they saw his wounded hands when he broke bread with them. They had to learn to patiently wait on God.

Why do we fail to pray with patience?

God’s Timing

Perhaps we become weary with God’s timing. He’s just not moving fast enough for us. Psalm 27:14 encourages us to do just the opposite: “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

Spiritual Immaturity

Perhaps we suffer from spiritual immaturity and need to grow. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV), “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Second Peter 3:18 says, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”

Fruitless Toil

Perhaps we become discouraged by fruitless toil. We see this kind of impatience in the words of Simon Peter when Jesus suggests that he try fishing in deeper water. “Master, . . . we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”[4] Luke records what happened next: “Soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.”[5] Haven’t you felt like giving up when you toiled all night and caught nothing? I challenge you: Refuse to quit. Pray patiently as you continue to wait on the Lord.

Misunderstanding God’s Word

Perhaps we don’t understand God’s Word. It wasn’t until after Jesus explained the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus that their eyes were opened.[6] They later said to one another, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road?”[7] In Romans 12:2, Paul encourages us to embrace the transformative power of God’s Word: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you.”

Gain a Proper Perspective

How then can we avoid the spiritual impatience that might prompt us to embrace prayerlessness? We need to gain a proper perspective. Psalm 121:2-4 says, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! . . . The one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he . . . never slumbers or sleeps.”

See Obstacles as Opportunities

The apostle Paul learned to see obstacles as opportunities. Writing to the Corinthians about a trip he planned to Macedonia, Paul said, “In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus. . . . There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.”[8]

First Samuel 17 tells of a time when a young man named David overcame a giant obstacle to seize an opportunity. War was afoot between Israel and the Philistines, and the giant Goliath was the keystone of the enemy force. David —who was a shepherd, not a warrior, and only visiting the battlefront to deliver some food to his older brothers —asked some of the soldiers he met, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”[9] Actually, there was a ready answer: King Saul had pledged one of his daughters in marriage to whoever might defeat the giant. Not only did David seize the immediate opportunity, but soon enough he would become king of Israel.

Control Your Response

Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Always remember that you have control over your response to life’s troubles. As Jesus commands in John 14:1, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” Jesus never lost control of his ability to respond. Even on Calvary, while nailed to a cross, he prayed patiently for his enemies, took care of his mother, and saved a dying thief. He controlled his response to his life’s greatest challenge.

Let Your Love for Christ Bring Inner Strength

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. . . . That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”[10] Perhaps the greatest way to experience God’s strength from within us is to be controlled by our love for Christ. “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.”[11]

Look Outside Yourself for Divine Power

Look outside yourself for the source of divine strength. David knew that he would need more than a shepherd-boy’s strength to be victorious over Goliath. Yet, with that strength, he was able to stand boldly and confidently on the field of battle.

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies —the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”[12]

Psalm 46:1-5 reminds us of the inexhaustible resources available to people of faith:

God is our refuge and strength,

always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come

and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Let the oceans roar and foam.

Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

A river brings joy to the city of our God,

the sacred home of the Most High.

God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.

From the very break of day, God will protect it.

Look outside yourself for the strength that only God can give.

Renew Your Mind with God’s Word

Romans 12:2 shows us how to transform our lives: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” We renew our minds when we expose ourselves to the transformative power of God’s Word.

Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,

for I am always thinking of your laws.[13]

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

and a light for my path.[14]

Expect God to Keep You from Evil

Finally, expect God to keep you from the world’s evil. In his final prayer in the upper room with his disciples, Jesus asked his Father to protect us: “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.”[15] Although we may not be kept from the forces of the world, isn’t it wonderful to know that we will be safeguarded from their negative impact? How blessed we are to live in the world but to be kept safe from the evil one.

How to Pray with Patience

1. Gain a proper perspective regarding life’s challenges.
2. See obstacles as opportunities.
3. Control your response to life’s difficulties.
4. Let your love for Christ bring inner strength.
5. Look outside yourself for divine power.
6. Renew your mind with God’s Word.
7. Expect God to keep you from the world’s evil.