Whether you are a mother of a baby, pre-teen, teenager, or adult, there will always be times when your patience is tested. It is a given because children are not perfect. Sometimes, we are tempted to get angry at our children because of our sinfulness. While the Bible says that we are to discipline our children when raising them (Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.), most of all, we are to reflect the character of God to them. We can do this by showing them patience, which is connected to grace and love. As written in James 1:20, anger does not produce the righteousness of God. The good thing is that as Christians, we are already free from the dominion of sin (Romans 6:18). That means with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to be patient when we are tempted to get angry (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Father in heaven, I thank You because it is not by my might or strength that I get to show patience toward my child whenever I am tempted to get angry, but it is by Your grace and power that is at work in me that I get to show Christlikeness to my child. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Mother’s Prayer for Patience
A Mother’s Prayer for Patience
What Can You Pray for Patience as a Mother?
Before we think about what we can pray for patience as a mother, we must first understand what patience is. Patience is a virtue. As Christians who pursue wisdom, conviction, and virtue, we exercise virtue by showing patience to others at whom an average person would have already gotten angry. In 2 Peter 1:5, it is clear that part of our Christian faith is having and pursuing virtue. If we are all theology and intellect but no action in terms of virtue, then we are missing something.
Patience is also part of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, as written in Galatians 5:22-23. As Christians, we receive from Christ the gift of the Holy Spirit through which we become His temple. The Holy Spirit is continually at work in us, making us more like Christ daily (Philippians 1:3-6). Proof that we indeed have the Holy Spirit is its work in our lives or the fruit. If our character is far from Christ’s, as the Holy Spirit works in us, we see that we become more loving, gentle, understanding, kind, joyful, peaceful, self-controlled, faithful, and patient. All of these are traits that Christ embodies with His perfect and sinless character.
Patience is also an expression of love. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, it is written that love is patient and kind. It is not rude nor resentful. Also, it endures all things, hopes, and beliefs and bears all. Take note of the words “endure” and “bear.” No matter the conflict or tension with your child, you still show love and patience toward them and bear everything with them. You endure no matter how difficult it is for you because you love your child. But you also don’t stop there. You hope and believe God will work in their lives. Loving your child means that you won’t resent or be rude to them but exercise grace and love, which is an act of being patient.
A Mother’s Prayer for Patience
As you have observed, patience is connected to many aspects. It is the work of the Spirit in us and what we exercise as we love our child. With that, you can pray to God for the grace to love your child by showing patience no matter what. Even as a mother, it can sometimes be difficult for you to have your own emotions. Hence, you will need God’s grace. Since patience is also what the Holy Spirit produces in us, you can pray and ask God to help you to always walk by the Spirit, that you may practice that which is the fruit of the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh, which amounts to being led by anger (Galatians 5:16-17). You can also ask God for the grace to keep in step with the Spirit. That means showing patience whenever the Holy Spirit leads you to show patience.
Heavenly Father, I thank You because showing patience is not something I do alone, but I have the help of the Holy Spirit, who produces the fruit that exhibits Christlikeness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Mother’s Prayer for Patience
How to Pray for Patience
You can pray for patience by identifying the usual scenarios with your child: you are tempted to get angry or always get angry. That would be a helpful reflection since you will also be able to identify the things you must address in your character. But aside from that, you will also know in which instances you need more grace and help from God to exercise patience. Does your child have a particular habit you hate? Are they not listening to you? Perhaps you are so busy with other matters in life that you lash out at your child. Whatever that issue is, it is where you can ask God for grace. Ask the Holy Spirit to work within you and help you exercise patience, keep in step with Him, walk by Him and not by the flesh, and remember to show love to your child just as the Father showed love to you (1 John 4:19).
Father in heaven, I am always tempted to get angry with my child whenever she is not listening to the counsel I give her. However, just as You were patient and at work in my life, so are You at work in my daughter’s life. Help me show patience as You work in her life and provide her with a loving environment in which she can mature. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Parenting is a challenging task. It has to be done with Godly wisdom, knowing when to discipline and when to be patient. That is just a small fraction of parenting. However, one thing is certain: We must raise our children to be men and women who know God. While parenting is no easy endeavor, we are not doing it alone. We do it with God, who gives us wisdom as we obey and revere Him, our heavenly Father.
A Mother’s Prayer for Patience