How important is patience to your spiritual growth and victory? You may think patience isn’t a big deal, but it is. Bible patience will go after a promise or blessing for as long as it takes. It will keep you standing and believing the Word of God until the full manifestation comes. Spend the next seven days learning how you can begin walking in patience, a fruit of the spirit.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Day 1
Scriptures: Hebrews 6:11-12, Hebrews 10:36
How To Receive Your Heart’s Desires
What are the desires of your heart? In other words, what do you secretly dream about, visualize or imagine?
Maybe you desire to be married or have children. Perhaps you’ve always desired to start a ministry or a business. Or what about financial freedom and abundance? Is that your dream? Whatever the desires of your heart, it’s never too late to receive them. No matter how old you are or how long you’ve been waiting—you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
But here’s where most Christians get hung up. They have a desire, pray for it, maybe even have the faith to receive it…but only for a while. When time ticks away, they grow weary and start to give up.
That’s where the fruit of patience comes in. Hebrews 6:12 tells us how important patience is in the faith equation (see today’s reading). Patience is likely one of the most difficult fruit of the spirit to develop, but it’s required to receive from God.
Most people think patience is sitting and waiting without getting frustrated, but that isn’t quite it. Patience isn’t passive—it’s very active! Patience is persevering in your faith, which means you aren’t letting anything or anyone talk you out of what you’re believing for. And while you’re waiting, you obey God’s commands all along the way.
Patience is defined in the dictionary as “the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.” Patience is divinely designed to undergird all the other fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. It keeps the other fruit of the spirit working so that even when we’re under pressure, we don’t give up and quit.
If you want to see the desires of your heart, develop the active fruit of patience. Persevere in faith, don’t waver from your position—remain obedient, continually grow in God, and above all—Don’t. Give. Up.
Day 2
Scriptures: Proverbs 14:29, Ephesians 4:2, Proverbs 16:32
The Most Potent Fruit
Fruit is much more potent after it’s been developed. If you pick a peach too soon, for example, it isn’t useful for anything. It has to be left on the tree to fully ripen in order to fulfill its purpose.
That’s how it is with patience. When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, it’s present within us, but it’s like a green peach—it’s mostly in seed form. For patience to fulfill its purpose, it has to develop to the point where we can partake of it. It has to be cultivated and watered with the Word of God.
How do we do this?
By studying and meditating on the Word concerning patience. This will help you strengthen that fruit so that it’s operating powerfully in your life. Then, when something in life comes up (and it will come up!), you’ll stop and think before you allow yourself to become short-tempered or hasty in speaking.
The fruit of patience is empowering. It keeps you from damaging your relationships and speaking out of emotion. It protects you from saying something foolish and harming your reputation. That’s a big deal because once words have been spoken, you can’t get them back. You can apologize for them, but they’ll still be out there in the minds of the people who heard them, and they can continue to cause damage.
Patience can prevent that damage from ever taking place! It can save your marriage. It can save your friendships. It can prevent you from becoming exasperated at work and reacting in a way that may cost you your job.
Don’t let the fruit of patience stay green on the tree of your life. Develop it and water it with the Word. Pray in the spirit and practice, practice, practice! You’ll love the results you see.
Day 3
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Patience in Action
We’ve talked about how patience activates and keeps our faith moving until we receive from God. Today, we’re talking about what patience looks like in action.
Let’s remember that patience is also mentioned in THE love verse of the Bible (see today’s reading). What does love have to do with faith and patience? Everything.
Patience includes enduring wrong and ill-treatment without anger or the desire for revenge. It means enduring with people as much as it means enduring through a trial. Love, joy, faith, patience—these are all interconnected. If one is missing, the others won’t work right, and you’ll be left wondering why you aren’t getting a manifestation. Patience springs from love. The Bible says, “love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
So, if you want to have patience that fuels faith, you’ve got to be walking in love and showing patience to those around you. That means your life will reflect the following:
- You don’t snap at people when they frustrate you.
- You don’t make critical or rude remarks to others.
- You are not easily angered.
- You assume the best about others.
- You don’t respond impatiently in stores or on the road.
- You are a patient spouse and parent.
- You don’t become frustrated by the passage of time in any given situation.
- You don’t expect Christians to be perfect. You have patience with their spiritual growth, just as God has patience with you.
- You have patience at all times and in all situations.
Lester Sumrall said, “Long-suffering (patience) is love on trial, love refined and selfishness conquered.” So, if you struggle with patience, you’re struggling with love. And if you don’t have patience working in you, you are not going to reveal a Christlike image to the world.
This week, set a goal to respond patiently. (Yep, you’re going to have plenty of opportunities to practice!) Then, have a game plan. Holding your tongue, counting to 10, deep breathing, praying in the spirit—whatever it takes. And don’t beat yourself up if you miss it. It takes practice! But you will get it. We’re rooting for you.
Day 4
Scriptures: 1 Timothy 6:12, Mark 11:24
Receiving a Miracle
If you need a miracle, the most crucial time in your faith life is the time that passes between your prayer and the manifestation of what you’re believing for.
It’s the time when things are being set in motion in the spirit realm, and yet, in the natural, everything still looks the same. It’s the time you’re most tempted to get discouraged and say, “Nothing is happening! I’ve been believing for this for a long time now, and it hasn’t come. I give up.”
The one thing that will keep your faith moving and your promise coming toward you is the fruit of patience. It gives you the ability to wait without wavering—to never give up. Patience is what keeps believing God—even when symptoms persist or time keeps passing.
Patience is one of the keys to receiving a miracle. You don’t generally get miracles by just having faith for a few minutes and then caving in. You have to “fight the good fight of faith” (see today’s reading).
If you want to see the supernatural happen in your life, you can’t be like the man who described himself as having “a lot of faith, but not much fight.” You need faith that’s aggressive—faith that teams up with patience to pack a one-two punch that puts the devil on the run and brings the impossible to pass!
If you’ve been on the verge of giving up on your miracle—don’t. Get back in the ring. And this time, bring patience with you.
Day 5
Scriptures: Luke 8:15, 2 Corinthians 6:3-7
A Testimony of Patience
On our Believer’s Voice of Victory broadcast years ago, we shared an interview with a family that revealed just how crucial remaining fully persuaded—and patient—can be.
Their son had been in an accident that had severed his spinal cord. His neck was broken in four places and his ear was cut off. He died six times on the operating table, and though they were able to revive him, he went into a coma.
The doctors said he’d never regain consciousness, and if he survived, he’d be in a permanent vegetative state. (Whenever you receive a bad report of any kind, know that you are at a spiritual crossroads—what will you choose?)
This family chose to stand on God’s Word for the boy’s healing. They prayed and agreed that he would live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. Now, here is where patience came in.
For 28 days, they continued to believe and declare the Word over him. For 28 days, even though it looked like nothing was happening, they put faith and patience to work. On day 29, the boy’s spinal cord was miraculously put back together. He came out of the coma and kept getting better until he was totally healed and restored. We showed a video of him running a marathon!
What would have happened if that family had gotten discouraged and quit believing God on day 10 or day 23?
Nothing. That boy would have stayed in the coma and never recovered. That family wouldn’t have gotten their miracle because when faith quits, the miraculous quits.
Patience takes you through the hard places and gets you to victory. Be inspired by this testimony of faith, and think about it the next time you need patience to see a miracle in your own life.
Day 6
Scripture: Philippians 1:11
Patience Is Jesus on Display
One of the most important things about showing patience is that it is one of the most powerful ways to show Jesus to those who don’t know Him.
While others might let the cashier know they’ve had it with the long wait, the patience of Jesus shows love and kindness to that person and outshines the rest. When impatient, inconsiderate people tailgate and honk at slower drivers, your calm and considerate demeanor is a glowing example of Jesus. It makes people stop and wonder why you’re so different.
Patience puts Jesus on display!
What stands out even more is when we are patient with our own difficult circumstances. When we’re standing and believing God for promotion, but we don’t get upset when another is promoted first, we’re displaying supernatural patience and faith that is very attractive to the world. When we are believing for healing and seem to sparkle and smile through symptoms that would defeat others, we send a strong message of who Jesus really is.
How do we get there?
As we consistently fellowship with Him by spending time in prayer and in the Word, we’ll bear the fruit of His patience almost unconsciously. Others will start to see it in us, most likely even before we do, and be touched by its sweetness. And they’ll be more receptive to the gospel (see today’s reading).
This week, endeavor to let Jesus be on display in your life, as you show patience in situations where most others would not. Your life is your testimony!
Day 7
Scriptures: Ephesians 6:4, 1 Peter 3:1-2, 1 Corinthians 16:14
Patience in the Family
Patience goes a long way in a marriage and in parenting. In fact, it is an essential ingredient in a successful family environment.
Marriage brings two imperfect people together as one, and if you’re married, you know it takes work! Patience on your part will do wonders for your relationship. Whenever you’re tempted to be irritated with your spouse’s habits or failings, be patient instead. Turn your attention toward their good qualities. Then, focus on ways you can become a better husband or wife. (There’s plenty to work on in both parties!)
Work to respond in love to your spouse. That doesn’t mean you don’t share your feelings—open communication is vital to a healthy relationship. But when you do, do so with love and patience, not animosity.
The same is true with children. Love will always involve discipline and correction, but these should always be done with patience and love. Little ones and teenagers, in particular, require a special grace. Ask God to help you to be a patient parent and work to develop the fruit of patience in your parenting. In modeling this for your children, you’ll find they respond better to you and will naturally display patience themselves.
God shows so much patience to each one of us, and it blesses Him when we share that patience with those around us. If you find you’ve been impatient with your spouse or children, spend this week focusing your prayer and quiet time with the Lord on developing the fruit of patience in your family. It’s an investment worth making.