Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) and I believe it is very much a part of love. In the description of love found in 1 Corinthians 13:4 the first thing it says about love is that love is patient.

There are 2 primary words for patience in the NT; the meaning of one is patience with people and the other is more patience with circumstances. Col 3:12 is an example of patience with people. Here the word can also be translated as long suffering; with the sense of restraint in terms of revenge when people try our patience. Hebrews 10:36 is an example of patience in circumstances where it says we need to have patience or endurance, so we can see the manifestation of what we are believing God for; despite contradictory circumstances.

So, we see that when it comes to patience in the face of circumstances, it is very much tied together with faith as it says in Hebrews 6:12 (KJV): "faith and patience inherit the promises". In Mark 11:24 we read “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”. We believe that our prayers are answered when we pray but the physical manifestation of the answer to our prayers may take some time to arrive; this calls for patience.

As we meditate on God’s word concerning patience, the Holy Spirit can develop that fruit within us.

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Throughout the bible, in the New and Old Testaments, we are exhorted to fear God (Prov 3:7; Mtth 10:28). If we study these words out in the context they are used, the fear we are discussing is not a terrible, dread but a reverential fear, awe and respect of our mighty God. In Psalms 111:10 (KJV) we can see the principle result of this fear in our lives: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever”.

To fear God is to walk in reverential awe of his might and majesty but it is also to walk in obedience and praise. The Bible is full of the benefits of fearing God as we have described that kind of fear above. Read Psalm 112 today to see these benefits described. This Psalm tells us that the men who fear God are blessed; walk in the light, are wealthy, righteous, gracious, discrete, full of faith, fearless, victorious, generous and never moved.

“The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” (Prov 19:23) God said that those who feared him would be his and that he would make them his jewels (Mal 3:16-17). I like that.

Not so for the men who do not fear God, the Bible tells us it will not go well for them (Eccl 8:13).

It would seem you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make the best decision here.

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Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27; KJV). The word for “peace” here is “eirene” which means; a state of tranquility, rest and confidence in our relationship with Christ Jesus no matter what is happening around us.

Notice that Jesus leaves us his peace but we have a part to play too. We must not allow agitation, anxiety or permit fear. 1 Peter 3:11 says that we must search for peace and seek it eagerly. Seek in this context is not passive but means an active, aggressive and persistent search.

Isaiah wrote that if we truly trust God and keep our focus on him, we can enjoy his perfect peace (Isa 26:3). The writer of Psalm 119 put it a little differently in writing that if we loved God’s word, we would enjoy great peace (Ps 119:165).

The Bible also says that God is our peace and we must allow it to: "rule in our hearts" (Col. 3:15). If that is the case then to enjoy this peace, we need to meditate on it, confess it and believe it.

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“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33-34; KJV). This verse in Matthews Gospel is part of an exhortation that we should not worry about the things we need, as God will supply. God answers all of our prayers as long as we ask according to his word (1 John 5:14-15) and in faith (Mark 11:24). In fact, Jesus said to Martha before he raised Lazarus from the dead: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God" (John 11:40-41)?

As Christians we sometimes need to learn to take the limits off of God, to let him out of the tiny box of expectations that we keep him in. We serve a mighty God, one who created the universe and each of us (Gen 1). James tells us that: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). That’s every good and perfect gift, and notice it says that God does not change.

The Bible tells us that God wants to open the floodgates of heaven on our lives and bless us so abundantly that we won’t have room to contain it (Mal 3:10). In Ephesians it is written that our God can; “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20) and in First Corinthians (2:9) Paul tells us that man cannot fathom, grasp or appreciate with his senses all that God has for those who love him.

If we genuinely love and seek after God it is his heart’s desire to bless us in every way possible.

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“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and I will look up" (Ps 5:3; KJV). Here’s the best way to start your day; this verse perfectly illustrates what prayer is; a two-way conversation with God. King David prayed to God and looked to him for his reply.

You don’t have to follow any set rules for prayer, and you don’t need to try and pray like some other person that you admire; God just wants us to pray from our heart and be ourselves; that simple!

We also know that Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer, and if it was important for him, then how much more so for us. We also learn from John16:23 that we should pray to God the Father in Jesus name; and if we pray according to God's will then we will receive what we ask for. (1 John 5:14,15).

There are many positive results from developing a prayer life, the main one being that we will get to know God better and we will therefore become more like him.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.