“Never pray for patience or bad things will happen in order to build your patience.”God definitely expects us to be patient, so much so that patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22
Life is full of patience-trying situations and people already! There are plenty of opportunities to exercise that which is supposed to be active in our lives including self-control and the leaving behind of our sinful nature. (Fruit in the Bible represents deeds.) We do absolutely need his strength and power to behave as he has commanded us. So pray but rather than praying for patience we would do better to pray for strength and focus to do what we already know to do--that is, be obedient. And no, I don’t think bad things will happen as a result of prayer—just a testing and a greater awareness of the need.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9,10
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