Patience is hard – waiting for a diagnosis, for an answer, for change, or dealing with difficult people. The Bible often speaks of patience and calls it a fruit of the Spirit. Here you will find 21 Bible verses about patience.
Waiting patiently
Verses for waiting times.
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Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, continue steadfastly in prayer.
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Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret over the one who prospers in his own way.
Psalm 37:7Rest
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Wait patiently for the LORD! Be strong and let your heart be steadfast, and wait patiently for the LORD!
Psalm 27:14Answered prayerEncouragement
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I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined his ear to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:2Answered prayer
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For the LORD is gracious to those who wait patiently for him, and to the soul that seeks him. It is a good thing to wait patiently and hope in the LORD.
Lamentations 3:25-26Answered prayer
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But those who wait patiently for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31Dry seasonsHope
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For the prophecy shall be fulfilled in its time, and at last come plainly forth, and shall not be delayed. But though it tarries, wait patiently for it: for it will surely come, and shall not tarry.
Habakkuk 2:3Answered prayer
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Be now therefore patient, beloved, until the very time of the LORD. Behold, a farmer waits patiently for the precious fruit of the earth, and is patient with it, until he receives the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient, and strengthen your hearts; for the time of the LORD is at hand.
James 5:7-8
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But ye have need of patience, that ye may do the will of God and receive the promise.
Hebrews 10:36
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For we wait for that which we have not seen, through patience we wait for it.
Romans 8:25
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The end of a thing is better than its beginning. A patient spirit is better than a high spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Patience with others
Patience as a fruit of the Spirit.
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.
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Put on therefore, ye therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, patience; and bear with one another, and forgive one another, if any have a complaint against another; even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so also ye.
Colossians 3:12-13
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With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2GentlenessHumility
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Love is longsuffering and kind; love rejoiceth not, love is not puffed up.
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But we exhort you, beloved, admonish the unruly, comfort the feeble, bear the weak, be patient with all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:14Weakness
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He that is patient is wise; but he that is impatient revealeth his folly.
Proverbs 14:29Anger
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A man of anger stirreth up strife; but a patient man shall quench anger.
Proverbs 15:18Strife
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The LORD is not slow concerning his promise, as some do reckon that he is slow; but is longsuffering to us, that he would not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9RepentanceHell
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The LORD is gracious and full of tender mercy, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness.
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Or dost thou despise the riches of his goodness, patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:4RepentanceKindness
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
Related Topics
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Patience – patience – is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit. The poster reminds us every day.
Fruit of the Spirit Poster - PatiencePoster about patience as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).€12
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Easy Yoke Knitwear CardiganKnit cardigan from the Easy Yoke collection – to breathe and arrive.€68
Patience in the Bible
The Bible is full of those who wait: Abraham waits twenty-five years for the promised son, Joseph for years in prison, Israel for forty years in the wilderness, the prophets for centuries for the Messiah. Patience is therefore not passive waiting in the Bible, but active trust. James compares it to a farmer waiting for the harvest: “Behold, a farmer waits patiently for the precious fruit of the earth, and is patient with it, until he receives the early and the latter rain” (James 5:7). He cannot make it rain, but he knows that it will come.
Patience as a fruit of the Spirit
In Galatians 5:22, patience follows directly after love, joy, and peace. The Greek word makrothymia literally means “long-tempered” or “long-tempered anger” – that is, an anger that takes a long time to break out. God himself is often described as “patient” (Psalm 103:8), and his patience with people is the reason he has not yet intervened: “He is longsuffering to us, that he would not that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). You will find more verses in Bible verses about time, Bible verses about hope, and Bible verses about answered prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bible verse is about patience?
Romans 12:12, James 5:7-8, Psalm 37:7, Lamentations 3:26, and Ecclesiastes 7:8 are well known.
Is patience a fruit of the Spirit?
Yes. Paul calls patience one of the nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.
