A Prayer about Less Annoyance and More Overlooking
Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult. (Prov. 12:16 NIV)
A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. (Prov. 19:11 NIV)
Dear Jesus, I just got “busted” by the gospel while reading these Scriptures this morning. I’m annoyed and have been for several days. I won’t try to make excuses; I’ll just come to you as the knotted mess that I am.
As I own my bad attitude, I’m thankful that you’re the consummate “over looker.” It’s not that you don’t take my annoying ways seriously, because you do. But you’re so forbearing, forgiving, and patient with me.
This side of glorification, I don’t really expect to be annoyance free. But certainly the gospel is big enough to help me show my annoyance less quickly, less often, and less harmfully. And certainly the gospel is powerful enough to help me repent quicker when I do act like a fool—taking every insult, offense, cut, quip, and quirk way too seriously.
So, Jesus, give me all the grace and wisdom I need to know what to take seriously and what simply to overlook. Give me gospel bigheartedness and gospel thick skinnedness.
I don’t want to keep a record of annoying things done around me or to me. I don’t want to put every intentional or unintentional slight or aggressive or passive aggressive comment on my iPod and then push the replay button. No good can come from that.
In fact, Jesus, I ask you to help me be far more aware of when I’m the one being unnecessarily annoying or irritating to others. Convict me when my sense of humor leads to someone else’s harm. Help me to steward my words, body language, and “freedoms.” Jesus, help me to give others fewer reasons to need this prayer when they’re around me. I pray in your loving and kind name.
Amen.