A prayer for patience

Father in Heaven,

This wasn’t my best day. You already know this, as you know all things. But I must confess them now to you. I feel like I failed as a father today. I allowed my sons disobedience and petulance push me past my boundaries.

I let my frustrations at his choice to not listen to me drive me to be angry with him, to lose my patience with him, and to raise my voice to him.

Lord, I tried to reinforce my love of him in the calm moments. But I failed to remember that my own disobedience to you and choice to not listen to you should have, and probably has, made you angry. Yet through all that you never get mad at me, you never raise your voice to m. You show me endless mercy and grace, always loving me.

Lord, help me to remember that when my son acts towards me like I sometimes act towards you, that I must treat him the way you treat me. Always with compassion, with endless mercy and grace, and always with love.