A Prayer to Be Graceful When You’re Annoyed - Your Daily Prayer - January 26
A Prayer to Be Graceful When You’re Annoyed
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8, NIV
Listen or Read Below:
Honestly, life with other people can be messy. People will annoy you sometimes. They’ll be late to meet you, forget what you told them, say something insensitive, chew too loudly, and act in many other annoying ways. Annoying behaviors can stack up, and before you know it, you can feel irritated and frustrated.
When you’re annoyed, you’ll be tempted to react in kind by snapping back in anger or holding a grudge. You might feel justified. After all, it was the other people who messed up. But God calls you to be graceful – even when you’re annoyed – because God has given you grace for your own mistakes.
The Bible encourages you in 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” The word “covers” in this verse is an excellent way to describe how God’s grace works in these situations. When people make annoying mistakes, they’re exposing the fact that sometimes they sin, as we all do sometimes in this fallen world. You may be tempted to point it out or to make them pay for it. However, this verse suggests that when you love deeply, that love acts like a strong blanket, covering it up instead of exposing it to the harsh light of judgment and resentment.
This is the essence of grace. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve (God’s favor), and not getting what you do deserve (God’s judgment). When you choose grace in your relationships, you’re extending that same undeserved kindness to someone else who needs it. You can afford to do this because you’ve already been given the ultimate grace of salvation from God. Your relationship with God is built entirely on God’s grace. We all need God’s grace to cover our sins – including the sins that annoy other people. Think about the times when you’ve been late to an appointment, made insensitive comments, or done other annoying things. Yet, God has continued to love you. God has covered your sins completely through the sacrifice of Jesus.
The bad behavior that annoys you in other people – such as carelessness, rudeness, and self-centeredness – comes from the same fundamental brokenness that God has completely forgiven in you. Choosing to be graceful is a powerful way of honoring your graceful God, as well as honoring the people God calls you to love. Here’s how you can put 1 Peter 4:8 into practice when people’s sins annoy you:
- Before reacting to annoying behavior, take a moment to breathe and offer a quick, silent prayer asking God to help you see the people who annoy you the way God sees them. This pause can help you prevent saying or doing something you regret in anger, and gives you time to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to respond.
- Ask yourself why the people might be acting in annoying ways. Are they stressed? Are they in pain? Are they simply tired? Understanding why they may be making bad choices can give you some empathy for them as fellow human beings who struggle sometimes, just like you do.
- Choose to cover their mistakes by loving them anyway. Of course, if people sin against you in serious ways, you need to address those issues. But for the multitude of small, annoying sins that people commit, you can choose to let them go. Making that choice can prevent minor annoyances from turning into major walls between you and other people.
It can be challenging to choose grace when you feel annoyed. But the more you do so, the easier it becomes, because you know that God will help you every single time. Being graceful when you’re annoyed is worth it. When you do, God’s love will flow through your life into the lives of others, blessing everyone along the way!
Let’s Pray:
Dear God, I confess that when people annoy me, my first reaction is sometimes to get angry with them, judge them, or hold a grudge against them. I can forget how often I need grace myself. Thank you for loving me so deeply that you covered over my multitude of sins through Jesus’s saving work on the cross. Because you gave me that gift, I know I have no right to withhold it from others. When someone does something annoying, please help me stop before I react.
Fill my heart with your deep love so it can act like a blanket, covering their mistakes instead of exposing them. Help me to choose grace over grievance every single time I find myself feeling annoyed. May your grace inspire me to give others grace. Help me to see them from your perspective, so I can remember that we’re all broken and in need of your saving love. I want your love to flow through my relationships.
Thank you, God. Amen.
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Photo Credit: GettyImages/fizkes
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