Helpful Verses to Pray When You are Frustrated and Angry

Being frustrated and angry seems to be the theme of the day. How you and I act on our frustrations and anger needs God's help, wisdom, and prayer. #Anger #Frustration #Prayer #BibleStudy #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG #BlessingBloggers

Do you ever feel like the world is drowning in frustration and anger?

Just turn on the news or spend a little time on social media and you’d start to believe that frustrated and angry appears to be the mood of the day.

Add to that moms and dads being confined at home with their restless children of all ages and … well, need I say more. The truth is feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration are flooding over many of us.

Psychologists will tell you that fear and anxiety often express themselves as anger. So, I guess we really shouldn’t be surprised that we’re seeing a more open expression as people vent their frustration and discontent.

And of course…

We all want to justify our anger. Everyone wants to believe their anger is “righteous.” It makes us feel better to use the verses that talk about times Jesus expressed anger to justify our own emotional rants.

But I wonder how often I label my anger as “righteous” when it’s really “self-righteous?” I wonder how often I’m outraged because things aren’t going the way I believe they should or because I believe a worldly lie that has nothing at all to do with “righteousness.”

God created us with emotions and anger is one of them. This side of heaven there will always be times when you and I get frustrated and angry. It’s a given! As we said, even Jesus got angry at moments.

But…

Jesus was able to be angry without sinning. He had perfect discernment to know people’s hearts and minds, motives and attitudes. We don’t! So, we need to take a careful look at what God’s Word says to know how He wants us to react when our negative emotions begin to boil over.

Because . . . it’s okay to be angry but it’s not okay to impulsively act on our anger.

I’m going to God’s Word and prayer today . . . asking for His help to know, trust, and obey His will when it comes to handling my frustration and anger.

Verses to Pray When You Are Frustrated and Angry

You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them.
Nehemiah 9:17

Father, Your Word says “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) It says that sin angers You. (Romans 6:23) Yet, it also tells us You are full of love, grace, and mercy. (2 John 1:3) And that because of Your love, grace, and mercy, Jesus suffered our punishment for us.

You faithfully show us Your patience and unfailing love. You are a God of forgiveness. You did not abandon Your people long ago and You will not abandon Your children today. Thank you for showing us the way to be angry without sinning. Thank you for Your overwhelming life-changing love.

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Psalm 4:4

Father, You understand anger. I believe You gave us our emotions and I believe You want me to be angry about evil, injustice, and sin but You don’t want me to sin when I’m angry.

May I follow Your example and let love be the force that guides me. Please forgive me for the times I’ve hurt someone through angry words or actions. And by the power of Your Spirit, grant me the gift of patience that I might come to You in prayer when I’m angry asking for Your guidance that I might know how to address the issue in love without adding to the problem in frustration. Help me, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

Father, give me a gentle answer that comes from a tender heart when frustration overwhelms me and my mind fills with the unkind words I’d like to speak. Please help me remember to put relationships ahead of self-righteousness. Help me respond gently and forgive quickly. Help me love like Jesus. Amen.

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26

Father, I’ll admit, it’s hard to remember that I don’t always have to allow my emotions to control me. Feelings are a gift from You and many of them help me enjoy life’s experiences. Things like love, happiness, enthusiasm, and hope. But negative emotions like fear, hate, grief, and anger are also part of this life . . . feelings introduced when sin entered the world.

Satan still tempts us with doubt. Overwhelms us with frustration. And incites us with anger. Please forgive my failures and weakness, and help me stand against the enemy by overcoming anger with love.

On my own, I can’t do this, but with You, I can do everything . . . even let go of anger. (Philippians 4:13)

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
James 1:19–21

Father, I’m sorry. Make me quick to listen and slow to speak. Too often I do exactly the opposite. Please slow me down when anger starts to rise in me. Lord, I surrender my emotions to You, please help me. Fill my heart and mind with Your truth. Defeat the enemy’s efforts to distort Your Word and divide Your children. Teach us, Lord, by the power of Your Spirit. Help me stand on the power of Your Word when he tempts me with lies, pride, and self-righteousness.

Please keep me focused on You, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You alone are my hope and my salvation. I surrender this day to You. With your help, I believe I can control my anger in ways that shine the light of Your love and give You glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Oh, friends, it’s hard, isn’t it?!

I don’t want to stop and think when I’m frustrated. I don’t want to pause for prayer when I’m angry.

I want to vent my “truth” and let everyone know exactly how they’ve upset and offended me.

But then I read…

Patience is better than pride. Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
Ecclesiastes 7:8b–9

Ouch!

I don’t want to wear the “fool” label. And I’m guessing you don’t want to wear it either.

And we don’t have to . . . with God’s help, we can be frustrated and angry without sinning.

Because we have the Spirit living with and within us. We have God’s love to guide us. And we have His example to follow…

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:9,11

Are you ready to build someone up with God’s love for God’s glory even when you’re frustrated and angry? I know it won’t be easy but I believe with God’s help, I believe we can do all things . . . even this.

And just for fun, in the comments answer the following question:

What do you do to avoid foolish temper flares?

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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Why You Need to be Patient When You’re Angry

6 / 20 / 167 / 7 / 16

Ooh, you’re angry.

You want to let them have it . . . a full-blown verbal attack. Or even better, you could tell your friends. Really, people should know. It could protect them in the future.

And it would feel so good.

Because . . . well, this was just wrong and you’re furious!

I understand.

I’ve been there.

Hasn’t everyone wanted a little revenge on occasion?

But the funny thing is—any time I’ve gone ahead and used my verbal scalpel or told anyone who will listen about the injustice I’ve received . . . it didn’t help. In fact, I ended up feeling worse not better.

Not one time has my decision to get even ever worked the way it was supposed to.

We live in a sinful world and anger is a normal part of it, but as followers of Jesus, you and I have been told to not let anger become sin.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians…

If you are angry, do not let it become sin. Get over your anger before the day is finished. v. 4:26

Just how is that supposed to work? Seriously?

I believe two things are essential if we want to avoid sin when we’re angry.

Prayer and Patience!

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. Matthew 5:43–44

You have to begin with prayer. Immediately. Oh, I wish I could remember this. As I feel the blood start to rush as my pulse quickens . . . I want my first reaction to be prayer. Because with God’s help it is so much easier to remember:

Be Patient – it’s Better than Getting Even

1. Patience can give you time to think rationally about the problem.

Stop. Breathe. Pray. It will give you time to think through the situation. Maybe the person had a terrible day. Maybe they misread the situation. Maybe they’re just mean and you’re not going to change them. Whatever the reasons . . . stopping to think before you react will help you follow Jesus words from Matthew 5:

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” v. 38–39

Impossible? NO!

Hard? Absolutely!

Remember, your patient love and forgiveness will show others God’s patient love and forgiveness.

2. Patience will help you learn from the experience.

There is always something to learn. Always. Knowing how to deal with difficult people is an important life skill. There will always be people who hurt or upset you, and knowing how to respond is essential. An angry outburst or any form of revenge can blow up a career or ruin a relationship. And you just might miss out on something you needed to learn.

And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. Romans 5:4–5

3. Patience makes it possible for you to move forward positively.

You can’t let go of what happened until you let go! (I know. Profound. Right?) But angry words and/or actions just prolong the problem and make it harder to move on through forgiveness.

“It is commonly said that revenge is sweet, but to a calm and considerate mind, patience and forgiveness are sweeter.” ~Isaac Barrow

4. Patience with understanding may help you realize this isn’t about you.

If you’ve ever brought a bad day home with you or experienced a little road rage on your commute, you know that often ugliness happens because we’re upset about something else. Stopping to breathe, pray, and think will often help you understand the real source of the problem.

“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” ~Marcus Aurelius

5. Patience gives the wound time to heal.

The size of the wound often determines the amount of time it takes to heal. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with the people around you who may not understand. Spend time in God’s presence and allow Him to calm your spirit and heal your heart.

“Comfort experiences the presence of God in the presence of suffering—a presence that empowers me to survive scars and plants the seed of hope that I will yet thrive.” ~Dr. Robert Kelleman

6. Patience is obedience.

Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love. Ephesians 4:2

I know. Sometimes you just don’t want to be humble and patient. You feel justified in being angry and hurt. And more than that, you are positive the offender deserves your payback. You may be right. But you won’t be obedient.

Just something to think about…

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. Romans 12:17–19

7. Patience trusts God to take care of it.

Your Father loves you! He wants what’s best for you! He is able to accomplish His will for you. Let Him handle it. You simply speak the truth with kindness.

I’m not suggesting you become a someone’s personal punching bag. It’s perfectly okay to let someone know their words or actions are hurtful, but the rest . . . leave it to God.

Don’t say, “I’ll pay you back for the wrong you did.” Wait for the Lord, and He will make things right. Proverbs 20:22

I know! It’s hard. And you may even be thinking it’s impossible or I don’t want to!

I understand. Believe me, I’ve been there.

It’s just that this love of Jesus. This patient love. It works.

So, stop, breath, pray, and remember patience is love.

“Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity. Love like there’s no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again.” ~Max Lucado

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Is it Possible to be Angry and Humble at the Same Time?

5 / 23 / 167 / 7 / 16

Is it Possible to be Angry and Humble at the Same Time?

Yes!

There are a whole list of things that should make you angry.

Things like:

Evil. Sin. Terrorism. God being dishonored. Injustice. Cruelty. And that’s just the short list.

Unfortunately, most anger isn’t that global. Most of your anger and mine triggered by selfishness and self-righteousness. Most anger is waaay more personal.

What’s your hot button?

Oh, come on, you know you have one. More than one? Yeah, me too.

And I’ll bet those closest to you know exactly how to push those buttons and set you off, make your blood, get on your last nerve, or whatever you like to call it.

Then there are all those rude and annoying people you don’t know personally but with whom you have to interact daily . . . it’s almost enough to make you want to just stay home.

But that’s where the people who know your hot buttons live.

What is a person supposed to do?

Is it possible to be angry and humble at the same time?

It must be or Paul would not have said,

When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you. Ephesians 4:26–27

So, we know:

Anger is an emotion. It happens. Anger itself is not a sin.
It’s possible to be angry and not sin.
It’s important to let go of anger quickly.
The devil can use anger to defeat us.

Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:31–32

[Tweet “”Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.” ~Billy Graham”]

So anger itself is okay, but don’t shout angrily or say things to hurt others isn’t.

Be kind and loving. Stay humble.

That’s just easier said than done, isn’t it? I can do it . . . when I’m not angry!

I need help. So, I came up with the following list for myself and thought it might help you too.

7 Ways to Stay Humble When You’re Angry

1. Stop – Don’t do or say anything right away.

2. Breathe – Take 5 to 10 slow calming breaths.

3. Control your thoughts – Humility rejects self-focused self-righteous thoughts.

4. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes – Humility considers the pain or problems other people are having.

5. Think about the goal of your next step – Do you want to win? Get even? Humility always strives to resolve and heal.

6. Choose the relationship over winning or revenge – Humility always puts the relationship first.

7. Maintain self-control and use carefully chosen words – Humility confronts when it’s needed but uses self-control and always tries to help not hurt.

My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily, because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants. James 1:19–20

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1

It’s hard, though, isn’t it? Especially in the heat of the moment.

And most of the time it’s not one sided…

What if the other person is angry with you?

Do #1–7 twice!

It’s okay to ask:

“Can we take a little time before we talk about this? I’m afraid we’ll say things we’ll regret if we fight about this right now.”

But make sure you come back and talk about it. Stuffing emotions and never resolving problems will not help your relationships.

I’m not a fighter. It takes a lot to make me angry, but I’ve got buttons just like you do.

I’m reading Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. I love her reminder to remember who the enemy is. Your spouse. Your kids. Your parents or siblings. Your neighbors. Your co-workers. The person who cut you off in traffic. They are not the enemy.

The enemy of your heart, mind, and spirit is constantly trying hurt you by destroying your relationships.

Your father the devil, was a murderer from the beginning and was against the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he shows what he is really like, because he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

But the enemy has been defeated. You and I don’t have to give him power over our relationships. We have direct access to the One who won the victory over this liar. So pray!

Lift up every single person, thing, or situation that makes you angry. Pray for victory over how you handle your anger and help to heal and bless your relationships.

Bottom line…

Be angry. It’s okay. There are things that should make you angry.

“If we would be angry and not sin (says one), we must be angry at nothing but sin; and we should be more jealous for the glory of God than for any interest or reputation of our own.” ~Matthew Henry

But stay humble.

Listen. Choose your words carefully . . . ask God to help you honor Him and bless your relationships.

One more thing to think about…

I have a friend who says, “If everyone is making you angry you need to stop and think about the common denominator.” It might be time for a little soul-searching.

“A woman told Billy Sunday that she had a bad temper, but it was over in a minute. “So is a shotgun, but it blows everything to pieces,” was his reply

What do you think? What’s your best tip for staying humble even when you’re angry?

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts below.

Would you do me a favor — if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone else? Maybe a friend, coworker, or family member…

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…