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5 Bible Verses to Help You Be Patient (KJV)

Five KJV verses on patience, from James 1:3-4 to 2 Peter 3:9, and the two Greek words behind them: endurance in trials and slowness to anger.

BIBLE VERSES

7/23/20243 min read

Two kinds of patience in five verses

These five KJV verses teach the two kinds of patience the Bible asks of us: holding steady when life is hard, and staying gentle when people are hard. The New Testament has a word for each. Greek hupomone means endurance, literally remaining under a load; makrothumia, translated “longsuffering,” means being slow to anger.

1. James 1:3-4: Patience is grown, not summoned

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:3-4, KJV)

James does not say trials prove you already have patience. He says trials “work” it, the way exercise builds a muscle. That is why he can tell people under pressure to count it joy (James 1:2): the trial is doing something. Patience here is hupomone, the strength to stay under the weight without walking away from God.

Romans 12:12 — patient in tribulation

2. Romans 12:12: Patience needs company

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12, KJV)

Paul never lists patience alone. It sits between hope and prayer, and the order matters. Hope looks ahead to what God has promised, prayer brings the present trouble to him, and patience is what holds you steady between the two. If you are trying to be patient by gritting your teeth, add the other two.

3. Psalm 37:7: Rest instead of fret

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7, KJV)

The Hebrew verb behind “fret” means to grow hot, to burn. The psalm repeats it three times (verses 1, 7 and 8) because watching the wrong people succeed is exactly what overheats us.

gold cross statue under white clouds during daytime

Psalm 37:7 — rest in the LORD

4. Colossians 3:12: Patience with people

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” (Colossians 3:12, KJV)

This is makrothumia, patience with people rather than with circumstances. Paul pictures it as clothing you “put on” each morning. It belongs to the same family as the fruit of the Spirit, where longsuffering is listed by name (Galatians 5:22).

2 Peter 3:9 — God is longsuffering

5. 2 Peter 3:9: God’s patience with us

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV)

Peter was answering people who mocked, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:4). His reply is that what looks like delay is mercy. Every day the Lord waits is another day for someone to repent, possibly someone you love.

This is the root of the other four. We can be patient with a slow answer and a difficult neighbour because God has been patient with us far longer. Romans 15:5 even calls him “the God of patience.”

Practise it this week

Choose the situation that tries your patience most. Pray Romans 12:12 over it by name each morning for seven days, and notice whether hope or prayer is the one you have been missing.