Ask Spirit For Patience This Holiday Season

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, togetherness, and celebration. But for some of us, it can also be a time of tension, distress, and intense emotions.

Instead of being a time of gratitude, love, and connection, for some of us the holidays mark the resurfacing of old family conflicts, unresolved tensions, and the weight of others’ overwhelming expectations or criticisms.

These challenges often lead to frustration, sadness, anger, or feelings of being overwhelmed, turning what should be a time of love and belonging into one that underscores where our relationships with loved ones are most strained.

At this point, asking spirit or your higher power to help you cultivate the virtue of patience becomes a powerful way to stay grounded and centered.

Patience isn’t just about enduring difficult moments; it’s about being aware of those moments and choosing to respond with grace and dignity rather than impulsively. When tensions rise — perhaps during a family dinner where conversations may become heated or awkward — it is easy to fall back on old patterns and habitual responses. Asking for spiritual support and protection in these moments, however, can provide a higher perspective and an empowered response.

Whether it’s through a silent prayer, a few deep breaths, whispering your favorite mantra, or simply making a conscious call for help in your mind, spiritual presence can help you pause, step back, ground and center, and approach the situation calmly and with more compassion — for yourself and others.

One of the greatest challenges of the holidays is the pressure to maintain the appearance of happiness, even when things are less than perfect. Family gatherings often bring up bad memories, old wounds, and stale conflicts that we’ve put aside during the year. In these moments, the practice of asking spirit to support you with patience becomes essential.

Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures ~ Joseph Addison

It’s not about suppressing your feelings or pretending that everything is fine. Instead, it’s about inviting calm and clarity so you can face challenging situations with a clearer mind and an open heart. Practicing patience allows you to step back, reflect, and respond with intention rather than letting your emotions dictate your actions.

When we feel impatient or angry with family members, it’s often not just about the current situation or interactions. Old resentments, misunderstandings, and unmet expectations may be fueling these toxic emotions. Asking God, Source, Spirit, the Divine, to guide you toward patience is an invitation to look beyond the surface and gain insight into the deeper reasons for your reactions.

I remember a holiday gathering a few years ago that really tested my patience. My family and I were all together under one roof, and as much as I wanted to enjoy the time, old dynamics quickly resurfaced. I was about to share something important and a family member interrupted me and dismissed what I was saying as unimportant.

This was not the first time this had happened, and it brought up a lot of old hurts. I felt the heat of anger rising in me, and before I knew it, I snapped back with a sharp comment. In the moment I felt justified in my reaction, but afterwards I was filled with regret. I knew that my anger was not just about this one incident; it was the accumulation of years of feeling unheard and dismissed by this family member. But the reaction had already come out, and I could see the hurt on her face.

I went to my room, closed my eyes, and asked spirit to help me find patience, not only for the rest of the evening, but for myself. I needed patience to sit with my feelings and see where they were really coming from. As I took deep breaths and asked spirit to guide me, I realized that my anger was less about what had just happened and more about the lingering pain from childhood memories of feeling rejected. Spirit helped me to see that I had the opportunity in that moment to break the cycle by responding differently. I realized that what I really needed was not validation from my family member, but from myself.

With this clarity, I was able to go back downstairs and approach the situation with a softened heart. I apologized for my outburst and expressed how I felt, not in a blaming way, but from a place of vulnerability. The response I received was surprising — they actually listened, and it turned into a healing conversation. It was not perfect, but it was a start, and it reminded me how patience can turn even the most tense situations into opportunities for growth.

The holidays remind us of the importance of love, family, and connection, but they are also a time to practice patience, forgiveness, and self-compassion. Asking spirit to support you with your patience doesn’t magically resolve all conflicts, but it does create the space for you to approach challenges with an open heart and greater spiritual presence.

Patience is a gift that allows us to bring light into the darkest corners of our relationships, transforming conflict into opportunities for deeper understanding. It’s a way to honor ourselves and others by transforming tension into connection and frustration into growth.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow and move through the rest of the holiday season, consider inviting spirit and the divine into your moments of challenge. Let patience become a bridge to greater peace, love, harmony, and healing – one breath, one prayer, one conscious choice at a time.

The practice of patience toward one another, the overlooking of one another’s defects, and the bearing of one another’s burdens is the most elementary condition of all human and social activity in the family, in the professions, and in society ~ Lawrence G. Lovasik

A Prayer For Patience During the Holidays

Divine Spirit of Love and Light,

As I navigate the complexities of relationships and life this holiday season, I ask for your guidance to remain centered and calm.

Grant me the patience to embrace each moment with grace, even when emotions run high or challenges arise.

Help me to pause, breathe, and respond with understanding, instead of reacting out of frustration or anger.

Fill my heart with compassion – for myself and for others. Let me see beyond the surface to the love and connection that unites us, even when it seems non-existent.

Remind me that peace and love begins within, and with your support, I can carry that peace into my actions, my words, and my relationships.

Thank you for walking beside me, offering strength, clarity, and the wisdom to grow through all that this season brings.

In peace, love, and gratitude, may it be so. Amen.