As we let go of trying to be perfect, fewer people will irritate us. It’s a much freer life, because we take responsibility for communicating what is going on inside of us. Then we give it to the Lord and let Him save, heal, and redeem. When we see someone who irritates us, it’s helpful to say, “But for the grace of God, there goeth I.”

Ask the Lord to help you open the door to the part of you that is irritated, and go downstairs with Him to face that demanding part of you. Because as the old saying goes, “No one can get your goat, unless you have a goat in there to get.” Ask Jesus to help you face the goat in you, so that other person won’t irritate you as much anymore. If you can pray in tongues, it’s very helpful. For those who don’t pray in tongues, they can always say, “When did I first remember feeling this way?” Jesus will take them back to when they first started giving themselves permission to be irritated at other people. 

“Lord, you call us to love. I would like to learn how to love instead of judging. Because I wouldn’t be irritated if I hadn’t judged them. You call us to leave the judgment up to you. Help me break this bad habit of feeling I have a right to throw irritation at others. Lord teach me to turn to you and put it in your Hands. Teach me to ask You how I should handle something that irritates me and how I can handle it the way you would handle it. Jesus, you don’t like it when I lose peace. You say that drives you away from me, because you’re the Prince of Peace, and you’re attracted to peace. You’re not attracted to irritation and judgment and above all resentment. So, I want to keep my relationship with you. It’s not worth being irritated. Please help me, Lord.”