How do you increase your faith? I used to struggle with this as a young Christian. But through the years I’ve learned at least three simple ways to help build and increase my faith:
1. Read the Word
Or at least hear God’s Word. Romans 10:17 (NKJV) says, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
If no one had ever told me about Jesus and about God’s plan for my life, or if I had never read for myself about Him, I would be clueless about the need for faith.
Reading or hearing God’s Word is like planting a garden. If you want to grow or “build” a garden, you must first plant the seeds, or the actual plant/flower. God’s Word is the seed that grows the faith. Knowing His promises, what God says about you, about life, about Jesus’ plan for eternal life won’t transplant into your brain by osmosis. Become familiar with the Bible, and what faith is all about, and meditating on its contents will give you the basis for growing or increasing your faith.
Some people think the Bible isn’t relevant today. History repeats itself. Some things never change. And God’s Word is one of them. His truths are as sound and relevant today as they were when they were first spoken and written. Through the power of God’s Spirit, they become life to us, give us strength, and empower us to be who God wants us to be.
The Bible is God’s love story to us. How can we possibly know of His deep, unconditional love without hearing His Word?
2. Heed the Word
James 1:22-24 (NLT) offers a second way to increase your faith: For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
What I see in the mirror when I first wake up is not the most beautiful sight. If I simply walk away from the “bedhead” image without grabbing a brush (and maybe makeup), I’ll get busy and forget (until someone reminds me).
If we fail to heed what we’re reading, and ignore what God is telling us, then our faith grows stagnant and we suffer the consequences. It took faith for us to become children of God in the first place. In order to grow and increase our faith, we need to use that “measure” of faith God gives to everyone and build on it.
3. Test the Word
There’s a difference in “testing” God by “contesting” Him (seeing how far God’s patience will go with your own self will) and “testing,” or proving God’s Word is true. Malachi 3:9-11 (NIV) offers one practical way God says we can prove Him faithful to His Word about tithing and being good stewards of the things He has give us: Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
As you “test” or act on what God says and experience God’s blessing, your faith grows.
The process of testing the measure of faith you have may involve trials and difficulties. How can you increase your faith in those circumstances? Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3, NIV).
A Personal Example
The first time my husband and I had to admit we were “financially challenged,” we had some choices to make. The biggest one was, would we trust God and the promises we had read in His Word? When a new difficulty developed, we faced the same choices. If we chose to believe God, our faith grew a little more. And when the really big crises erupted, like unemployment, parenting, and marriage challenges, our faith was stretched even more. But each time as we looked back and saw the tracks of God’s faithfulness, that He truly had kept His Word, we came to understand the true meaning of “perseverance.”
Trusting Him with smaller problems has built our faith to believe Him for the harder issues. And yet there are still times when I feel more like a baby in my faith than a giant. It’s always in need of growing.
My Personal Prayer for You
Lord Jesus, increase our faith as we learn to depend on You and trust you more and more. Help us to crave Your Word: to read it, to heed it, and to test it, so it can truly become part of our lives. We long to be doers and not just hearers. Lord we desperately need more of You and less of ourselves. Thank You for Your faithfulness in always keeping Your Word.
Day-votedly Yours,
Rebecca
*You might also enjoy these posts I wrote about faith: Finding Faith When You Are Struggling, and Promise for Today: God’s Forever Faithfulness.
What Other Ways Can You Add to Increase Your Faith?
It’s Your Turn
What other ways can you add to increase your faith? How has God increased yours? I’d love to hear from you anytime. You can always write me through my contact page. Just fill out the basic name and address info, and then the e-mail will come to me. Your name or info will never be shared with anyone without your permission.
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