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We will all have seasons in our lives, where it just seems near impossible to trust God. Life’s trials and circumstances can leave you upside down and your relationship with God in peril. Yet, there can still be better days ahead for you.

As a child of a minister, pastor’s wife, and Christian for 20+ years,  I have had many faithless seasons and bouts with doubt. But, I have still seen my faith grow over time. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit as Comforter, the relentless prayers from others and resources to help me grow. So, I wanted to share these tools that can help you increase your faith.

Increase Your Faith with These 11 Actions

In order to strengthen your faith, you have to be ready to put in some work. When you exercise physically, you want to see the results of weight loss or a muscular physique. Often times, we can feel our muscles being strengthened during the process. 

Our spirit is no different.  Inactivity and a poor diet will not help grow your faith. Furthermore, inconsistency will not help strengthen your faith. Instead, consider (and act) on one or more of these 11 steps to exercise your faith. 


Study your Bible

 Get ready to dust off your bibles or make room for a bible app on your phone. By studying the word of God, you can strengthen your faith day by day. I know that I am a stronger believer because of my decision to read my Bible on a more consistent basis

First, you will want to make a goal that is easy enough for you to accomplish. For instance, if you don’t read your Bible daily, maybe just try one scripture a day for 30 days. And, we are blessed to live in a time, where we can have access to bible studies in an instant. I have also found joy in Bible journaling and it provides me with an extra push to read and study. You can even find a number of ideas on Pinterest to get started. 



Speak Affirmations

When you want to feed your faith, you have to open your mouth. So, affirmations are a great way to increase your faith. These are scriptures that you recite or statements that  you say based off of scripture. You may have these scriptures memorized or written down from Bible Study.

Let’s take a look at Psalms 139:14:

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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
— New International Version

If you were struggling with self-worth, you could call out the exact scripture. Or, you may reference it by saying “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”


Prayer 


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When was the last time that you talked to God? Have you ever had a relationship that was successful without communication? Then, you may want to consider incorporating prayers to strengthen your faith.

It can be difficult when we feel like God is not listening and our faith struggles are overwhelming. But, Our Lord and Savior should be big enough to take our problems and doubts. And, how many bible heroes do we know that prayed and questioned God?  So, Continue to let God know that you are struggling with your faith.

Some people find praying intimidating. But, Jesus provided a simple prayer that we can use in Matthew 6. If you want to start utilizing prayers to increase your faith, you should work on a set time to do this.  Another important thing to remember is that communication is a two-way street. So, be sure that you are keeping yourself open to what God has to say.

Remove Distractions for Progression of Faith 

In our prayers, we should ask God, if there is anything that is keeping us from His will. If there are things, places or even people that may be hindering our faith walk, it is important to your progression of faith to remove them as soon as possible. 

We have to work on removing any triggers that may lead us to sin and away from God’s plan for us. Hebrews 12:1 reiterates this and encourages “to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”. 

Create A Prayer and Gratitude Journal

If you have ever questioned why you can’t see or hear from God, you should try to write in a prayer and/or gratitude journal. Sometimes, we are always looking ahead or waiting for our next “big” blessing. But, we can quickly forget where God has brought us from.

In a gratitude journal, you would simply dedicate a part of your day to write something that you are thankful for. You could also list out your prayers. This type of journaling is a great way to strengthen your faith because you will then be able to recall all of the answered prayers and blessings that have been bestowed on your life. A prayer and gratitude journal also prompt you to continue praying over people or situations, where you are still waiting on an answer.  


Faith Grows By Hearing the Word of God 

Romans 10:17 reads So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

While you may be thinking, this step could be done through listening to television or an audio bible, the best way to hear the word of God on a consistent basis is to get plugged in to your local church.


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 If you were trying to strengthen your muscles, most people find going to the gym, a personal trainer, or even group classes helpful. If you want to strengthen your faith, the local church is your spiritual gym and a place where other members help hold you accountable. You may have to try out a few gym and classes to find the right fit, but there is one out there for you.

Find A Mentor

Is there someone in your life that you admire their faith walk? If so, don’t hesitate to ask this person to be your spiritual mentor.  Not only will they help encourage you, but they can provide further tips and resources from their personal experiences. 

Your mentor may be someone inside or outside the church. And, ideally, it would be someone that you would be comfortable getting correction and guidance from.

Incorporate Music

If you can’t find the words to say, sometimes you can find the right lyrics. A simple search for songs of faith or favorite gospel artist, may lead you in the right direction. Many Christian songs are directly derived from scripture or even the songwriter’s personal experiences. 

Fight the Good Fight of Faith 

Life’s heartaches and trials can make anyone have a bout with doubt. But, 1 Timothy 6:12 reminds us to not give up.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

If you want to increase your faith, you have to be determined that you are going to trust God no matter what and not rely on your feelings.


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Apply Faith in Everyday Life

The opportunities for applying faith in everyday life are endless.  The key is to put bible verses on items that you use and in places that you frequent often. Examples would include home decor, phone wallpaper, women’s christian t-shirts, or passwords. And, you are reminded of God’s word effortlessly.

Learn How to Strengthen Faith in the Lord via Conferences

We will invest in so many things and other people. And, if we do invest in ourselves, it is usually in physical nature. But, a conference or a retreat can help you carve out dedicated time for your spiritual growth. Seek out events or sessions that may focus on growing your faith.

Increase Your Faith Day By Day

I challenge you to find something on this list to help you increase your faith and deal with your doubts.Sometimes, we believe that we are going to get to 100% faith and 0% doubt instantly. Yet, I am learning to accept that slow growth is still growth. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, because he is “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Jesus is the “pioneer and perfecter of faith”.

My prayer is that you continue to dedicate time on your spiritual growth and that you will begin to see the fruits of your labor.

Your Sister in Christ,


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P.S. I would love to know if you are thinking about trying one of these 11 steps or currently in the process of using one of them. If  you have any other ideas or tips, please leave them in the comments below.


READ THIS FOR FURTHER ENCOURAGEMENT


Increase Your Faith



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Thanks for reading!

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8 Comments

  1. Fabulous, practical ideas here, Shannon. Music is a big one that helps me, but so are prayers, reading the bible, and speaking affirmations–although that last one needs a bit more attention. Great piece!

  2. I love this post! I love your emphasis on the word of God growing our faith. Without the word, God’s truth, we can easily fall into believing the lies of the devil, our own negative thoughts, and fall prey to the world’s views of life. Sadly, many Christians fail to read the word and they forget how precious they are in God’s sight and they neglect the tools to live the abundant life that Christ gives us. Great post! 🙂

    1. Thank you Marcie! Yes, I am so guilty of negative thoughts and self-talk. I am definitely working on speaking affirmations more when those thoughts come. But, to even get to those affirmations, we have to know the Word of God. I have definitely seen some growth within myself as I began to take my Bible study time more seriously. Thanks so much for reading.

  3. So many great ideas about how to strengthen my faith! Speaking Affirmations – I don’t think I’ve read this elsewhere before but I think it’s so spot on! I read Neil T Anderson’s Bondage Breaker and ever since then have found great encouragement and strength from meditating on my identity in Christ! Thank you for calling it out and strength builder. 🙂

    1. Yes, I have found that I become more confident when I repeat God’s word. And, thanks for mentioning the book. I will definitely have to include that on a reading list. Thanks for reading!

  4. Hi Shannon, such great tips you shared on how to strengthen your faith! I like the idea of a gratitude journal. It’s a great idea to keep remembering all the blessings we’ve received. The other day I heard a sermon and the pastor asked the question: ‘What has Jesus done for you this week?’ It’s a great question to ask on a daily base and write in the journal. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Anne, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I had a great journal long ago, and I have not found anything like it yet. But, it kept me praying and it kept me reading. God bless!

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