Looking for ways to strengthen your faith? Learning your own strength can sometimes be the most challenging time of your life, but the most rewarding.
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Faith During Difficult Times
As believers, there are seasons when we face difficult times that shake us to the core.
It may be a serious illness, family crisis or financial hardship. Sometimes during those trials and adversities we rise and stand strong in our faith.
But there are other times when our faith is greatly challenged. It can be challenged to the point that fear becomes greater than our faith.
Although some circumstances cause us to experience overwhelming feelings of fear for only a short period of time, there are instances when fear begins to linger.
As a result, we begin to walk in fear of the unknowing, instead of walking in our faith and belief in God.
There are several scriptures in the bible that remind us to “fear not” because God is always with us.
Here are 5 ways to strengthen your faith during difficult times:
1. Prayer
My mother has always described prayer as simply talking to God. Her intention was never to minimize the importance or power of prayer. It was to make me feel comfortable communicating with God.
God wants us to talk to Him about our problems, all of them. Even if the problem we are dealing with is our faith in Him.
In the book of Peter, we are told to “cast our cares upon Him.” If we approach God with a sincere heart and a desire to increase our faith it means that we want to grow closer to Him. Surely this request won’t be denied!
2. Fasting
While prayer time is a vital component of increasing our faith in God, fasting is also very important. The book of Mark (9:29) states that some things only come through fasting and prayer.
Fasting is an excellent way to increase our faith because it causes us to eliminate distractions, such as food and technology and focus on God.
When we are free of distractions we have an opportunity to connect with God on a deeper level, which can help strengthen our faith.
3. Daily Affirmation
Words are very powerful. In fact, Proverbs 18:21 says “life and death are in the power of the tongue.”
Start off each day by telling God that you trust him. To trust God means that we have faith in him. To say that we have faith in him means that we know he only wants what is best for us. That doesn’t mean we won’t face difficulties.
It just means that when those difficulties arise we are going to trust that God is in control, instead of letting the stronghold of fear overtake and debilitate us.
4. Talk About It
The story of David and Jonathon beautifully illustrates what a gift it is to have a trusted individual to depend on. A true friend is someone who is there for you during the peaks and valleys of life.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, we are also reminded that two is better than one. Talk to a trusted individual about your fears so that they can provide encouragement, and intercede on your behalf during their own prayer time.
5. Reflection
Take some time to reflect on your life and God’s goodness. Suddenly it will be recalled to your memory the many times that God has intervened and turned situations around.
You will begin to remember all the times when his grace and mercy were so evident that the outcome of many situations could not be rationalized or attributed to pure coincidence. It was God working on your behalf.
The love of God is unchanging, if He has moved on your behalf before, He will without a doubt do it again, so fear not!
What are some of the ways you strengthen your faith?
