essay about strong faith

By Billy Graham   •   July 17, 2015   •   Topics: Faith

I admit my faith is weak, but I know it would be strong if I could only see Jesus with my own eyes, even for just one minute. Why shouldn't I ask God to do this for me?

God has already given you everything you need to make your faith stronger. Instead of praying for Jesus to appear to you somehow (which He never promised to do), you should be praying instead for the discipline to use the means He has given you to strengthen your faith. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

I often think of the similarity between physical strength and spiritual strength. What do we need to stay physically strong and healthy? We need two things: food and exercise. If we don’t eat, we’ll grow weaker, waste away and eventually die. And if we don’t exercise, we’ll also grow weak and won’t be useful or helpful to others.

The same is true spiritually. God has given us the spiritual “food” we need to become strong—the “food” of God’s Word (the Bible), of prayer and of fellowship with other believers. God also wants us to exercise our faith by putting it into action. The Bible says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Make the Bible and prayer part of your life every day. In addition, ask God to lead you to a church where you’ll hear God’s Word and learn from other believers, and also have opportunities for service. God doesn’t want your faith to remain weak, and He’s given you everything you need to make it stronger.

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How To Have STRONG Faith In God (even in tough times)

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Do you want to have STRONG faith in God? 

You probably know men and women that seem to have unshakeable faith in God. No matter what happiness or heartache comes their way, their faith in God is immovable.

How can you have that same kind of faith? 

What Is Faith In God? 

Faith in the Lord means having confidence that God is good, that He’s on your side, and that He’s always working, even when you can’t see it. 

The entire Christian life, from start to finish, is by faith. You’re saved through faith. You please God through faith. After all, Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it’s impossible to please God. You believe God’s promises in the Bible through faith. 

How To Have Strong Faith In God

So how can you grow in your faith? Do these things. 

Focus On God’s Character

Strong faith in God is much more than merely hoping things turn out okay. It’s much deeper and more profound than the belief that things will somehow turn out for the best. It’s not like naive optimism of the Beatles, who crooned, “It’s getting better all the time.”

No, unshakeable faith in God is based on the very character of God.

Scripture tells us that God is all-powerful. It also tells us that God is good and wise and full of love.

When you blend the omnipotence and goodness and wisdom and love of God, you end up with a God who is worthy of trust and praise and adoration.

This is why Peter could say in 1 Peter 5:6-7 :

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

The reasons you can have strong, unshakeable faith in God are:

• God is almighty (“…the mighty hand of God)
• God cares for you personally

You can cast all my cares on God, no matter how large, no matter how bone-crushing, because you know that He is all-powerful and all-loving.

If God was only one of those things (almighty or loving), you couldn’t have faith in the Lord. If he was all-powerful but not all-loving, there would be no guarantee that his power was working on my behalf.

But God’s love marshalls his power on my behalf. God’s love for me means that his earth-shaking, circumstance-changing, heart-moving power is always at work on my behalf.

Focus On God’s Power

The Apostle Paul’s unshakeable faith in God was based on his intimate knowledge of God’s glorious power. At one point, Paul found himself in circumstances so dire that he was convinced death was the only outcome. Death would mean the end of Paul’s ministry.

Yet Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:9 , “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

Paul knew that even if he died, God could raise him from the dead. Even if the absolute worst happened, it couldn’t stop God. It turns out that even the great enemy of death is no match for my almighty, all-loving, merciful, gracious God.

And so you can have faith in God. You can cast my cares on him. Lay your burdens at his feet. His grace is sufficient for you .

You can have strong, immovable faith in God because he is good and loving.

Focus On God’s Promises In God’s Word

Incredibly, God has promised to do certain things for you and in you, and your faith in God is based on these unbreakable, unchanging promises.

Immoveable faith in God takes hold of God’s promises and won’t let go until they are fulfilled.

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

To grow your faith, look at all the promises in God’s word! 

What sorts of things has God promised to do on your behalf?

• To constantly work in you until you are fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ ( Philippians 1:6 ).
• To meet all your needs with his glorious abundance ( Matthew 7:11 ).
• To give you divine wisdom to navigate the complexities of life ( James 1:5 ).
• To produce good fruit in and through you ( John 15:5 ).
• To answer your prayers in big, unimaginable, world-changing ways ( James 5:16 ).
• To never leave me or forsake you ( Hebrews 13:5 ).
• To do more than you can think, ask, or imagine ( Ephesians 3:20 )
• And so much more…

Faith in God is not random. Rather, it is attached to the concrete, unbreakable, you-can-stake-everything-on-them, promises of God.

Charles Spurgeon said this:

You can’t out believe God and God has never out-promised himself. If God promised it, you can stake everything on it.

If you want to have faith in God that isn’t easily moved or shaken, you need to immerse yourself in the promises of God. God has given me reason upon reason to hope in him , and I must hold fast to those glorious promises.

Focus On God’s Past Faithfulness

Strong, immoveable faith in God always looks back to God’s past faithfulness as a guarantee of his future faithfulness.

God never changes, and if he’s been faithful to you in the past, it’s a guarantee that he will continue to be faithful in the future.

The story of your life is one of God being faithful. God has always been faithful to his people, and you are living proof of that.

The past faithfulness of God assures you that he will continue to be faithful in the future. You can have faith in God that he will continue to sustain you through every trial, provide for your every need, and keep you close to him even in your darkest moments.

Bible Verses About Faith In God

If you find your faith in the Lord dipping, read and meditate on these Bible verses:

Faith In God Looks Up and Back

Strong faith in God is the result of looking up and back. We look up to God’s unshakable character and the unbreakable promises he has made to us. We look back to his constant faithfulness.

The result of looking up and back is a faith in God that can stand firm even in the midst of the hurricane.

This verse in the classic hymn “ Amazing Grace ” sums up how to have strong faith in God:

The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.

God has promised good to you in his word. As long as you’re alive, he is your shield and portion. You can have strong faith in God.

Stephen Altrogge

Hey, I'm Stephen Altrogge. I'm a dad and published author. I've written for The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, ERLC, Church Leaders, Crosswalk, and many more outlets. You can follow me on Instagram and Facebook .

24 thoughts on “How To Have STRONG Faith In God (even in tough times)”

Oh how I pray that sometime I too with have this much faith in God’s love for me “individually”. Someday I pray that it will be more than “knowing” the outcome of salvation at the end of my life. All it feels like today and in my walk thus far, is a way to endure until the end. I’m exhausted in the heartache, pain, disappointments of the “there will be trials and turmoil” and that being all there ever is. I’m left with instead, always unanswered prayers and seeking strength to see through and hope that maybe someday it will be me too that is blessed with answers to this life’s unending trials and not just for others… “with I guess more faith than I”. Persevere… seemingly my lot in this life and a joy that in the end it will be all worth it. In the mean-time keep the faith and the “face on” so as not to discourage anyone around me. There just has to be more in the here and now that simply hope.

Hey Ron, Wow, the old saying misery loves company, though cliche, lets face it, it works. I would like to comfort you as a sister in Christ because I too, have your EXACT sentiments… as I continue on a 2 year, still no answers trial, I still cry most days, and as Im sitting here reading Phillipians as part of my daily devotional, I feel GOD stirring me to reach out to you. I really next to never write comments either. Often I feel , as in Phillupians 1:22 &. 23 in my shortened translation, if Im gonna stay here, I will be fruitful in my labors but Im torn cuz I just would rather go hang out with JESUS. St Paul felt the same way we do. He proclamed the Gospel and practically wrote half the Word of God, look how much he did while being severly persecuted, and he was still willing to continue on even though he would rather just hang out with JESUS. I pray your heart feels encouragement today and the Light of Christmas which is JESUS the best gift we could ever want or need is ALWAYS with us ,sweet and precious JESUS. I LOVE HIm SO MUCH. Dont give up on HIS LOVE , its as big as an ocean , my favorite creation of HIS. God Bless You !!!!!!

Ron, “Walking with GOD through Pain & Suffering” by Timothy Keller. ????

Having unshakeable faith is persevering through all the trials in life. God has chosen us to be overcomers and set apart from the world. This isn’t our home. Heaven is.

Ron/Marie. Me too. Ron says “face on”. Me too. Every single day. Just had the worst (and this really beats the rest) Christmas ever. It’s so , so hard to not say to God “why have you forsaken me”. But I carry on and hope. And pray. One day this will end.

Mark and Ron why don’t we lift each other up in prayer and renew our complete trust in God Despite the circumstances in front of us and hope for a wonderful 2019. I’m proclaiming next year our comments are undeniably wonderful.And thank you Steven for the awesome article and you’re very real down to earth sharing of your faith.

I want to really have Faith in God. Pls can you put me trust.

Thank you I been working on application of faith since this morning and this will help me a lot. Absolute trust in God that He is busy working out the answer after I pray. I am getting there.

Nourishing and Comforting, always Strengthening, certainly reassuring especially while sitting in the dark.

Hey Ron (sorry for my bad english), Thank you for writing about your feelings. I want to tell you that you are not alone. Oh, you’re not alone! I live many thousands of miles from you, in a country whose name you may never have heard, but I often feel just like you. Today I will pray to God and remember you, I promise. Thank you Steven for the awesome article.

Pastor,I am an avid reader of your articles. I am continually nourished and challenged by them. I appreciate you!! Blessings, Rose Shichende.

my wife and i need healing in our marriage she has backed herself into a corner only god can bless her heart to change please pray for us we have known each other for 40 yrs

I need your prayers for GOD Protection,wealth & prosperity

God bless more and continue to use you to enrich his children. I desire and pray for rock-like be faith for God

Keep the commandments and BE the Be Attitudes and watch and see what happens!

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God is known for the production of all, so don’t lose your confidence in him. Despite the fact that there are challenges throughout everyday life, he is consistently there sponsorship you up. How about we investigate probably the most renowned confidence in God cites that make certain to fortify your convictions as the strength of confidence comes from the inside.

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I must thank you for this wonderful article and verses. I truly needed this and it literally opened up my heart fully. I had been down on myself wondering if my Faith was strong enough, because I had been dealing with so many obstacles in life lately. This truly had me in tears happy to feel my heart stirring again renewing my mind towards my Faith in God.

Thank you for your speaking notes.

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Beginning With God - Blog

The role of faith in spiritual growth.

• God is Faithful , Faith , Identity in Christ , God is Good , Starting with God

Everyone knows that faith plays a significant role in our spiritual growth , but practically speaking it either occupies too much or too little of our understanding. If our conception of spiritual growth is nothing more than self-effort, we will not experience life transformation.

But if every spiritual pothole is paved with “just trust God,” we will also miss out on true spiritual growth. This is not to detract from the centrality of faith in becoming more like Christ, only to understand its role, so we can better coach those whom we disciple.

In the Christian life there are certain truths that are either so formative, or so fragile, that your disciple may require special assistance in learning to hold them in the shopping cart of faith. As mature Christian we are used to toting these truths around like a handbag (such as the security of our salvation), but young Christians need to develop the spiritual muscles that we take for granted.

What follows is a partial list of these foundational truths that require the exertion of faith, and may require your assistance. It is in these areas that the need for faith is most acute and where the lack of it will have the greatest ramifications.

Faith and Forgiveness

Few of the great battles in life are ever won overnight, so it is safe to assume that your disciples will see many spiritual failures before they finally see the flag raised, hear the national anthem, take their place on the winner’s platform and the world is joined together under the Nike swoosh. It might be a small failure or a stunningly gross one, but in either case they will desperately need to experience God’s forgiveness.

The problem with many sins is that even after we’ve confessed them, it is difficult to feel cleansed, to not berate ourselves, and not suspect that God’s still fuming over the incident. When we sin we instinctively feel someone must pay a price. No one gets off easy. What we need to decide is who is going to pay. Your disciple will therefore move in one of the following directions:

• ALTERNATIVE #1 “I am pig swill.” This is one of the terms I use when beating myself up for having fallen into the same trap of sin, yet again. I’ve not copyrighted the phrase so feel free to use it. In essence, I’m crucifying myself for the sin. Yes, what Jesus did was nice, but I’m going to cover the tab—check, please. Someone must pay and rightfully it should be me, so I pound myself for my stupidity.
• ALTERATIVE #2 “You, you made me sin.” That “you” could be a person, Satan, or even God, but either way someone needs to take the fall for the sin I’ve just committed, and I’ll be darned if it’s going to be me.
• ALTERNATIVE #3 “Now that you mention it, I’m not sure that really was a sin.” Recognize that phrase? It’s called justification. As the word implies, we decide to make a judgment over and against our conscience, declaring that what we did was actually right, or at least not that wrong. Why go to the effort? Because someone must pay for sin, unless of course there is no sin and that’s what we’re shooting for in this approach: to eliminate the offense.
• ALTERNATIVE #4 “I couldn’t help myself, it’s just my personality.” Let’s call this rationalizing, which is equivalent to the courtroom plea of insanity. What I’m saying is, “Yes, it was sin, but I didn’t have the moral capacity to say ‘no.’” My personality was such, and circumstances were such, that I could do no other than what I did. The effectiveness of this strategy lies in how good you are at convincing yourself that it’s really not your fault. I’m pretty gullible, so I usually believe me.

Of course what makes this all unnecessary is that someone has already paid the price, Christ. What is needed is confession. The problem is that we can confess our sins while failing to employ faith. Faith involves a choice of the will to believe that God has forgiven us through Christ’s death, while turning a deaf ear to doubts. We reckon that God is more merciful than we can imagine and believe that through Christ’s death we are completely forgiven, and “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

We often ask our disciples to scribble out their sins on a piece of paper, and have them write the verse 1 John 1:9 across the list, and tear up the list. I see no expiration date on this exercise. It is effective because it develops the faith component of confession: a visual aid to under gird a young and underdeveloped faith muscle. It might be useful to walk your disciples through the different responses listed above to help them see where in the process of confession, they are failing to exercise faith. You must teach them confession but you must also teach them that confession involves faith.

Faith That God Can Make You Holy

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Most of the great heroes of the Bible share two things in common: they all wore sandals, and they were all required to persevere in their faith, though final victory was often years in the future. We, too—no matter how many setbacks we encounter—must never waiver in our belief that God can make us holy, and, if we persevere, will ultimately lead us in triumph.

Every disciple is willing to trust God for victory over sin at least once. The problem is when the war turns into Vietnam, with infrequent victories, heavy losses, and no foreseeable exit strategy. It is at this juncture that they need to know that faith is a long-term struggle and holiness a lifelong battle. Point to the many battles of faith in scripture fought and won over years, and not days. Show them how the Promised Land was taken one battle at a time.

When victory is elusive they will need someone to help make sense of it and prepare them for the long war. Without a proper perspective, they may resolve the conflict with a ceasefire, and an acceptance of behavior far from godliness. Help them persevere in the battle believing God will, in time, bring victory.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Here is another truth into which faith must sink its teeth: we must choose to believe that our temptations and struggles are not unique and therefore never insurmountable, unfixable, or unforgivable. It is a lie to believe that any temptation is irresistible, or that we are unique in any of our struggles.

God always provides what we need to remain holy, even if it’s simply an escape hatch. Every disciple is tempted to believe that in some area of their lives, they deviate from the norm. Satan desires for us to feel alone. You might ask your disciples if they have ever felt this way or in what area they tend to think of themselves as having unique trials or temptations. Forfeit faith in this area and you’ve dangerously increased the power of sin.

Faith That All Things Work For the Good

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

The next battle of faith is for all those who have experienced damage in their lives, or within themselves, due to sin. God can take any manure and from it grow a garden, as you participate in this promise by faith. While it may be impossible to imagine how God can bring good out of our train wreck of past and present failures, this is hardly a limiting factor. For God can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

There is no limit to God’s capacity to redeem evil. Everything in our past can be taken and used for good. Every failure (like Peter’s failures) can be transformed by God’s mercy. Every weakness (like Paul’s weaknesses) can be a vehicle for God to demonstrate His strength. Though we must persevere in faith, and sometimes for years, the equation will always add up: crap + God = life. And faith is the means by which God enters the equation.

Through the examples of biblical characters such as Peter and Paul, and through examples from your own life, you must help your disciples strap on the shield of faith against the lie that anything in their lives is unredeemable, gratuitous, or random.

Faith in Our Reward

Now, there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).

Some years ago I was in China and like any tourist I visited the Great Wall. Along the bottom of the wall, a worker of this communist country was picking up trash. I clocked him at one piece of trash a minute, which at that rate would have taken him longer to clear the grounds than it took to build the Great Wall.

Where we visited included a maze of concession stands, tons of them—Great Concession stands. Someone told me that those who operated the stands employed principles of the free market, meaning that the more they sold and the more they charged for what they sold, the more they profited. One of the women at the booths actually grabbed my coat and dragged me to her counter. It would be an understatement to say that it was a motivated workforce.

The difference between these two workers was a chasm. Let’s call it the Great Chasm. One worked like a sluggard because he knew that he would always make the same amount no matter what he did (communism). The other worker knew that her effort would be rewarded (the free market).

The doctrine of eternal security (that we can never lose our salvation) was never meant to negate the teaching of rewards. In many places in the Bible, God makes it clear that our obedience and faithfulness will be rewarded. We are called to exercise faith in future rewards, choosing to believe that our actions or inaction will be compensated. When our minds move down the trail of “what difference will this really make?” the response of faith is—a lot. We are not told what these rewards will be, but simply given the assurance that it will be worth our while.

Teaching our disciples to maintain an eternal perspective, or to live for eternity, can cultivate their faith toward this truth, provided that our definition of what is eternal encompasses far more than evangelism, for Jesus states that even a cup of water given in his name will not fail to be rewarded.

Faith in God's Goodness

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

If you go back to the Garden of Eden (which is probably now a parking lot in downtown Baghdad), you will notice that the first sin was a distrust of God’s goodness. Adam and Eve became convinced that God was holding out on them. Eating from the tree was in their best interests. The foundation of most sin is a lack of faith in God’s goodness, and disbelief that His plans for us are really best.

When things are going wrong, we justify our sin with self-pity. We find ourselves thinking, “Well, I’m going to do this because God isn’t taking care of me anyway, and rather than helping, He’s allowing my life to disintegrate.” Such reasoning is designed by our scheming mind to bring us to a sense of entitlement to sin.

More innocuously, many of us fall prey to pessimism and distrust that what lies in wait over the time horizon is anything but good, often brought on by a nagging suspicion that God never did forget our sin, and payday is right around the bend.

We must fight the battle to deny or disbelieve God’s goodness, with faith, never giving an inch. Everything God does in our lives is motivated by love, and any minor deconstruction of that truth is a lie that can have serious ramifications.

In helping your disciples with this struggle, you might ask some questions to discover if their mind has a proclivity to move down this path. You might also share in what ways you tend to doubt the goodness of God. Intimacy with Christ is the best answer to any and all doubts of His goodness. When we feel close to Christ, we sense that He is on our side, and when we feel distant, we come to suspect that He is not.

Memorizing scripture is great, but passages of scripture are animated by our intimacy with Christ.

Identity: Identity Theft

“I got me some of them mud flaps with the naked ladies on them. Ohhh mamacita.”

In a series of ads for Citibank’s identity theft program, the viewer sits and listens to the thief who, having stolen the person’s credit card number, recounts their various bizarre purchases and exploits. What makes the ads humorous as well as memorable is the thief’s story is told (lip-synced) through the identity theft victim, sitting forlornly mouthing the words.

In some way we are all victims of identity theft. Having trusted Christ, we are heirs with Christ of all that is in Him. Most of us never fully grasp what God’s Word says is true of us in Christ, or worse, we simply don’t think about it. We are children of God, chosen before time to be in the family of God, yet these concepts don’t make it to the starting line-up of thoughts that propel us into the day.

In the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen," the youngest child is treated as the family outcast. The other kids call him “FedEx” because they suspect he was adopted and simply delivered to the family, not born into it. Over the course of time he begins to believe it, rumors become a lie, and the lie grows in power until he runs away from the family believing he has no place within it. There’s a message from an otherwise boring movie: our identity matters.

Our faith in our identity in Christ is absolutely foundational to our lives. Faith is fed by reading the Bible. “The Daily Affirmation of Faith” was written to provide a concise, clear statement of the truth of God’s Word as it applies to our victory in Christ (what is true of us in Him). Commend it to your disciples for daily reading particularly during times of deep trials and temptation when they are most prone to forget who they truly are, and believe things about themselves and God which are not true.

The Daily Affirmation of Faith

Today I deliberately choose to submit myself fully to God as He has made Himself known to me through the Holy Scripture, which I honestly accept as the only inspired, infallible, authoritative standard for all life and practice. In this day I will not judge God, His work, myself, or others on the basis of feelings or circumstances.

I recognize by faith that the triune God is worthy of all honor, praise, and worship as the Creator, Sustainer, and End of all things. I confess that God, as my Creator, made me for Himself. In this day, I therefore choose to live for Him. (Revelation 5:9-10; Isaiah 43:1,7,21; Revelation 4:11)

I recognize by faith that God loved me and chose me in Jesus Christ before time began (Ephesians 1:1-7).

I recognize by faith that God has proven His love to me in sending His Son to die in my place, in whom every provision has already been made for my past, present, and future needs through His representative work, and that I have been quickened, raised, seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies, and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:6-11; 8:28; Philippians 1:6; 4:6,7,13,19; Ephesians 1:3; 2:5,6; Acts 2:1-4,33).

I recognize by faith that God has accepted me, since I have received Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:6); that He has forgiven me (Ephesians 1:7); adopted me into His family, assuming every responsibility for me (John 17:11,17; Ephesians 1:5; Philippians 1:6); given me eternal life (John 3:36; 1 John 5:9-13); applied the perfect righteousness of Christ to me so that I am now justified (Romans 5:1; 8:3-4; 10:4); made me complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10); and offers Himself to me as my daily sufficiency through prayer and the decisions of faith (1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; John 14:13-14; Matthew 21:22; Romans 6:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-3,11).

I recognize by faith that the Holy Spirit has baptized me into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13); sealed me (Ephesians 1:13-14); anointed me for life and service (Acts 1:8; John 7:37-39); seeks to lead me into a deeper walk with Jesus Christ (John 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:13-15; Romans 8:11-16); and to fill my life with Himself (Ephesians 5:18).

I recognize by faith that only God can deal with sin and only God can produce holiness of life. I confess that in my salvation my part was only to receive Him and that He dealt with my sin and saved me. Now I confess that in order to live a holy life, I can only surrender to His will and receive Him as my sanctification; trusting Him to do whatever may be necessary in my life, without and within, so I may be enabled to live today in purity, freedom, rest and power for His glory. (John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 2:20; Hebrew 4:9; 1 John 5:4; Jude 24).

Our Salvation

We’ll conclude with the most fundamental of truths, and ground zero for faith. All things build upon this.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

In describing our spiritual armor, Paul uses a helmet to illustrate the truth of our salvation: that which protects the mind, and protects us from a fatal blow. We make it a critical part of basic follow-up, because scripture affirms that it is. Let your disciples doubt that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Let them doubt that the Cubs will ever win a World Series. But, rehearse this with them until that helmet cannot be pried off their head.

How Faith Grows

Faith is like a muscle; it grows by lifting weights. Weights are the resistance—the doubts, mental whispers, and circumstances that tell us the opposite of what faith must believe.

When God seems absent and horrible circumstances swirl around us, everything seems to shout, “God isn’t here! And if He is, He certainly doesn’t care.” In those circumstances, faith curls the barbell toward the heart and says, “No, God is good. He is for me. He has a plan.” Thus, it is the circumstances adverse to our faith that become the vehicle for our growth—they are the weight on the barbell.

And so all disciples are periodically tossed into a boat and sent out into a raging storm, where God is conspicuous by his absence. We are not trying to rescue our disciples from the situations and circumstances that will cause faith to grow. Our role is to come alongside them, strengthen their feeble arms and help them to curl the heavy weights that will cause their faith to bulk-up. (I think I just described a steroid.)

God provides the weight (adverse circumstances and trials), but they must continue to lift the weight. We must spot them helping them push out more repetitions than they thought possible while making sure the barbell doesn’t pin them to the bench-press.

Alternatively, faith grows through new challenges and we serve our disciples well by calling them into circumstances where they will need to trust and rely on God. They take courageous steps, God shows Himself faithful, and their faith grows.

Through the stress and strain of faith development, the truths discussed in this article are the most common fracture points, and the places your disciples may most need your encouragement to wind their way up the hill of faith.

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Mary Rowlandson’s Strong Faith, Captivity and Restoration Research Paper

In his book, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs Mary Rowlandson , the author reproduces his own story of the captivity of the Wampanoag Indians during their attack on the town of Lancaster in 1676. Throughout her captivity, Mary Rowlandson faced many trials, both physical and emotional. Despite the difficulties, the heroine drew strength from her faith in God. Her strong faith helped her to endure her captivity and ultimately be restored to her family. This paper will examine how Mary Rowlandson’s strong faith helped her through a difficult time of captivity.

Mary Rowlandson was born in England in 1637 and immigrated to Massachusetts with her family in 1643. Rowlandson grew up in a Puritan family and received a decent education for a woman of her time. In 1656, she married the minister of her town, Mr. Joseph Rowlandson. They had three children together before he died in 1669. In 1678, Mary Rowlandson married Captain Benjamin Whitman. The couple had one child together before Captain Whitman also passed away.

Rowlandson’s faith was evident from the beginning of her difficult situation. When she was first taken captive, she was separated from her three young children. Rowlandson was understandably distraught at this separation, but she turned to God for comfort. She narrates her imprisonment: “Oh, the sorrows of a gentle mother when she is forced to leave her dear children in the hands of the enemy! The Lord sustained me with His strength so that I would not drown under my burden” (Rowlandson 38). Rowlandson’s faith in God gave her the strength to endure this difficult situation.

She was constantly reminded of the power of God, even amid her suffering. For example, she writes of a time when her captors were considering whether or not to kill her. She writes, “I thought now my end came… But it was not the will of God that I should yet die, for the Lord had work for me to do” (Rowlandson 70). Once again, Rowlandson’s faith helped her to overcome a difficult situation.

Rowlandson’s strong faith was evident in her words and actions, showing compassion and forgiveness toward her captors throughout her imprisonment. For example, she cared for a sick child, even though the child’s mother had been cruel to her. She also showed forgiveness when she was finally released from captivity. In her narrative, she writes, “I forgave them [my captors] all that was past, and was willing to live peaceably with them” (Rowlandson 107). Rowlandson’s actions show that her faith was more than just words; it was a way of life.

Her physical hardships also tested Rowlandson’s faith in captivity. She was forced to walk long distances, sometimes barefoot, and she slept in the cold and rain with only a thin blanket for warmth. She was constantly hungry, as the Indians only gave her enough food to keep her alive (Brooks 273). Despite all these difficulties, Rowlandson never lost faith in God’s ability to protect and provide for her.

The psychological trials she faced were perhaps the most difficult to bear. Rowlandson was constantly afraid that the Indians would kill her or torture her. She was also burdened with the guilt of knowing that her captors had killed her husband and children. Despite all this, Rowlandson found comfort in her faith (Moots 123). She believed God was using her ordeal to teach her patience and fortitude.

Rowlandson’s belief that God used her captivity for a higher purpose is also apparent throughout her narrative. Rowlandson often reflects on how her captivity has changed her and has led her to a greater understanding of God. Rowlandson also believes that her captivity has given her a greater appreciation for her family and community. Rowlandson’s eventual return to her family and community is a testament to her strong belief (Newman 28). After spending more than eleven weeks in captivity, Rowlandson is finally released and can return to her family. The heroine’s return to the community proves her strong hope as she can share the story of her imprisonment with her community and help them understand how God can protect and comfort them.

In her book, Mary Rowlandson describes how her faith helped her to endure her captivity. Rowlandson writes about how she turned to God for strength when feeling weak. The author describes the power of her inner faith to overcome her fear of death, forgive her captors, and return to her family because of God. Mary Rowlandson’s strong faith helped her to endure her eleven weeks in captivity. Her faith was evident in her words, actions, and attitude. Despite the hardships she faced, Rowlandson maintained a strong faith in God. This faith helped her endure captivity and make peace with her captors. The heroine is an inspiring example to all who face difficult life situations. Her story reminds us that no matter how difficult our circumstances are, everyone can always turn to God for strength and help. The author’s narrative is quite informative and engaging for the reader, and it allows, through the prism of personal example, to look at the inner spiritual values of everyone.

Works Cited

Brooks, Lisa. “The Captive’s Lament: Reinterpreting Rowlandson’s Narrative.” Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War , Yale University Press, 2018, pp. 253–298. JSTOR.

Moots, Glenn. Anglican and Episcopal History , vol. 87, no. 1, 2018, pp. 121–126. JSTOR , Web.

Newman, Andrew. “Rowlandson’s Captivity, Interpreted by God.” Allegories of Encounter: Colonial Literacy and Indian Captivities , University of North Carolina Press, 2019, pp. 19–49. JSTOR , Web.

Rowlandson, Mary. A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson . Open Road Media, 2016.

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What Is Faith and Why Is it Important?

• Carrie Lowrance Crosswalk Contributor
• Updated Jan 05, 2022

Faith. It’s a word we hear thrown around all the time. Keep the faith. Walking in faith. Having faith. So what is faith? Faith has several different definitions.

1. Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. 2. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than truth. 3. A system of religious belief. 4. A firmly held belief or theory

What Does the Bible Say About Faith?

The Bible says that faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance that the Lord is working, even though we cannot see it. Faith knows that no matter what the situation, in our lives or someone else’s, that the Lord is working in it.

The Hebrew word for faith is Emunah which means “support.” This is perfect because faith is like “the Lord’s support” to us because he is working in every situation for his glory. Regardless of what we think, He always knows best, and there are many times we have to see by faith and not our own eyes.

5 Bible Verses About Faith:

• “And Abraham believed in the Lord, and the Lord counted him righteous because of his faith.”  - Genesis 15:6 , NLT
• “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith, we understand that the whole universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” - Hebrews 11:1-3 , NLT
• “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and his servant Moses.”- Exodus 14:31 , NLT
• “Be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” - 1 Samuel 12:24
• “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear into darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.” - 1 Samuel 2:9  

Where Does Faith Come From?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Justification by faith means that God has removed the penalty of our sins and has declared us to be righteous. By God's work, we have peace with our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1 (NLT)

What’s the Difference Between Faith and Belief?

Faith and belief are often used in the same context, sometimes interchangeably, but they are not quite the same thing. Belief is a strongly held opinion about an idea or worldview. Beliefs are also opinions that you form about what you read, hear, or see. Beliefs can change over time, as you grow and learn new things. Faith is not something you start and build from; faith can only be received, it must be given by God. True faith can take on doubts and questions, but it remains intact. We can grow in our faith, but the foundation is always the same. James 2:19 says, 

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

You can believe there is a God, even that there is one God, but do you believe He is your God? God produces faith in us by giving us new hearts and opening our eyes to see that He is our God and we need Him. Does your faith in God change the way you live your life? There are some who say they believe in God, but the way they live their life does not change; they are motivated by other factors. Faith changes how we live our lives, faith motivates us to keep moving in life. 

Having faith in the Bible means trusting that God’s Word is the truth. The faith that God began in us will grow when exposed to God's Word. It’s knowing that every time you read the Bible, the word of God is being imparted in you. The Bible says that faith is not silly or irrational. It is not a feeling of closeness to God either. Instead, faith is being able to trust God for what He has promised in His Word. 

5 Examples of People in the Bible Who Had Faith

1. Mary was faithful to God when she was chosen to be the mother of his son. Mary trusted her God and the role He had chosen for her.

"The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' 'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her." - Luke 1:35-38

2. Abraham had faith in God when he was called to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering. He set out the next morning after God told him where to go, he had faith that God would provide. 

"Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied. Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.' Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.' Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:1-8 

3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had faith when they were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. They had no doubts that God would save them.

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” - Daniel 3:17-18 "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." - Daniel 3:27-28

4. Esther had faith in going to the king unannounced and exposing Haman’s plan to kill the Jews.

"When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: 'Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?' Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'" - Esther 4:12-16

5. Moses had faith when God asked him to lead the Israelite’s out of Egypt and across the red sea, away from everything they knew.

"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!' Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:10-14

How to Grow in Faith

There are several different ways we can grow in our faith.

1. Ask God to increase your faith. If you are struggling in your faith, ask Him for more of it. He will be glad to bestow it through the Holy Spirit.

2. Focus on obeying God. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but if you focus on following God’s word and commands, your faith will grow naturally.

4. Spend time with other believers. We are meant to worship together, pray together, and share our faith with each other. Hearing about others' journeys in faith can be encouraging. Also study the Bible together, encouraging each other in godly disciplines.

5. Spend time in fervent prayer . Scheduling a specific time each day to spend with God in prayer makes a huge difference. This is your time alone with Him to discuss anything that is on your heart and mind. Be still and listen carefully and your faith will grow in abundance.

How Do We Live by Faith and Not By Sight?

Living in faith and not by sight means that you are willing to go into the unknown. It’s trusting God even though you don’t know where He’s leading you or what the outcome will be. I have been living in faith over a specific situation for almost three years. I have been praying over this situation fervently. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out or where it’s going to lead. All I do know is that God is working, and I’m waiting patiently to see the outcome. It’s not easy and it’s not fun, but I know that He’s in control and that is where I find my peace.

How to Keep the Faith in Times of Trouble

1. Keep a positive attitude, reflecting on God's promises. We are to praise Jesus in all things and in all circumstances.

2. Surrender your circumstances to God. It can be so easy to get upset and shake our fists at Him when things aren’t going right. Instead, ask Him for help and to change your circumstances. Let Him take the wheel and trust what He is going to do.

3. Be generous. The Bible says even in times of trouble, we are to give. It seems counterintuitive when you are struggling to keep your head above water. However, in giving and blessing someone else, you are blessing yourself too. God loves a cheerful giver.

4. Spend more time in the Word. This will help keep you grounded and not going in another direction due to confusion or desperation.

The truest act of faith, which is made possible by God's gift of grace to us, is complete trust in the Lord through every circumstance, even when we do not understand why something is happening or not happening.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, Please help me grow in my faith. Help me to lean on You in good times and bad. Help me not to be quick to anger and instead, have a godly mindset. Speak to my heart as I read Your Word and highlight verses of encouragement. Help me to trust You in every situation and in every circumstance. In Your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Carrie  Lowrance is a writer and author. She has been published on Huffington Post, The Penny Hoarder, and ParentMap. She is also the author of two children’s books, Don’t Eat Your Boogers (You’ll Turn Green) and Brock’s Bad Temper (And The Time Machine). You can find out more about her on her website, www.carrielowrance.com

Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/B-C-Designs

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25 Ways to Build Your Faith in God and Trust Him in Everything

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Since pleasing God is essential to an abundant life, building our faith is a natural step. We are living in a world where the temptation to doubt God is constant. His children need more than ever to learn how to trust in His goodness and have strong faith.

Below are some practical ways to move toward a stronger faith and a heart that trusts God’s promises. Take a moment to review the following list and discover your next step to deeper faith and trust in God.

1. Remember God’s Faithfulness

Our faith will naturally grow when we make a conscious effort to look for ways to trust God. Pray and seek the Lord’s help when faced with a need or going through a difficult time in your life. Then, watch and wait. He will move because you are trusting in Him.

Once you see His intervention or Him speaking into your difficulty, you will have something to hold onto; your heavenly Father cares and moves on your behalf! The next time you find it difficult to trust God, remember He moved on your behalf before, and He will do it again. Step by step, you will build a strong faith that will help you overcome life’s challenges.

2. Start a Prayer and Praise Journal

When we stand face to face with spiritual obstacles and feel the crushing weight of our burdens, it causes us to forget what God has already done for us. A simple way to keep your focus on God in those moments is to start a prayer and praise journal.

Use a journal to write down prayer requests, including the date you entrusted them into God’s hands. When God answers your prayer, add that information to your journal. Your journal will contain the evidence you need to face difficult times with a deeper trust in your loving Father’s faithfulness.

3. Reflect on God’s Promises

Difficult things often arrive suddenly in our lives, as if dropping out of the sky onto our path. All you can see at that moment is a mountain. It blocks your progress and your vision of what lies ahead. When we focus on the mountain, we lose faith in God.

The Bible tells of God’s children overcoming obstacles with His help. Ask God to give you the strength to climb your mountain or make a way through to the other side. As God takes you by the hand and leads you to victory, your trust will soon overshadow all your mountains.

4. Trust God’s Plans

When we receive bad news or come face to face with a difficult circumstance, often it shakes us to our core and fear sets in. A perfect way to build the kind of faith that does not fail is to always trust in God’s plans. He knows your future and has plans to prosper you. Life-shattering moments are no surprise to God, even if tears fill our path.

Memorize Jeremiah 29:11 and hold it in your heart. When you face the temptation to doubt God’s presence in your life, this Bible verse can be a reminder that you never walk alone. Walking with the Lord is the best way to learn to trust Him with everything.

5. Pray God’s Promises Back to Him

A great way to increase your faith is to pray for the promises found in God’s Word. Some promises in the Bible are for a specific person or people. Faith, however, calls us to believe that if God did it for those people, He can do it for us.

Search for Bible verses that you can pray over any situation. Your faith can easily grow with each answer to a prayer that you receive, each promise He grants, and each deliverance He provides. He can also test your faith when He determines it is in your best interest for you to pass through the circumstance. Praying His Word back to Him will show you a lot about your faith and teach you about the will of God.

6. Set Aside Time to Listen

Our lives are full of things demanding our attention and draining our time. There is a remedy for these distractions: start listening to the Word of God on a daily basis. Instead of listing to music on the radio during your commute, you could try listening to a podcast of your favorite pastor. Instead of spending two or three hours a night watching your favorite TV programs, set aside some time for a Bible study instead.

Philippians 4:8 provides a list of what we should focus on, but life chokes these things out. Taking intentional steps to listen to the teaching of His Word will bring direction, hope, and growth to your life.

7. Ask the Lord Jesus to Increase Your Faith

There is a simple way to grow your faith: ask for Christ Jesus to increase it. His followers asked Him to increase their faith in Luke 17:5, and they saw His miracles and listened to His teachings firsthand. If they needed more faith to accomplish the Lord’s will, how much more do we?

To build your faith, ask the Lord to increase it to the measure needed to fulfill His will. God is faithful to His children, and His desire is for us to walk in faith. So, boldly ask the Lord for a full measure of faith.

8. Read and Memorize God’s Word

There are a lot of bad things dominating our hearts and minds, most of which will serve no purpose in hard times. In comparison, the Word of God is a pillar of fire guiding us through the darkness of difficult circumstances.

Reading the Bible reveals God’s goodness and faithfulness. Your faith will deepen when you learn about the God you serve. Memorizing Bible verses will help you when faced with trials. You will come out the other side of your trial in victory. You won’t be victorious because of your strength, but because you trusted in God. Each time you overcome with help from the Word of God, your trust will be stronger.

9. Surrender Your Trust to God

The sin of self-reliance is a prime example of lacking trust in God. If you are not trusting God, then your faith is based on something else. Having faith in other things restricts the power of God in your life. Eventually, you are disappointed because of human limitations.

Note the areas of your life in which you have not surrendered into God’s hands and then ask Him to take control. Trust your life to God’s plans and God’s ways. This will grow your faith because you learn that His ways are far better than anything you could have imagined. Surrender results in a stronger faith and a deeper trust in God.

10. Identify Areas of Unbelief

Mark 9:24 is a picture of what happens when unbelief meets Jesus Christ face-to-face. The father in this story brought a profound, personal need before the Lord, and the encounter revealed his unbelief. It is best not to wait until you are in a crisis to discover your unbelief because unbelief hinders your faith.

Ask God to examine your heart and write down what He reveals. Fight against your unbelief with the help of the Word of God. As you move from unbelief to belief, your faith and trust in God will flourish.

11. Trust God with Your Pain

When difficult times come, it is easy to question the goodness of God. Your heart then starts equating God’s goodness with your will, and this leads to disappointment. Resist the urge to think God does not care about you when things do not go as you desire. You must fix your mind and spirit on the promises of God and trust Him no matter what happens.

The purpose for suffering in your life is in God’s hands. He knows your deepest and most desperate needs and is ready to discuss them with you. He has prepared enough faith for you to be victorious, so ask Him to fill your spirit with all you need. There is pain in the night, but with Him, joy comes in the morning.

12. Denounce Empty Substitutions of Faith

The Old Testament tells how some of God’s children trusted in everything but Him. The results were devastating and painful. Today’s culture offers many idols for us to trust, but they are just empty substitutions for the Living God.

Good things like church, jobs, and family can become idols, and God directly opposes idols of any kind. Pray and ask Him to reveal if you have based your faith on anything other than Him. Tear down any substitutes the Holy Spirit reveals and request His help to have faith in God alone. Once the Lord helps you remove the obstacles to growth, you will experience a greater measure of faith.

13. Take Your Thoughts Captive

Many Christians struggle with doubt, and God’s Word teaches us that we are not alone. John doubted Christ’s identity, and even Thomas did not believe it was Christ when he saw Him.

God is always calling His children out to deeper waters and into unknown areas. Why? To help us learn to trust Him. So, how do you deal with faith-crushing doubt? Pray and confess it to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Fight against your doubt with the Word of God. Look up Bible verses that will help you make your every thought captive & obedient to Christ. Ask the Lord to grant you the faith to overcome your doubt, and it will surprise you how much your trust will grow.

14. Align Your Life under His Will

Sin erodes our faith in God and causes us to feel we have lost God’s love. When we do not feel loved or are ashamed, we avoid God’s presence, just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Our feelings drive us away from faith in God and His Word.

A great way to build your faith is to repent and confess your sins. Acknowledging God’s holiness and aligning your plans under His sovereignty will open your life up to new and exciting ways to grow your faith. Ask God to show you if you have sin that needs forgiving. As you make His will the desire of your heart, you give glory to God and start your journey to a stronger faith.

15. Focus on the Needs of Others

Often, we see people who seem to radiate strength and faith in God. If we are honest, we wish we had that kind of faith. How did they get to their spiritual condition? They stepped out of the boat, tested the waters, and trusted that God would hold them up or teach them to swim.

Serving others is a perfect way to step out in faith and see how God works. The first thing to do is to find something you enjoy doing and serve in that area. Your church should have many opportunities to serve. If they do not have a ministry for you, then start one! God can use your joy in serving as a catalyst for growth in your life and impact the eternal life of others.

16. Make God Your Security

What do you depend on for your security and wellbeing? Is it a person other than Jesus? Is it in your job, talent, intelligence, or status? When you base your faith on things or people, then in time, your security crumbles. Jobs and fortunes are lost, and people die or leave us. There is always someone more intelligent, and your status is only a social media post away from being destroyed. It only takes one catastrophe to awaken us to the realization that we have been building our lives on sand and not on the Lord Jesus, our Rock.

Make a list of the important things in your life, then pray and give them into the Lord’s faithful hands. Ask the Father to bless you with the faith you need to trust Him completely. Then, you can stand firm no matter what bad things happen.

17. Practice Contentment

It is hard to be content if things do not go the way we want or when in the middle of a long trial. Discontentment, while natural, shows a lack of trust in God. The children of God must fight against discontentment. We should decide in advance to stand firm in our faith and trust in the goodness of God, no matter what.

Whatever you are facing, focus on what He is accomplishing through your disappointment or suffering and on the promises of God. Remember to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of your faith, and He will help you grow and trust even in your suffering.

18. Utilize Your Shield of Faith

A great enemy of our faith is spiritual warfare. The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians in AD60, but God’s Word is just as alive, active, and relevant today.

Satan’s desire is for the children of God to doubt and lose faith. Satan attacks our faith because it is our shield and protects us from his fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16). Before you find your faith wavering, read Ephesians 6 and make the Armor of God a part of your daily life. We find the secret to having enough faith in verse 10, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” We do nothing in our strength, but our faith in God activates His power. Pray and confess your need for His power and protection. Ask Him to strengthen your faith so that you can stand against anything the enemy sends your way.

19. Remove Prideful Thinking

Pride causes significant damage to our faith by challenging our trust in God. Pride teaches us we have all the answers, so we believe the lie and look to our own understanding more than God’s truth. Psalm 139:23-24 provides a template for testing our lives for any offensive ways.

Pray and ask the Father to reveal any areas of your life dominated by pride and ask for His forgiveness. List what He reveals in a notebook, then find Bible verses to help you overcome these prideful areas. As you pray and make a conscious effort to eradicate pride from your life, you will develop a deeper trust in God’s promises. A deeper trust leads to a closer relationship and a stronger faith in His love for you.

20. Build Trust Through Prayer

Prayer is a conversation with the Living God, yet His children often neglect it. When we pray, we get a sense of the heartbeat of God for the lost, our family, and our spiritual condition. When we do not have the words to pray, we can ask the Holy Spirit to pray for us.

God has provided all you need to grow through prayer. So, start today and spend some time in the presence of the Lord. It may seem awkward at first, but when you pray and feel His presence, your faith will become firmly established. The Christians who make prayer a part of their daily life will continue to grow in faith and trust as they see God move.

21. Be a Witness of His Faithfulness

Talking to others about Christ is scary for many people, mainly because we think we do not have all the answers or we aren’t sure what words to use.

Pray and surrender yourself to be an instrument for telling others about His love. Confess your fears and ask the Lord to help you share the good news of Jesus Christ. God will open doors of opportunity for you to witness. You will find that God is faithful to give you words to speak, and the power of the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of the people through you. Your measure of faith will increase as you walk under the influence of His love and power.

22. Call on the Holy Spirit

We have all been in a situation where we know we need to step out in faith, but we shrink back. How do we overcome those moments when fear rules over our faith? A long time ago, our Heavenly Father provided all we need through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus called Him our Helper in John 14:26, so the next time you find yourself in a situation where you want to shrink back, stop, and pray.

Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to strengthen your faith to step out and do what God is calling you to do. When you complete your assignment, He has given you, your faith in Him will soar as He uses you to do great things.

23. Be a Good Steward of Faith

Often, Christians long to have more faith even though they are not faithful with what they already have. One of the best ways to grow your faith is to be obedient to what you already know you should do but are not.

James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word of God. The first step toward a strong faith is to compile a list of what you already know you should be doing. For example, prayer and reading God’s Word should be a part of your daily life. If they are not, your next step would be to make time for each of these things. Be faithful with what you have, and you will grow with each step of obedience you take!

24. Remove Obstacles to Peace

The lack of peace is an obstacle to building faith and trust in God. There are many times we are not sure what to do, and the lack of peace freezes our progress. Other times, we are not sure we know the will of God, and the lack of peace keeps us from doing anything.

In Isaiah 26:3, God promises to “keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Here is the secret to your peace: trust in God . Pray for God’s guidance and trust that the Spirit of God will not allow you to take one step outside of His will for your life. If you take Him at His Word and trust what He says is true, His perfect peace will dominate your mind resulting in the growth you desire.

25. Walk Closely with Christ Jesus

In Colossians 2:6-7, God instructed us to “walk in Christ Jesus the Lord.” Walking close to Him will give your faith the roots it needs to flourish.

Here are some practical ways for you to walk closely with the Lord Jesus. First, read about Him in God’s Word. Learning more about what He has done and said will naturally lead you to the next step. Worship Him, praising Him for His sacrifice and love. Then, follow His lead in all areas of your life, including the service of others. As you walk with Him, you will be strengthened in your faith.

These steps are not all-inclusive, but they certainly are a good start. God has gone to great lengths to make it possible for you to have a close relationship with Him, and faith and trust are crucial to that relationship. Let this list be your first step toward pleasing God.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. However, the Bible tells us of many people who did please Him. The significance is that it is possible, so pray and seek the faith needed. O Lord, we ask this day for Your help and provision to live faithful and pleasing lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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George Fox University

What My Faith in God Looks Like

By Dustin Junkert

• July 20, 2009

I grew up quietly and without thought. My mom was a secretary at the Baptist church, and I led the worship team senior year of high school. My youth pastor was one of my best friends. I believed in God and my parents, my friends, and the four walls of my house. All things were within reach, simple and inspiring. And I told my girlfriend I wanted to be a writer.

She told me I was very smart and of course I’d be a writer. I wrote a rhyming 12-line poem over the course of three days, a maze of abstraction. I read it over and over until I had it memorized. In high school English, I dazed off reciting my poem in my head, the poem that would soon be recited by everyone in 12th-grade English across the country, once I settled on a publisher. Soon after, I began work on my first novel, a period piece about a 17th-century Huguenot family fleeing the Inquisition.

Eager to continue my spiritual journey, I went to a private Christian college in Oregon complete with a lifestyle contract. Freshman year, I met Frank, a lifelong philosopher. He was a couple rooms down from me. He asked me all sorts of wild questions I had never thought about before, like, “Well, why do you believe that?” Everything I said that year, Frank would ask me that question. Then I started asking myself that question about every thought I had. It was a sort of game, which most of the time sounded like this:

Why shouldn’t I have sex before I marry?

Because the Bible says it’s a sin.

Because it keeps you from Him.

Why doesn’t all sex keep you from Him?

Because premarital sex does not require any commitment.

Why do you need commitment?

Because sex is special.

Why do you think that?

Because it says so in the Bible.

Why do you believe the Bible?

Because it’s God’s word.

How do you know that?

Because it says it in there.

Well, I am speaking the words of God right now, do you believe me?

Because. . . .

The game generally started with a question, cycled through my beliefs, and ended with “because. . . .” Soon it was ending in just “. . . .”

I took a class called “The Problem of Religious Diversity” that quickly had me believing that just about any belief system could be true and that no one could prove anything. It never occurred to me until then that people who believed something other than Christianity had the same reason for believing their faith as I did for believing mine.

How about that?

I ran into an old Sunday school teacher sophomore year and told him I’d been thinking that maybe it’s not true that everyone who’s not a Baptist will go to Hell. He looked me straight in the eye with saintly gravity and said: “The Bible is very clear: if you believe that, you aren’t a Christian. In fact, if we were in the 17th century right now, you’d be burned at the stake.” I, of course, knew this from all the research I’d done for my novel. But the way he said it put me in a state of fear at first, then repentance, then confusion, and lastly anger. I rebelled from the religion that contained all the smallness of my childhood. I cursed my Baptist teacher, God and the novel, and fled to Russia for a study-abroad semester sponsored by a coalition of Christian colleges.

The first person I talked to there was Dan, a student at Grace College in Michigan. He immediately asked the last question I wanted to hear: “So what’s your faith look like?” I went cold. I wanted to bleat my usual Jesus-story and be done with it, but the ice on my ribs wouldn’t let me lie. I reluctantly collapsed and told him that honestly, I didn’t know anything anymore and nothing was real. Turns out, Dan was in the same place I was.

Together we raved and doubted and yelled and trembled all semester long. We felt the black blood of Dostoevsky and descended the dark stairs of Derrida and Sartre. Some nights, we would just sit across from each other and stare, estranged by the cold of a new, uncertain world. After one of these nights of existential fog, as I got up to go, I turned to Dan and said, “The only meaningful thing left to do in this world, it seems, is to sit quietly with a friend until dark and then say goodnight.”

Then, on a snow-gray Russian day, riding a packed bus, a song came on my iPod that froze me in time. In a sense, I’m still there on that bus listening to that song with watering eyes. It was a song called “Clouds” by As Cities Burn that said: “Is your god really God? / Is my god really God? / I think our god isn’t God / If he fits inside our heads.”

With the terrifying pull of rubber bands, I expanded beyond the length of the bus, grew from the street to the sky. Then I snapped and everything came undone. I resigned entirely. God won’t fit inside our heads, and if He does, we’re missing something. And I knew all I’d been waiting for was to know that to admit doubt was not to lose faith. A few simple lines of an Indie rock song pushed me to see hope amid uncertainty.

It snowed continually my last two weeks in Russia. I met Dan one morning at a small cafe, Biblioteca, where we drank bottomless black tea and watched the snow pile up on the street. He said he had prayed the night before. I said I was ready to step back into a church.

Our last Sunday in Moscow, we attended Mass, an Orthodox church, then a mosque. Dan said we were a Protestant service away from a monotheistic grand slam. At Mass, I wrote in my journal, “God, see that I’m trying.”

It was the first time I had prayed in more than a year.

Dustin Junkert, George Fox University, class of 2009, writing/literature major

100-Word Faith Stories: (Very) short essays about unexpectedly experiencing God in the world today

In new life—whether in the priesthood or bringing a child into the world—we can experience God in new ways. Faith comes from surprising places. We asked readers to share stories of surprising moments of faith in no more than 100 words. In these (very) short essays, they describe their faith journeys found through these experiences with life. They show how faith can be strengthened in these small yet meaningful ways. 

I am currently pregnant, but my husband and I know there are several problems with this pregnancy. We don’t know what the end will look like, but there is a chance our third baby will not survive. In the midst of this, I feel God tapping me on the shoulder through prayer, Scripture or those around me trying to say: “No, you don’t know the outcome yet, but I’m with you through it all. I haven’t abandoned you. Trust me. I’m here, I’ve got you, and I love you. Elizabeth Hokamp  Sterling, Kans.

We’ve lost our intimacy with the life and death of things we eat. Humans can pretend their meat wasn’t a living being before it arrived at the market elegantly wrapped. I have never said grace so earnestly as I did after hunting, cooking and eating a woodcock. As the instrument of my dinner’s demise, I felt sad and grateful for its life and that it died on my behalf. Giving thanks to God for his creature, I thought of how serious a decision it is to eat meat, to take a life, when other options are available. God provides.  Anthony Giattino Yonkers, N.Y.

May 17, 1975. I lay prostrate on the cold marble floor of the cathedral in Trenton, N.J., preparing to be ordained a Catholic priest. I listened to the Litany of the Saints being sung. When the music concluded, I began to right myself from the floor. My hands touched the marble where my body had been, and it was warm. This was what servant priesthood would be for me; to draw from the cold world, and absorb in my body all that is cold, and make it warm with the love of God within. My soul smiled with joy. Msgr. Charlie Cicerale Willingboro, N.J.

The day arrives. The manufacturing business that sustained the family over generations succumbs, a victim of change. Virtually nothing is left. He worries. What will he do now, in middle age? How will he provide for his family? 

On his weary way home, he feels conflicted. To visit a cheery, well-lit pub or a quiet church? Both are on his path. Inexplicably, he chooses to trudge into the church, slipping into the back pew. It is deserted and peaceful; the light of the tabernacle comforts. “Fear not; I am with you always.”

Comforted, he walks out of the church. Faith strengthens. Tom Thomas Bengaluru, India

It’s his smile, a toothy grin that, spread wide, creates five deep dimples across his face. It brings God close every time I see it. During the pandemic, his smile was lost in the confusion of a deaf child unable to read lips concealed behind masks. But he refused to disappear. Educators taught him creative ways of connecting, like using big buttons with their smiling faces on it, and being more intentional with their eye contact. He and his teachers navigated the barriers until the barriers finally came down. It is his smile that, for me, is faith made real. Gretchen Crowder Dallas, Tex.

Related: 100-Word Faith Stories in our November 2022 Issue

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How to Share Your Faith

How to Be a Better Witness for Jesus Christ

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• Cultivating Prayer as a Way of Life
• Essential Bible Verses
• Christianity Origins
• The New Testament
• The Old Testament
• Christian Life For Teens
• Christian Prayers
• Inspirational Bible Devotions
• Denominations of Christianity
• Christian Holidays
• Christian Entertainment
• Key Terms in Christianity
• Catholicism
• Latter Day Saints

• General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center

Many Christians are intimidated by the idea of sharing their faith. Jesus never intended for the Great Commission to be an impossible burden. God meant for us to be witnesses of Jesus Christ through the natural outcome of living for him.

How to Share Your Faith in God With Others

We humans make evangelism complicated. We think we must complete a 10-week course in apologetics before getting started. God designed an easy evangelism program. He made it simple for us.

Here are five practical approaches to being a better representative of the gospel.

Represent Jesus in the Best Possible Way

Or, in the words of my pastor, "Don’t make Jesus look like a jerk." Try to keep in mind that you are the face of Jesus to the world.

As followers of Christ, the quality of our witness to the world carries eternal implications. Unfortunately, Jesus has been poorly represented by many of his followers. I am not saying that I am the perfect Jesus Follower—I am not. But if we (those who follow the teachings of Jesus) could represent him authentically, the term "Christian" or "Christ-follower" would be more likely to illicit a positive response than a negative one.

Be a Friend by Showing Love

Jesus was a close friend to hated tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus . He was called " Friend of Sinners " in Matthew 11:19. If we are his followers, we ought to be accused of being a friend of sinners too.

Jesus taught us to how to share the gospel by showing our love to others in John 13:34-35:

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)

Jesus didn't quarrel with people. Our heated debates are not likely to draw someone into the kingdom. Titus 3:9 says, "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." (NIV)

If we follow the way of love, we team up with an unstoppable force. This passage makes a strong case for being a better witness simply by showing love:

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, NIV)

Be a Good, Kind, and Godly Example

When we spend time in the presence of Jesus , his character will rub off on us. With his Holy Spirit working in us, we can forgive our enemies and love those who hate us, just as our Lord did. By his grace we can be good examples to those outside of the kingdom who are watching our lives.

The Apostle Peter commended us to, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. " (1 Peter 2:12, NIV)

The Apostle Paul taught young Timothy , "And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2:24, NIV)

One of the finest examples in the Bible of a faithful believer who won the respect of pagan kings is the prophet Daniel :

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." (Daniel 6:3-5, NIV)

Submit to Authority and Obey God

Romans chapter 13 teaches us that rebelling against authority is the same as rebelling against God. If you don't believe me, go ahead and read Romans 13 now. Yes, the passage even tells us to pay our taxes. The only time we have permission to disobey authority is when submitting to that authority means we would be disobeying God.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego tells of three young Hebrew captives who were determined to worship and obey God above all others. When King Nebuchadnezzar commanded the people to fall down and worship a golden image he had built, these three men refused. Courageously they stood before the king who pressured them to deny God or face death in a fiery furnace. 

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose to obey God above the king, they didn't know with certainty that God would rescue them from the flames, but they stood firm anyway. And God delivered them, miraculously.

As a result, the ungodly king declared:

“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to high positions in Babylon. (Daniel 3:28-30)

God opened a tremendous door of opportunity through the obedience of his three brave servants. What a powerful witness of God's power to Nebuchadnezzar and the people of Babylon.

Pray for God to Open a Door

In our eagerness to be witnesses for Christ, we often rush ahead of God. We may see what looks to us like an open door to share the gospel, but if we jump in without devoting time to prayer, our efforts may be futile or even counterproductive.

Only by seeking the Lord in prayer are we led through doors that God alone can open. Only by prayer will our witnessing have the desired effect. The great Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about effective witnessing. He gave us this trustworthy advice: 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. (Colossians 4:2-3, NIV)

More Practical Ways to Share Your Faith By Being an Example

Karen Wolff of Christian-Books-For-Women.com shares some practical ways to share our faith simply by being an example for Christ.

• People can spot a phony from a mile away. The absolute worst thing you can do is say one thing and do another. If you aren't committed to applying Christian principles in your own life, you will not only be ineffective but will be seen as insincere and phony. People aren't as interested in what you say, as they are in seeing how it's working in your life.
• One of the best ways to share your faith is to demonstrate the very things you believe by staying positive and having a good attitude even in the middle of a crisis in your own life. Remember the story in the Bible about Peter walking out onto the water when Jesus called to him? He kept walking above the water as long as he stayed focused on Jesus. But once he focused on the storm, he sank.
• When the people around you see the peace in your life, especially when it seems like you're surrounded by storms, you can bet they'll want to know how to get what you got! On the other hand, if all they see is the top of your head as you sink into the water, there's not a whole lot to ask.
• Treat people with respect and dignity, no matter the circumstances. Whenever you have the opportunity, show how you don't change how you treat people, no matter what. Jesus treated people right, even when they mistreated Him. People around you will wonder how you're able to show this kind of respect for others. You never know, they may even ask.
• Find ways to be a blessing to others. This not only plants amazing seeds for a harvest in your own life, it shows others that you're not a phony. It shows that you live what you believe. Saying you're a Christian is one thing, but living it in tangible ways every day is something else. The Word says, "They'll know them by their fruit."
• Don't compromise your beliefs. Situations happen every day where compromise is not only possible, but many times is expected. Show people that your Christianity means living a life of integrity . And oh yes, that means you tell the sales clerk when she undercharged you for that quart of milk!
• The ability to forgive quickly is a very powerful way to show how Christianity really works. Become a model of forgiveness . Nothing creates division, hostility, and turmoil more than an unwillingness to forgive the people who hurt you. Of course, there will be times when you are absolutely right. But being right doesn't give you a free pass to punish, humiliate, or embarrass someone else. And it most certainly doesn't eliminate your responsibility to forgive.

Hodges, D. (2015). "Bold Witnesses for Christ" (Acts 3-4); Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 459). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

• Bible Story of a Brave Trio: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
• Who Was Daniel in the Bible?
• 35 Bible Verses About Life
• Examples of Friendship in the Bible
• How to Teach Children About God
• The Story of Daniel in the Lions' Den
• Bible Story Summaries (Index)
• Heroes of Faith in the Book of Hebrews
• The Gospel Truth About How to Get to Heaven
• How Does the Bible Define Discipleship?
• What Does the Bible Say About Paying Taxes?
• What Is the Great Commission?
• Bible Verses on Backsliding
• New Testament Prayers
• Bible Verses About Love for One Another
• Why Is Obedience to God Important?

The Faith Space

Faith in Bible stories: 30+ inspirational examples and stories from Scripture

Bible Character Studies · Bible Verse Studies

Studying faith in Bible stories is one of my favorite ways to encourage my heart, especially in rough times.

There are so many people of faith in the Bible. In this post I will list just a few characters and stories of faith you can study to uplift your heart.

Examples of strong faith in the Bible

One of the first places many people look for a list of heroes of faith in the Bible is Hebrews 11. But the entire Bible is filled with examples of great faith.

Let’s look at a few.

Bible stories of faith in hard times

The Widow at Zarephath – A three famine was well under way. The widow of Zarephath trusted God so much that she decided to feed Elisha with the very last bit of flour she had. Even in a famine, she never ran out of food. 1 Kings 17:7-16

READ: 7 Widow of Zarephath lessons for encouragement in hard times

Joseph – Although his brothers sold him into slavery and although he ended up in prison for doing the right thing, Joseph always knew that the dreams he had as a boy were God’s plans for his future. He endured everything he did in faith, knowing it would all come together.

Hannah – Hannah struggled with infertility in a world where motherhood was the definition of womanhood. She prayed in faith for a baby and walked away confident that her prayers were answered. And God did answer her.

READ: 10 Uplifting Lessons from Hannah in the Bible

David – David is one of those Bible characters whose life was a soap opera. After he secretly raped Bathsheba and impregnated her, he murdered Uriah her husband and then married her. This was a humongous sin. But his prayer in Psalm 51 was so heartfelt. And by faith, David believed that he had been forgiven.

Jacob – Although he struggled with the sin of deceit, Jacob believed that he and his sons were a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. He struggled a great deal to grow and settle his family. But he remained obedient to God through all the challenges of his life.

Naaman – There was no cure for his leprosy. He was facing a slow, painful death. Although his faith was new, he used the little he had to go dip in the Jordan. Naaman’s leprosy was cured little by little with each dip in the dirty Jordan. 2 Kings 5:1-19.

Abigail – Abigail had one of the worst husband’s in the Bible. He was a drunken, selfish, foolish man who almost cost his entire household their lives. By faith, Abigail maintained a strong relationship with God and a very sweet, spirit-filled disposition. She didn’t allow her hard situation to harden her.

READ: Qualities of Abigail in the Bible – Lessons from the woman with beauty and brains

Jeremiah – The Prophet Jeremiah didn’t have an easy life. He was a prophet to Israel during some rough days. His family and friends disowned him and tried to kill him. He had no friends. The Lord told him not to marry. He was beaten. He was accused of being a liar. He was thrown into a pit filled with human waste. He became very angry at God and so depressed that he was going to leave his prophetic ministry. He actually asked God to take his life. But the call on his life was so strong that he just had to keep going in faith.

Examples of radical faith in the Bible

There are varying degrees of faith. Some Bible characters have baby faith and others have mature faith.

Here are some examples of strong faith in the Bible that were at another level.

The battle at Jericho – I’d like to think that if people saw me walking around their property several times a day, every day for a whole week, I would be taken to the loony bin. The faith of the Israelites was radical to make them do this crazy thing God told them to do. But the walls of that city did come tumbling down!

Daniel – It takes great faith to keep doing something you know you could get killed for. Daniel chose to pray even though it was against the newly passed laws. He trusted God to show up for him. And his faith was rewarded.

The three Hebrew boys – How about not doing something and you know you will be killed for not doing it? Yet these boys refused to bow to the image when hundreds of others bowed. God showed up to save them from death.

Esther – After finding out that her life was being threatened along with those of her nation, Esther goes into fasting and prayer. By faith she put a plan in place to save herself and her people. Again, God showed up and made her plan successful.

READ: Characteristics of Esther in the Bible: Lesson from the Queen of Persia

Elijah on Mount Carmel – Praying for fire to fall from heaven is quite something. Don’t you think? Well, Elijah did it, by faith. God reestablish Himself as the only true God.

The Woman with the issue of blood – This woman had nothing else to lose. She decided to defy every Jewish rule to get to Jesus for her miracle. That’s radical faith. This is one of the most powerful faith stories in the New Testament Bible.

READ: 5 Faith lessons from the woman with the issue of blood

Peter walking on water – Well, gravity doesn’t care what we humans think. But when faith comes in, gravity has to obey Jesus. And Peter had radical faith to step out of the boat to walk on water. If you want a story about stepping out in faith, literally, this is it!

The Syrophenecian Woman – When you have something to lose, you lose your pride. The Syrophenecian Woman had a dying child. When she approached Jesus, she broke all the Jewish rules about gentiles. But she showed radical faith and got her miracle. She believed her daughter could be healed without Jesus visiting her home.

READ: 5 Lessons from the Canaanite woman and her faith

The centurion – When faith comes from unlikely places, that’s radical. The centurion approached Jesus on behalf of his sick servant. And just like the Syrophenecian Woman, he believed his servant could be healed if Jesus just said the word.

Examples of faith in action

Faith without works is dead. In other words, believing without action is not evidence that you believe.

Real faith is accompanied by taking concrete steps towards that thing you are believing God for.

Here are some Bible characters and stories that demonstrate faith in action.

Abraham – If ever there was ever an example of radical faith in action, Abraham is it. Abraham showed his faith by leaving the safety of his home, without a plan and going to a place he had never been before. In fact, God didn’t reveal a specific destination until the appointed time. Here is yet another powerful Bible story about stepping out in faith.

Moses – When God sent Moses to Egypt, that was a huge step of faith. How was he going to conquer the leader of the largest nation of the then known world with a single stick in his hand? Yet, he went anyway. And man, what an adventure it was.

Crossing the Jordan – It was time for Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land. They needed to cross the Jordan River. They took action by putting their feet into the water. The river didn’t start parting until they put their foot into the water. 

David and Goliath – When Goliath threatened Israel, all the Israelite soldiers sat on the sideline in fear. David came in and jumped into the fight all by himself with only a slingshot and a stone.

The Widow’s Olive Oil – This woman was in a desperate situation. But when Elisha told her to go get as many jugs as possible, that was taking action. Without taking that first step, her miracle of an unending stream of oil would not unfold.

The Four Lepers – These lepers were so hungry they were about to die. They could stay outside the city and die for sure but they could go inside the camp and face a 50 percent chance of dying. They weighed their options and decided to take action. They found so much food and treasures and not one soul was around. This Bible story demonstrates how you can step out in faith.

Jesus and the feeding of 5000 – Who would have thought that 5 loaves and 2 fish could feed a crowd? When Jesus got the morsel, he just prayed and started sharing the food. He took action on the little he had in his hand and before anyone knew it, the crowd of 15000 people was was full and there were left overs.

Paul trying the doors – Paul was very passionate about ministry. At one point he made multiple attempts to go to various places to do ministry. The Holy Spirit kept closing doors but he kept trying others until he landed on the path God desired for him at that time.

Lack of faith stories in the Bible

Many of these faithful characters in the Bible had their unique flaws. Here are some examples of weak faith in some of the most popular people in the Bible.

Sarah and Abraham – As the first couple of radical faith, they struggled to believe when God took more than 20 years to fulfill the promise. Enter Hagar to help along the promise with human planning. And there were also the times when Abraham lied to two kings to save his skin instead of trusting God to protect them.

READ: Lessons from the life of Sarah in the Bible

Isaac and Rebekah – Just like his father Abraham, Isaac had the wonderful plight of having a beautiful wife. He too lied to kings to save himself from being killed for Rebekah . 

The Israelites – Going through the wilderness with 2 million people who complain all the time isn’t easy. Although God promised to take care of them, they complained alot. They complained about food, water, Moses etc. They had forgotten how to trust God. One other good example is when God told to pick up manna only for a day. Because of lack of faith disobeyed.

The 12 spies – There are few things worst than people who always have a negative view of things. And it’s worst when they spread that in a crowd. The 12 spies were sure to tell everyone that the land of Canaan could not be conquered. This is the same land God said was already there’s if they trusted Him for deliverance.

Gideon – When God told him to move forward with the war to free Israel, Gideon needed to be assured by God twice. Nevertheless, God met him where he was in his faith and gave him those signs.

Barak – It takes a bit of courage to run into battle. Barack struggled with this. Because of his weak faith, he needed the help of Deborah to get into the fight. Ultimately it was a woman who finalized the battle.

READ: Lessons from Deborah in the Bible : Characteristics and lessons learned

The rich young ruler – His faith was weak because he thought that his wealth was his key to heaven. Jesus tried to teach him otherwise. But his weak, misguided faith couldn’t handle the teaching.

READ: Jesus and the rich young ruler

Jesus heals the boy with the impure spirit   – This poor father went to the disciples for help to cast out the demons from his boy. They couldn’t do it because their faith wasn’t strong enough. Even the father himself struggled to believe that it could be done. The disciples mark 9:14-19

Thomas – The disciples often struggled to understand what Jesus tried to say about his death and resurrection. Thomas is remembered for doubting that Jesus was indeed alive. Until he touched Jesus for himself he didn’t believe.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 30 Women of faith in the Bible, characteristics, and lessons

Stories of faith in everyday life  

God still shows up in powerful ways in the 21st century. Sometimes He’s loud. Other times, very quietly.

Here are a few stories about faith in daily life.

Stepping out in faith with Naomi Judd .

How God led from Islam to Christianity . 

How God showed to give assurance in a time of grief . 

How God provided a house with no money down .

Read examples of faith in Bible stories  

I just love reading the stories of the Bible. It’s one of my favorite things to do to get encouragement and empowerment.

I hope this list of inspirational Bible stories about faith and these few real life faith stories will do the same for  your heart today.

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10 Examples of Strong Faith in the Bible from Lesser Known Bible Characters

If you’re looking for inspiring stories of courage and trust in divine promises for your spiritual journey , you don’t have to look far. While many of the well-known Bible characters such as Moses and David are celebrated for their unshakable faith , there are countless lesser-known figures whose stories are equally inspiring.

In this article, we’ll showcase ten examples of strong faith in the Bible from lesser-known characters, and the remarkable ways they showed their trust in God.

From defying Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew boys to leading Israel into battle against a mightier Canaanite army , these stories are sure to encourage and uplift you on your spiritual journey .

Shiphrah and Puah: Defiance of Pharaoh’s Order (Exodus 1:15-21)

When Pharaoh commanded Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, they knew that they could not follow his order. They displayed great faith and courage by defying Pharaoh’s decree and protecting the innocent lives of the Hebrew children.

Their brave actions demonstrated their strong belief in God’s commandments and their unwavering commitment to preserving human life.

The story of Shiphrah and Puah is a testament to the power of faith and the courage that it can inspire. Even in the face of great danger, they chose to do what was right, trusting in God’s providential care.

Their example serves as an inspiration to all who face difficult or dangerous circumstances, reminding us that we can always choose to act with faith , even in the most challenging of circumstances.

“And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” – Exodus 1:19

The courage and faith of Shiphrah and Puah ultimately helped to preserve the life of a young baby who would grow up to become one of the most important figures in Jewish history – Moses.

Their defiance of Pharaoh’s order reminds us that sometimes, it is necessary to stand up against injustice and oppression, even at great personal risk.

The Widow of Zarephath: Provision During Famine (1 Kings 17:7-24)

In times of adversity, it can be challenging to trust in God’s promises. However, the Widow of Zarephath’s unwavering faith in God’s provision during a severe famine is truly inspiring.

The widow’s faith demonstrates the importance of trusting in God’s provision and promises, even during the most challenging times.

“And she went away and did as Elijah said, so that she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:15-16)

“The widow’s faith is a reminder that the Lord always provides, even when our circumstances tell us otherwise.”

Lessons Learned From the Widow of Zarephath’s Story

• God can use even the most unlikely people to carry out His plans and work miracles.
• Trusting in God’s promises, especially during difficult times, is essential in strengthening your faith.
• Small acts of kindness and obedience can lead to significant blessings and open doors to new opportunities.

Nahshon: Faith During the Crossing of the Red Sea

According to Jewish tradition , Nahshon demonstrated great faith during the crossing of the Red Sea .

As the sea parted, the Israelites stood at the edge, wondering how to proceed. Nahshon saw the opportunity and trusted in God’s promise.

He fearlessly stepped forward and began to walk into the water, showing the Israelites that God would protect them. As he waded deeper, the water miraculously parted, and the Israelites followed him to safety on the other side.

Nahshon’s faith and courage during this pivotal moment in Jewish history serves as a powerful example of trust in God’s promise . It highlights the importance of taking that first step, even when faced with doubt and uncertainty.

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.'” -Exodus 14:13-14

Nahshon’s Role in the Crossing of the Red Sea

Nahshon’s actions during the crossing of the Red Sea show us the importance of faith and trust in God’s promise . His courage to take that first step when faced with uncertainty inspires us to take action when we may be hesitant.

His legacy continues to live on through Jewish tradition , reminding us of the importance of faith in our spiritual journey .

Jael: Boldness and Faith in God’s Deliverance (Judges 4:17-22)

When facing an enemy commander , it takes great faith to remain steadfast in the belief that God will deliver victory. Jael , the wife of Heber the Kenite, exhibited immense boldness and strong faith in God, which eventually led to the deliverance of Israel from their enemies.

The story of Jael takes place during a time of conflict, as Israel was being oppressed by the Canaanites. The leader of the Canaanite army , Sisera, was known for his brutality and cruelty. However, this did not deter Jael from performing a courageous act of faith.

As Sisera fled the battlefield, he sought refuge in Jael’s tent, where she provided him with hospitality . However, while he slept, Jael drove a tent peg through his temple, an act that played a crucial role in the eventual victory of Israel.

“Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.” – Judges 5:24

Jael’s boldness and faith in God’s deliverance allowed her to take decisive action against the enemy commander , leading to victory for Israel. Her story serves as an inspiration to all who desire to take bold steps of faith in their lives.

Jael: Key Takeaways

• Jael exhibited boldness and strong faith in God’s deliverance of Israel
• She took decisive action against the enemy commander , Sisera, leading to victory for Israel
• Jael’s story serves as an inspiration to all who desire to take bold steps of faith in their lives

Mephibosheth: Faith in David’s Goodwill (2 Samuel 9)

Mephibosheth , the son of Jonathan, demonstrated faith by showing humility and accepting King David’s kindness . Despite being disabled and potentially threatened due to his lineage, he trusted in David’s goodwill, reflecting faith in God’s providence.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” (2 Samuel 9:7)

David’s kindness towards Mephibosheth was remarkable, given the historical context of animosity between the house of Saul and David. However, David chose to honor the covenant he made with Jonathan, strengthening the bond between the two families.

Despite his disability and the potential threats he faced, Mephibosheth placed his trust in God’s providence in humbly accepting David’s kindness . His faith remains an inspiring example for all believers.

The Shunammite Woman: Faith and Miraculous Restoration

The Shunammite woman was a woman of great faith who showed hospitality to the prophet Elisha . Her generosity and kindness were unparalleled, going so far as to prepare a guest room for him to stay in whenever he was in the area ( 2 Kings 4:8-10 ).

When her son died suddenly, she did not lose hope but instead sought out Elisha , believing in God’s power to restore life. She urgently sought his help, saying, “ Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” ( 2 Kings 4:28 ).

Elisha followed her back to her home and upon seeing the boy’s lifeless body, he prayed earnestly to God, asking Him to restore the child’s life. Elisha then stretched himself out on the boy’s body three times, and the child miraculously returned to life ( 2 Kings 4:34-35 ).

Ebed-Melech: Faith in Rescuing the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:7-13)

As an Ethiopian eunuch serving in King Zedekiah’s house, Ebed-Melech risked his own life and position to rescue the prophet Jeremiah from a cistern. His faith in God’s plan and unwavering trust allowed him to act despite the danger.

Ebed-Melech’s rescue of Jeremiah is a prime example of the power of faith, even in the face of adversity. He listened to God’s call and risked everything to carry out the rescue , showcasing his strong belief in God’s goodness and mercy.

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring this city to destruction and all its inhabitants by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will strike it down with the edge of the sword.”‘

Despite the danger of acting against the orders of the king, Ebed-Melech’s faith was unwavering. His actions demonstrate the impact that faith can have, not only on one’s life but on the lives of others. By putting his faith in God’s will, Ebed-Melech became an instrument of God’s plan, ultimately leading to the preservation of Jeremiah’s life.

Rahab’s Family: Faith and Redemption (Joshua 2; 6:22-25)

Rahab’s faith had a significant impact on her family. When Joshua sent spies to Jericho to scope out the land, Rahab took them in and even hid them from the king’s men, acknowledging their God’s power and pledging allegiance to their cause. Because of Rahab’s faith, her family was spared when Jericho was conquered.

Rahab’s story emphasizes the transformative power of faith and redemption . Despite being a harlot and an outsider, Rahab’s faith in God enabled her to take a courageous stand for His people.

Not only did she secure the safety of her family, but she was also later married into an Israelite tribe, becoming the ancestor of Jesse, King David’s father, and ultimately Jesus Himself.

What can we learn from Rahab’s story? Even when we feel undeserving or on the margins, our faith can have a profound impact on those around us. Like Rahab, our trust in God’s promises can lead to redemption and blessings beyond our imagination.

“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family because I have shown kindness to you.” – Joshua 2:12

The Woman With the Issue of Blood: Extraordinary Faith and Healing

The story of the woman with the issue of blood is a testament to the power of faith and the healing touch of Jesus. Despite being marginalized by society due to her condition, she displayed an astonishing confidence in the power of Jesus to heal her when she touched his garment.

The woman’s faith was so strong that she believed that simply touching the hem of Jesus’ garment would provide the healing she had been seeking for twelve years. Her unwavering faith paid off when, upon touching Jesus’ garment , she was miraculously healed.

Her story serves as an inspiration that, no matter how marginalized or powerless you may feel, faith can overcome any obstacle, and that even the slightest touch of Jesus’ garment can lead to incredible healing .

Barak: Leading in Faith Against All Odds (Judges 4-5)

If you’re looking for inspiration to help you lead in faith despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, look no further than the story of Barak in Judges 4-5. Barak demonstrated remarkable faith by leading Israel into battle against a vastly superior Canaanite army .

Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, Barak placed his trust in God’s promise of victory . His faith was rewarded as God delivered a decisive victory over the Canaanites.

Barak’s example teaches us that sometimes, leading in faith means making difficult decisions and taking bold actions in the face of adversity. It means trusting in God’s promises even when they seem impossible.

Whatever battles you may be facing in your personal or professional life, know that you can lead in faith like Barak did. By trusting in God’s promise of victory and taking action accordingly, you can inspire those around you to do the same.

So take heart, and remember the example of Barak as you face your own battles. With faith and perseverance, you can lead your team through even the toughest of challenges.

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How to be Strong in Faith

Posted by Carolina | Nov 18, 2019 | Faith | 6

She never imagined that her once handsome and strong husband would be completely bedridden, paralyzed and unable to talk.

A series of strokes changed her life and her husband’s forever.

You can’t tell by talking to her how hard this season in her life has been. She loves The Lord with all her heart and completely trusts Him.

She is always positive, always has a smile on her face, there is peace and joy in the midst of the storm. I know her secret, she is strong in Faith !

I admired her so much because even though she has been through hell and back her faith in God is unshakable and unmovable.

We all go through seasons of hardship in our lives, nobody is excluded. Sooner or later you will experience one of those storms in life, and once you are in the storm it’s too late to prepare.

Having a strong faith will determine how you handle life, the good times and the bad times.

Would you walk by faith and not by sight?

Would you fall apart when hardship comes?

Would you trust God no matter what?

You can’t be strong in The Lord without being strong in faith . Bill Winston

Faith is vital for the believer.

Why do you need to keep your faith strong

• Faith means you trust God. You trust that He is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He can do. Faith is believing in God, that’s is the reason why without faith it is impossible to please God.
• Strong faith enables God to work in us and through us.
• It makes us strong in our weaknesses.
• A strong faith opens the door to the supernatural.
• You need strong faith in order to be a disciple.
• Faith keeps you rooted and grounded when the storm comes.
• It helps you receive the promises of God (Romans 4:18-20).
• God expects you to grow in faith (2 Thess 1:3).

How faith grow stronger

This post contains affiliate links, for more info check out my disclosure page .

1. Feed your spirit

Whatever measure of faith God gives you, He wants you to grow it. You grow your faith by feeding your spirit with The Word of God.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

There are many ways that you can put the word of God inside of you, here are just a few ideas:

• Reading and meditating on the Word of God daily.
• Listen to faith-filled sermons while you do chores or get ready.
• Listen to podcasts from anointed teachers while you commute. A few of my favorites are Andrew Wommack , Rick Renner , Andy Andrews , and Tony Evans.
• Read faith books. A few of my favorites are: Ever Increasing Faith , You’ve Already Got It, A Sure Foundation , Foundations for Faith.
• Keep post-it notes with bible verses around your house and speak them out loud.
• Listen to an audible bible.

2. Renew your mind

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

Align your thoughts with the Word of God. If God said it, believe it and let that settle the issue.

You have to be kingdom-minded by keeping your focus on The Lord and His word. Cast down every thought that does not align with the Word of God.

When you control your thoughts, you can control your emotions. Let your life be led by The Spirit of God and not by your thoughts.

3. Watch what comes out of your mouth

Your words have power, and they have the power to keep you from developing a strong faith.

We need to change our thoughts (renew our minds) in order to change the way we speak.

Instead of always speaking negative, we need to speak The Word of God. Don’t talk doubt and unbelief, that is one of the enemies of faith .

So, talk faith instead, talk healing, peace, joy, prosperity, deliverance.

Speaking faith is one of the elements of faith , it’s how faith works!

4. Pray In The Spirit

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20

When I started praying in The Holy Spirit my life changed. I developed a stronger and deeper relationship with God. It requires faith and complete reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Many churches do not teach about tongues because they do not understand it, but this is where the deeper manifestations of God begin. When we pray in this manner, not only are we depending on the Spirit to give us utterance, but we are also building up our spirits, our souls, and our physical bodies Creflo Dollar

Lastly, Jesus said that in this world we would have many tribulations. When we have a strong faith we are ready for anything that life throws our way.

Build your faith up, when the tribulation comes it’s already too late. Be wise and be ready like a good soldier!

Please share this post, when you share, you help me spread the gospel across the earth.

About The Author

Born in Costa Rica. Wife and mother of 2 boys. Studied Biblical and Ministerial Studies and graduated from Harvest School of Ministry. Helping you and encouraging you to develop a personal relationship with the Lord so you can live a beautiful kingdom life.

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This is awesome! A simple and actionable plan for how to be strong in faith. I especially like the part about posting Bible verses around the house and Reading them Out loud!

It works too! That way we are constantly reminded of His love and faithfulness.

I love the four points you made. I definitely need to do more of meditating on the word, renewing my mind, and praying in the spirit. Great read. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Thanks for stopping by!

#7 read all the Christian blogs! This is great! Each time we go through a trial we can trust that God is using it to build our faith to help us through a bigger trial down the road!

God is bigger than anything that tried to come against us, the stronger our faith is, the more we believe that truth.

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5 Tips for Stronger Faith while Facing Times of Crisis

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Yet sometimes, when the world seems to be in crisis all around you, resting in the Lord seems nearly impossible. With worldwide pandemics, civil unrest, and violence on every news headline today, how can you turn your focus to the Lord and find your hope in Him? In the year of COVID, you may find that your stress and anxiety levels are higher than normal. How should you respond?

 As a believer, you have practical tools you can use to get help when you need it. Here are five steps to take to keep your faith strong, even in times of crisis. Whether the crisis is a global one or simply the stress of managing your college experience, these practical steps will help you get through the storm with your faith intact.

• Pray (Build Your Faith)

As a believer, your ultimate hope relies not in the people and circumstances around you, but rather in the God who is above it all. Prayer is one of the most powerful resources we have, yet it's one we tend to ignore. During crises, prayer is vital.

 Sometimes, especially when facing serious issues, you may feel as though you have no words left. That's not a problem for God. Remember, Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit makes intercession on behalf of us. When you don't even know how to pray, pray what is on your heart, and know that you have an intercessor who is standing in the wings for you.

 When you feel trapped with the same prayer day after day, ask your intercessor to help. Find prayers in the scripture and pray those on your own behalf. Praying will build your faith and help you to keep your eyes focused on the Lord, even in times of crisis.

• Meditate (Calm Your Stress)

Meditation is powerful, especially for the Christian. Meditation is not some whimsical clearing of your mind. It is rather a spiritual discipline when you close out the world around you and focus your mind and heart on prayer and Bible study. It is taking the time to reflect on God's attributes and interactions in the world, based on what you learn in Scripture. It is thinking deeply about the truths you are learning in your own Bible study.

 So how do you do this? Find a quiet place with your Bible and a notebook and pen. Acknowledge God's presence and choose to focus your mind on Scripture. Practice memorizing a passage or studying it in depth using commentary. Use the time to copy a favorite passage into a notebook. Think deeply about a small passage and how it applies to what you are dealing with in life. Clear your mind of other cares and concerns while you are practicing meditation.

• Talk to Someone (Family or Professional)

Times of crisis are extremely taxing on you emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes, you are going to need someone else to help you sort out what you are feeling and experiencing. It is OK, even as a Christian, to look for help.

 Talking to someone else can help you prioritize your life. It can help you determine what's important and vital to your faith, and what is not. You may find a trusted family member, such as your parent or sibling, can help you sort out your thoughts and feelings. A pastor may be the right person to turn to.

 Sometimes, if your anxiety and feelings of turmoil are extremely high, you need professional counseling. There is no shame for a Christian in protecting your mental health by getting professional counseling or therapy.

• Read Your Bible (Calm Your Anxiety)

When the news around you feels physically painful, turn it off and grab your Bible. The Bible is the ultimate source of comfort, especially in a troubled world. The Psalms, where King David cried out to the Lord over and over, are incredibly calming.

 As you immerse yourself in God's word, you will find your anxieties start to calm. The more familiar you become with the Scripture, the less worried you feel about what is going on around you. Yes, there are times when the world feels like it is in crisis, but ultimately as a Christian, you know where to find hope.

• Stay Active (Exercise)

Taking care of your physical body can actually improve your spiritual and mental health. Exercising releases endorphins, which are the "feel good" hormones that boost your mood. In times of crisis, you need to exercise regularly to keep negative feelings at bay.

 When it comes to exercise, choose something you enjoy doing that gets the heart pumping. You don't have to go to the gym, though that's always a nice option if you want to work out with others. Simply strap on your running shoes and go for a walk or a jog. You will find that your mind and heart clear and you're ready to tackle the next crisis after you get a little exercise.

Next Steps for You

We live in a world that is challenging. Sometimes it can feel like we are simply waiting for the next crisis. As a Christian, your hope is in the Lord, not in the world around you. So, what are the next steps?

 When you're feeling overcome by the amount of suffering around you, turn your eyes up. Evaluate your spiritual health, and make sure you are spending time in God's word to ground yourself and put your focus where it needs to be. Take care of your physical health as well, and don't be afraid to get professional counseling if it's needed. Soon you will find that you're able to weather the challenges of today's life with peace and hope because your hope comes from outside this world.

 If you’d like to learn more about keeping your faith during times of trouble or want to learn more about a biblically-based,  Christ-centered education at Geneva , we’d love to chat with you. For more information on how  Geneva College  can help you pursue your education goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email [email protected].

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

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Essay On Strong Faith

Heroes in the bible research paper.

of the essay are Jewish faith, the history of the story of Esther, heroes in the Bible show faith and courage and Esther is an Archetypical hero. To understand heroes in the bible you have to understand Jewish faith. God is all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent. God says in the covenant if you follow my rules and I will reward you but if you don’t I will punish you. In reality the Babylonians invaded and enslaved the Jews for believing in god and many lost faith. Esther never lost faith and because

Romantic Movement In Sartor Resartus

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Use Of Allegory In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

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the oppressed, Grenz& Olson, (1992). Another way of understanding Liberation Theology is that many people are under oppression but learning how to attain freedom from the bottom and reaching for the top, Haight (2014). In this Liberation Theology Essay, one will learn the three expressions of liberation theology which are Black Liberation, Latin American Liberation, and Feminist Theology. and the positives and negatives of each one. Black Liberation Theology It was in 1969, where a group of members

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instilling fear in his audience. However, in this particular novel titled: “My Creature form the Black Lagoon,” King does not necessarily intend to scare the reader, but to inform and describe how children and adults intake scenes of horror. Within his essay, King makes numerous cultural, literary, and scientific references under the topics of batrachians, suspension of disbelief, and Doppler effects to portray horror as a beneficial factor in a child’s life, not a hindrance. A batrachian, in its literal

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Short Essay On Faith In God

• Author Writer

Faith in God

          Humans are innately vulnerable that is why we tend to be dependent on someone or something. Even from ancient times, people needed a ruler to rely on. In life, we all needed a force that will urge and guide us to live. A being to reckon and serve as a pillar for our strength. After all, the burden of tomorrow’s uncertainty is too much to bear.

          God is the word that resonates since the start of time. People from different religions have God: In Hinduism, they have Shiva; in Buddhism, there is Buddha; in Islam, there is Allah; in Judaism, they call their God Yahweh; and in Christian, they have God and Jesus. Although separated by the diverse religions, there is one thing in common, the strong faith of the followers. The believers are what compose every religion. People nowadays are given the freedom to choose what religion they want to believe in.

          Faith is a very complex word to be explained. It is a word that is much more powerful than love or hatred. It takes really a lot to fully surrender yourself and believes in something you don’t see. It’s a devotion to something or someone an intense belief that you will not betray no matter what. A person who has no faith is like walking on an endless circle moving forward but with no certainty and conviction.

          There are many reasons why people develop a strong faith in God. It can be because of too many sufferings. People tend to seek help and comfort when confronted with difficult times. It can also be because they are raised from a God-fearing family. After all, family is the strongest influence on a child. A certain circumstance that made you believe that God exists cause most people to ask for a sign like the saying goes—" to see is to believe” . Others claimed they have been called upon, they felt a force that urges them to devote their lives to serving God.

          Faith teaches people important things. Not everything you see matters and not everything you can’t see doesn’t matter. It also teaches us about patience and humility. Knowing someone is above you is life-changing. The thought of this will keep your feet on the ground. You will not feel alone anymore for you know that you have someone to rely on when things get rough. Faith is not someone’s weakness but rather a strength.

          The virtue faith holds can change one’s life. People with strong faith know how to handle too much stress. They are not easily conquered and succumb to negative emotions. People learned to be contented. Sometimes we ask for things we wanted so we fail to see the things we needed that were given to us. Through faith, we have someone we can tell our deepest secret that we can’t afford to tell anyone. Faith makes someone open up their heart. The fear of being a judge is erased because God will always understand and forgive.

          The strong force, called faith, connects people from different places and races. The barrier that divides people is shattered by the common goal which is to surrender completely to God. In faith, you don’t need to speak. The heart will understand what things you can not express through words. It’s a great feeling to have someone who shares the same passion as you. Someone to accompany you to burn the intensity of your devotion towards God even more.

          Faith can be the faintest whisper of prayers at night or a loud cry of praise during a church gathering. It’s a gift to mankind. It holds so much promise and meaning. The life that was filled with darkness can be lightened up with just a small light of faith. The trust a human can easily give without worrying about being betrayed. It’s the best thing the world can offer. The most beautiful thing everyone can afford.

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What is a Faith Statement and How Do You Write One? (with Examples)

What is a faith statement and how do you write one? This resource offers guidance from Lord’s Library editors and Christian thought leaders.

If you found this resource then you are probably looking to have the following question answered: “What is a faith statement?” You might also be trying to be find thoughtful advice on how to write a statement of faith. Christians write faith statements for confirmation, job applications, entrance into a church ministry, and Christian college and university applications.

This article will highlight the process for writing a good faith statement through various statement of faith examples, as well as advice from Christians with experience on the topic. It will also include faith statement outlines so you know what a statement of faith should include.

The motivation for creating this resource came after our launch of Lord’s Library last year. As a Christian media startup with a clear mission , we knew we had to construct a professional faith statement that our readers could reference. Our creation would also act as the personal statement of faith of our founders, making it a daunting task.

This article offers everything one needs to know when asking “what is a faith statement?” or when looking for a template on how to write a statement of faith.

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What is a faith statement.

A statement of faith is a description of spiritual belief as it pertains to an individual or community organization, structured by summarizing core tenets. Faith statements commonly include a description of belief on various Christian topics, including the nature of God, the Trinity, Jesus Christ, the Bible, creation, salvation , revelation, the role of the Church, denominational association , and how those beliefs are relevant to an individual’s personal mission, a ministry, or organization.

A statement of faith is not dissimilar to a creed, which is a confession of faith or a symbol representing it. The earliest known creed in Christianity was written by Paul the Apostle and states “ Jesus is Lord. “

Personal vs. Professional Faith Statements; What’s the Difference?

It may be a surprise to learn that no standard format exists for how to write a statement of faith, and they can be as unique as the individual or community organization writing them. A personal faith statement is akin to a creed while a professional statement of faith could be comparable to a Christian-centric mission statement. There are many organizations though, like Lord’s Library, that choose to align their professional faith statements with the personally-held beliefs of their founders.

One might write a personal statement of faith for confirmation , which is sometimes required as a prerequisite for youths to attain membership in a church. Young adults are commonly tasked with writing a faith statement as part of the application process to a Christian college or university along with a personal essay. Or maybe you’re an outspoken Christian with a personal blog and you want your readers to know where you stand on key ecumenical issues. However, one should be guarded not to write a statement of faith for the sole purpose of showing Biblical knowledge.

A professional statement of faith follows along this same path, but is often written for a business purpose or for acceptance into a community organization or church ministry. You might also want to write a professional faith statement if you’re starting your own Christian ministry or commercial project, like we are doing here at Lord’s Library. Our guess is that this is growing increasingly more common due to the pandemic and digital transformation that has come as a result of it.

Christian companies may require a statement of faith for their records and as part of the application process which shows you agree with their overall mission. The same might be true for installation as a church officer such as elders or deacons. In one good example we found in our research, a church may require members to be in general agreement on doctrine while understanding that different people may word things differently.

In summary, personal and professional faith statements can differ depending on the writer and the purpose, but the goal should remain largely the same.

How to Write a Statement of Faith: Key Elements to Include

It can be a difficult process to put your personally held spiritual beliefs onto paper for multiple reasons. First, you may be worried about shutting others out who don’t have the same set of values. You might also be concerned with forgetting a key point. However, learning how to write a statement of faith can be an excellent exercise, both because it makes you contemplate deeply what you believe, and because it’s an ideal way to start communicating the faith with others.

We recommend beginning the process in prayer, asking The Lord for spiritual guidance on how best to communicate your declaration. Then you can begin to script your faith statement by starting with an outline of key elements that will act as a foundation of belief. And since the goal of a statement of faith is to communicate spiritual belief, Scripture ought to be used whenever possible. Next, begin adding supporting Scriptures to your faith statement outline to build it out.

A statement of faith can feature one all-encompassing paragraph that covers theological basics. Some may choose to devote an entire paragraph to each theological section, while others might combine some and highlight others specifically for added effect on a particular point. There are also faith statements which present as simple bullet point lists. The format isn’t important. Rather, the sequence and organization of the topics will make the statement distinct and personal.

To help you build out an outline, we listed below a number of key elements to consider including in your personal statement of faith.

• The nature of God the Father
• The nature of Jesus Christ
• The Holy Spirit
• The Trinity
• Inerrancy of Scripture and the Bible
• Role of the Church
• Revelation (or eschatology)
• Sin (or good and evil)
• Heaven and Hell
• Human nature
• Your mission (as it pertains to the above)

These are the most common examples we discovered during our research and analysis of various faith statements from across the web. You may choose to add additional topics to this framework.

Statement of Faith Examples and Advice to Consider

Below we link out to several statement of faith examples from different Christian doctrines to help save you time:

• Association of Classical Christian Schools
• First Baptist Atlanta (Georgia)
• Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ
• American Anglican Council
• Presbyterian Mission

We also thought it would be helpful to include tidbits of advice from other Christians who may have written their own faith statements in the past. So we took to LinkedIn and polled those in some of the most popular Christian user groups . The hope is that the advice they offered can be of some assistance as you begin your own writing process:

• “ Recognizing that you are probably writing your statement for a reason, I would hope the reason does not color your language. That is, don’t say what you want others to hear, rather write what you have come to believe .” – Paul Mannes, Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Washington University of Virginia in Theology for Today
• “ The statement must be Christ centered .” – Anthony Luckett, Pastor of Saint Paul Church in Milwaukee, WI in Bivocational Ministry
• “ Be truthful and fearless. Tell what you truly experienced with God through His Son by the way His given Holy Spirit .” – Vicki Gann, Founder of Love4Love Ministry in Assemblies of God Ministers
• “ If going it alone, a statement of faith should be built on a strong foundation and understanding of scripture with clearly articulated doctrinal points and a liberal use of Biblical citations .” – Lonnie Williams, Pastoral Counselor at Bethel Christian Church in Warren, MI in Inside Pastoral Care & Counseling

Are you currently writing your own statement of faith? Have tips, tricks, or techniques to share? Let us know !

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Timothy Andrew

Tim is the Founder of Lord's Library. He believes the Bible commands us to minister "as of the ability which God giveth" (1 Peter 4:11). Tim aspires to be as The Lord's mouth by "taking forth the precious from the vile" (Jeremiah 15:19) and witnessing The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4) to the whole world.

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Building a strong faith community is the primary mission of St. Timothy Catholic School. Consequently, administrators and teachers work together to provide students with formal religious education, enriched with faith-centered activities and assignments. Through such activities as sacramental preparation, saint reports, and devotions to Mary, students are encouraged to learn about their faith, develop a deep and personal relationship with Jesus, and spread the good news. Furthermore, as primary educators of their children, parents are welcome to participate in the school faith community. Most notably, St. Timothy School parents developed the “Mary’s Corner” component of the school website. Contributing to the Catholic identity, Mary’s Corner is a parent created and maintained blog on faith-filled activities, and other information that helps parents stay connected to the faith community. The St. Timothy School Infiorata To foster and enhance the faith community, St. Timothy Catholic School held an Infiorata. Traditionally, Infiorata is a flower art festival held in Italy, among other countries, as a prelude to the feast of Corpus Christi . In this centuries old tradition, townspeople throughout Italy work through the night on Saturday, to cover the streets with religious images depicted using only flower petals. On Sunday morning, in celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi, the bishop carries the Blessed Sacrament in procession, walking on the flower carpet.

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My Faith: How My Faith Defines Who I Am

Show More How My Faith Defines Who I Am Faith: having a strong belief in a religion, or an even stronger belief in a God. I personally believe in God the Father, and that he created each and every one of us in his own image. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sin and brought us new life through his death and resurrection. In my faith I stand as a Catholic, which means I believe in only one God. However, God is three persons, also known as the Holy Trinity , meaning there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . In addition, as a Catholic I believe that Adam and Eve disobeyed God leaving every baby born with original sin. From experience, I have been cleansed of my original sin through a process called Baptism. Baptism was the moment …show more content… God plays a very important role in my everyday life ever since day one. I personally believe that he is continuously trying to get through to me. For example, God is always putting obstacles in my life to see if I am strong, or tough enough to get through them. However, some obstacles are tougher than others, some seem impossible, and others I find the solution within no time. God does all of this out of love, which also is a powerful word in my life. God died and rose again because of his love for us. So, what better way to repay him than spreading that love with others? In my everyday life I try and love everyone with the compassion God would want me to. Spreading this love is one act of being a follower of Jesus . I strive each and every day to make myself a better me, to be who I was meant to be, the image that God created me to be. God has a plan for each of us, and sure we are going to mess up, I have more than once but that’s the most incredible thing. No matter how many times I have messed up and thought there was no going back, God was there for me in prayer with wide arms just waiting for me to come back to him. Also, God says to love your enemies. Loving my enemies is something I really struggle with but, I know that this is God shaping me into the best me, I learn that God forgives all of our sins, so why can’t I forgive my enemies? This is part of being a follower of Jesus, this is the obstacle that’s being put in my way, now it’s my turn to face

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Essay on Faith

Essay Examples

Faith is hope, faith is believing, faith is you know it is going to happen you just do not know when and how it is going to happen. One should always believe and trust in themselves and hold onto faith in their challenging period because that is exactly the point of faith, “it works”. Faith is aspiration that an individual has, that decides how the individual chooses to lead his life.

Faith gives power and strength to accept the failures of life to the individual, it gives them motivation and eagerness to achieve the goals of life and it comes from within the individual it cannot be taught or forced on anyone. When one’s faith is low or lost then he must be prepared for, as the failure is approaching.

Faith works as the base of any task / operation and if one is lacking the base which is faith, does not matter what skills or capabilities an individual has he cannot achieve its task / goals. Of course, having faith does not mean that your tasks or your life is going to be easy but by having faith you get strength to face those difficulties and hardship that may come in your way.

Lack of faith will lead to hopelessness which can affect the individual of how he sees himself and others. Hopelessness usually make a person negative he no longer feel the importance of things which once was precious to him, it is a powerful emotion that can influence an individual in suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, eating disorder it all leads to poor mental and physical health of the individual.

Faith does not need to be religious or non-religious it just makes your struggles, difficult times easy for the individual by giving them hope, people have faith in themselves, in others, in the God, does not matter who do you have faith in, the only thing that matters is that you believe something or someone.

If you have faith in yourself then you will follow your dreams and make them real, if you believe in yourself then you will also have faith in others that way others will also believe in you and if you have faith in God then you will also have faith in his timing, he will make you calm, make you believe that he is with you all the time, he takes control of all your struggles and worries and tells you to stop stressing yourself out and trust him.

With a little courage, hard work and faith by your side you can make the unachievable possible. Faith keeps your heart alive, it clears out the sadness, hopelessness and darkness away from you and bring happiness, hopefulness, calmness and satisfaction.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, we all have faith in something or someone there are all sorts of faith and you must choose whatever makes your heart at ease.

“Faith demands you to believe in something you cannot see. You choose!”

-Bob proctor

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