Trust when I say that “You are not alone on this journey of faith.” There are days that feel too hard to handle and seasons that God seems to be silent. Alas, you are not alone, God is with you, and He wants you and I to have a little faith.
What I’ve found about having a little faith, is that when practiced regularly, it turns into a lot of faith. When one has a lot of faith, that faith can be contagious, which then bubbles over into the faithless. This ripple effect of faith can create change in a small group, a big family, or even transform a whole community.
The challenge we face on a regular basis is the loss of faith. See, the enemy is on a mission to deteriorate our faith. His tactics come in the form of tiredness, overwhelm, overstimulation, or too much attention to our own circumstance.
Faith atrophy is a real threat to the body of Christ. As our faith dwindles, our hearts harden and the light in our spirit dims. From the little I know about the love of God, there is nothing that hurts Him more than when we lose faith in Him.
The good news is that faith is free! Now you and I both know, that ain’t nothin’ in this world is free.
While there is no monetary fee for our faith, we do have to put in the work on our end to activate it.
I don’t believe that there is a set track for our faith journey, and at no point does one become a true master in it. The most faithful person you know may be hit with a crushing wave of despair, leaving them wiped out. The person with the least amount of faith may have a holy moment that totally transforms their spirit.
Faith accumulated over time builds a firm foundation. It is more than just a feeling or a fad. It is the life long investment into a relationship with God. A relationship with anyone takes work, time, and patience.
Earlier this week, I was talking with a couple of new friends about faith. We didn’t plan to dive deep, it just sort of happened that way. I’m tellin’ y’all, these holy moments can happen anytime, any day. Our conversation danced around topics like hearing from God, best practices for building faith, and how to keep going when we feel like God has drifted away.
Below I’ve shared a few of our takeaways;
Journaling: Writing out prayers, gratitude, or thoughts on paper. The act of pen to paper allows us to physically lay what’s on our mind before God. Don’t think too hard about what you’ve are writing, just sit down, jot what comes to mind, and let the words keep flowing.
Meditating on scripture: Scripture has been described to me as the living, breathing word of God. “You just feel better after reading it.”, one of the girls said. Find a couple scriptures that you resonate with, keep them on a sticky note or note card to memorize. This practice can replace a recurring negative thought with a life giving one. Philippians 4:6-7 is a favorite of mine lately.
Praying out loud: Yes, talking to yourself can be therapeutic. Have you tried talking directly to God? You don’t have to have your thoughts put together or perfect. He already knows your heart. Talk with him, say it out loud, whatever you are feeling, God wants to hear what you have to say about it.
Pray with people you love: This is powerful, y’all. The act of holding hands, or sitting together and praying with people can make a big difference. It is hard to feel discouraged when you are surrounded, heard, and cared for. Even if just for a few moments.
Pick a prayer place: Finding a place where you are able to connect with God is important. Get out in nature, take a quiet car ride, or a find somewhere you feel comfortable to sit and think. My daughter and I drive the 3 mile bridge at least once a day. We’ve turned our drive across into one of our routine prayer places.
Look for the signs: God may not always be audible or obvious. Though I do strongly believe that when we ask, we receive. It may be an affirmation that we are moving in the right direction by something working out in our favor. Or maybe it’s a door closing. You may hear, see, or experience something that validates what you’ve been thinking. You may be surprised by God’s creative ways of communicating.
Faith is abstract. It’s hard to grasp when we can’t always see what is happening. The more faith we have, the less we try to grasp, and accepting becomes more natural to us.
The challenge this week is to put effort into your faith. Take a step towards believing that God is with you in everything that you are experiencing. He is with you in the healing, the testing, the overcoming, and the achieving.
May your faith be increased and the peace of God be with you today!
Local Pulse Writer & Holy Moments Columnist, Makenna Curtis
