How to grow your Faith
A message brought to you by Chari Rapp and members of our congregation
Its so important to be sure we are taking steps to grow our faith. If we don’t we can easily become comfortable. When we become comfortable we are not growing our Faith. When we aren’t growing we become stagnant and that’s never good! Below are some steps we can take to help us get our faith back in a position for growth. Please feel free to email us at Wordoffaithms@gmail.com and let us know what you think of this message. You can also message us on our facebook page. We hope this message encourages you to action and provides direction for moving faith in your relationship with Christ. Or send us a prayer request.
How to grow your faith by directing your Focus
Firstly, we need to put Jesus at the center of our lives. We need to keep our focus on Jesus rather than the many problems that arise. By doing so our faith will grow and prosper. When we keep Jesus as the center of our attention, everything in life is just better. Often the problem doesn’t go completely away, but when our attention is on Him instead of our problem, that problem suddenly seems less important. When we know He loves us, He is guiding us and He is in control it brings all things into perspective. God has placed an order to things, and in that order He comes first. Whenever He isn’t first in our lives, then sometimes he has to bring correction. When correction comes, it is usually uncomfortable to say the least, but if we submit to His authority and choose to do it His way we will quickly and easily get back on our Faith Growing track.
Faithfulness
Our Faithfulness to Him helps grow our faith. When God gives us instruction it may sometimes seem impossible. Or we may question him, “God how is that even related to my situation I am asking you about?” But be encouraged today and be obedient to whatever it is He asks of you. Sometimes He gives us instructions to accomplish things that we could have never worked out on our own. He is bigger, Greater, Stronger, Wiser and He loves us. Trust Him. He is for his children, not against them. If you call Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you are His Child. Trust Him. Be Obedient. It is all for our good, even if it doesn’t seem like it, even if it doesn’t feel like it. He knows the situation and He has a plan. Ask for instructions, and be obedient.
Scripture says, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Sometimes we can’t even trust our own advice, or our own feelings or our own thoughts. But we can ALWAYS trust Him. Our faithfulness to Him will always help us grow in our faith.
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. God knows what is best for us. He loves us and has great things in store. The enemy, using the ways of the world, often chokes out our faith, and tries his best to hinder us from growing. We have to shake those thoughts that Satan whispers in our ears. He tries to steal, kill and destroy what God has given us. But remember, in the midst of the enemy’s schemes, all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed, and it has the potential to grow into a huge tree!! Be encouraged today- Keep your thoughts on Jesus, keep positive, trust Him, His word, His timing. Know he is in control and His will for our lives will come to pass and we will be blessed.
Spend Time with Him, and Don’t give up
1 Timothy 6:11-12 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. To continue to grow in Faith, we need to be conformed into His image. We cannot let sin rule in our bodies by obeying its lusts. We have to do what Jesus says, “take up our cross daily and deny ourselves”. Romans 8:13 Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body. So growing our faith doesn’t come without a fight, and it doesn’t come without a struggle. But it produces within us strength to better fight this battle. His word lays out for us instruction to overcome.
Spend Time in His Word, it is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path
We must live by the Word of God (our Bible) it is the instruction manual for us. We must feed on it, meaning, just as we gain strength, or sustenance and nourishment from food for our physical body, so too we gain strength, sustenance and nourishment from the Word of God for our Spirit to overcome the Spiritual battles we face. As we read it, the bible says we should meditate on it. To meditate on something we must think deeply or really focus for a period of time, to contemplate on it. Now, if someone has to think deeply on the Word of God that must mean, we won’t get all there is to receive from it by reading it one time. It takes effort. But when we put in the effort, we will surely get the reward. As we read and meditate on the Word of God, next comes acting. We can’t simply read it and not allow it to do its perfect work within us. We must read it, meditate on it, and begin practicing what we are told to do. Additionally, when we pray in the spirit and give God praise this too will bring us in closer relationship with God and also helps us grow our faith.