Have you ever had a moment when you’ve felt like you don’t have enough faith for something? I have!
There have been many times in my life when I felt like I did not have enough faith to overcome that particular mountain, the overwhelming amount of work, that painful heartache or the unbearable sickness!
Right now as I`m typing, trying to gather an idea for this blog, I’m at another point where I feel like I’m lacking faith..
Every now and then, since moving back to Switzerland from Australia in April 2017, I have sleepless nights. I’m talking about those nights when you are so tired but at the same time wide awake – do you know the feeling?
It`s 1.30am right now and I’m up writing this blog. I know that at 5.45am, I’ll hear that sound that we all love (in an ironic sense) – the alarm!
I’ve had many talks with my doctors about what the reason for these occasional sleepless nights could be. There has been no change in my diet, and I’ve been keeping myself healthy as possible, but there doesn’t seem to be a solution to the problem!
After doing some research and asking other patients, I`m pretty sure that this sleeplessness is a side effect of dialysis treatment. I understand the situation but don`t accept it for the long-term, as I have faith for much better sleep! Even though I don`t have the solution I have learned that this is a good opportunity to increase my faith. It’s often in the seasons when we don`t know how to continue or have any solutions that we depend and rely on God most! Dependence and reliance on Him increases our faith.
I don`t know what you`re struggling with right now, but I think we all get to a certain point where the only thing that we can do is completely depend on God and surrender everything to Him. This is called faith!
In this blog post I’m going to share three ways to stir up your faith and to believe for the things that God has for you even if you can’t see them yet.
1. Align your mind with his Word
The most powerful way to increase our faith is by aligning our mind with God`s Word. There is so much power when we meditate on and discipline our mind with His Word. Aligning your mind with His Word requires discipline and perseverance.
Just as the body needs constant exercise and a healthy diet to keep it fit, so the mind and spirit need to be exercised and fed with God`s Word if we want to receive miracles.
Some of my favourite verses in Scripture are Matthew 18:19-20:
“Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” (AMP – emphasis my own).
I believe that the description “two or three” doesn`t have to just be about the number of people present. I think it can also be an individual act, in which you agree with your body, soul and spirit and align all three with the word of God.
The more we exercise our body, mind and spirit with God`s Word and bring it into harmony the more we can increase our faith. The more we have the Word in us, the more we think as it says and the more it will come to pass!
2. Do it anyway
Have you ever had one of those moments when you want to exercise or do something important but you don’t feel like doing it?
We all recognize those moments in our physical and mental life, but probably also in our spiritual life! We often want to draw away from discipline and exercise. I believe that not giving in to the temptation to draw away or give up, when we don’t feel like doing it, makes the spiritual exercise more powerful.
It`s often in those moments when we want to give up but do something anyway that we grow the most!
Recently, I heard that around 90% of our daily decisions are made with our conscious mind. The other 10% are made by our unconscious mind. A decision made with the conscious mind is usually based on what we feel, see or hear in that moment. On the other hand, a decision made with our unconsciousness mind is based on what we don’t feel, see or hear. These decisions are the most powerful and also the hardest. This brings us to Hebrews 11:1, which says:
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (AMP – emphasis my own)
No matter how you feel, what you see or hear, do the things that are necessary to increase your faith anyway! If at any time you feel like not getting into God`s word, worshipping, praying or going to church, do it anyway!
3. Wait expectantly
Last but not least. Once you have taken the above two steps, wait with a peaceful spirit and be expectant for what God is going to do, within, through and around you. It might not happen in the timing you want, but it will happen sooner or later.
James 5:7-8 in the Message says:
“Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.”.
I want to encourage you to be a “spiritual farmer”, someone who sows into their mind with God`s Word. Makes decisions not based only on what is felt, seen or heard when the storms arise and expectantly wait till the miracles or breakthrough comes!
My hope for writing this blog was to inspire you to have faith regardless of the circumstance or trial you face right now. God sees every single small step you are taking in the faith journey with Him.
Be blessed
Nathanael
#havefaith
#itsallabouthim
#livelifetothefullest