Many individuals have asked me, Pastor, how can I build faith and trust in God? Faith is completely relying on someone or something even without any proof.
AS explained in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 is that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
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Whereas trust is believing in somebody’s truth, character, or strength. Faith comes from trust, therefore if we increase our trust in God we will definitely increase our faith. We will be looking at how to build faith and trust in God.
How to build faith and trust in God.
We can easily build our faith and trust in God by developing a habit of continuously reading the word of God. The scripture in the book of Romans says that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. ( Romans 10:17).
This means that the more we soak ourselves in the word of God by continually learning and meditating upon it, the more our faith grows. This is because a clear knowledge of who God is in our lives will lead us to develop faith and trust in Him.
That is why sometimes Faith is defined as persuasion based on knowledge.
How to trust the Lord with all our hearts.
Trusting God with all our hearts is what God requires of us. Solomon the writer of the book of Proverbs knew this secret. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ( Proverbs 3:5) This is not having any other options in our minds and hearts when we are trusting God for anything. It is the opposite of having a double mind.
As God is never pleased with double-minded people. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ( James 1:5-8).
Also Related: 8 Ways To Strengthen Your Faith In The Lord.
Live A Victorious Christian Life
What does it mean to put your trust in God?
Putting your complete trust in God is coming to a point of rest where it is no longer about you but about God whom you trust. But it is all about casting all your burdens to the Lord.
If you trust someone you not be worried but instead you’ll have rest. We need to have rest in God. The Israelites heard the gospel just the same way we hear it today, but they did not mix it with faith and have trust in God. Therefore they did not enter the rest of God. Trusting God is resting in Him and His promises.
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us, therefore, be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ( Hebrews 4:8-11)
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When should we develop faith and trust in God?
In all circumstances.
When Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica he encourages them to give thanks to God in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This doesn’t mean that at all times things will go on smoothly as one would expect.
There would be hard times of cause. Even in those hard times, one needs to pass through them with faith and trust in God.
David knew this secret of developing trust in God in all circumstances when he wrote this; Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah( Psalms 62:8).
The reason why we should develop faith and trust in God in all circumstances is that God allows us to pass through different circumstances as a way of strengthening our faith. Our faith in God is a precious substance that should produce patience.
Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ( James 1:3). God will use different circumstances in life to test and see if really have developed faith and trust in Him. A good example of a man in the Bible that had developed faith and trust in God was Job.
Example of Trusting God in all circumstances:
Despite Job receiving bad news from left, right and center, he remained steadfast and immovable from the faith he had developed in God. He even gets a chance to praise God even in the midst of all the misfortunes.
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. ( Job 1:20-22).
This unwavering faith and trust that Job had in God produced patience in him. He decided to wait upon the Lord, the Redeemer who lives.
Job had complete knowledge of the God he had put his trust in. He had faith that God was able to restore everything that he lost and bring healing to his body. This made him reject the advice of his wife of cursing God and dying.
He waited patiently for his time of deliverance from the Lord. This made him be known to date as a man of patience because his faith and trust in God had produced patience.
We should be ready to allow our faith to be tested by fire for growth. That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ( 1 Peter 1:7).
In difficult times.
Difficult times are not meant to destroy us but to make us strong and develop great faith and trust in God. This is what David the Psalmist declared. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ( Psalms 23:4).
David could boldly declare that he will fear no evil because he had developed faith and trust in God. He is not praying for him not to pass through the shadow of death but in the midst of the shadow of death, he will fear no evil. Because his faith and trust were in God.
This is what Prophet Isaiah declared in the following verse; When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. ( Isaiah 43:2).
Therefore difficult times in our lives should draw us more to God than drifting us away from Him. God is always our refuge and strength and very present help in times of need, therefore, we should ever develop faith and trust in Him.
Example of Trusting God in difficult times.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, heard what was going to happen to them, they were not moved. The burning fiery furnace was nothing to them. They had developed faith and trust in God and knew that He was able to deliver them out of the danger. Look at what they told Nebuchadnezzar.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” ( Daniel 3:16-18). What an immovable faith and trust in God.
Also Related: 12 Great Ways To Live By Faith Every Day.
In all things.
God desires to be involved in all aspects of our lives. This means in every situation or circumstance that we pass through in life we should acknowledge Him. Our faith and trust in God should also be in all things.
Our lives should be a complete surrender of everything to God. In most cases, men tend to develop faith and trust in God when dealing with things that seem to be difficult in their eyes. Those who seem to be small assume that they have the capability of handling on their own.
Example of Trusting God in all things.
There should be nothing that we should view with our eyes as to be too big for God to handle or too small for him to get involved in. God desires to take part in every detail of our lives.
This is what Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ( Proverbs 3:5-6).
David knew this secret and that is why he made this prayer; I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. ( Psalms 57:2).
God wants to be actively involved in all aspects of our lives, our response should be our total surrender to His will and allow Him to work in us as He takes control of our lives. And in case of our anxiety, worries, and burdens we should all be willing to cast all to Him for He cares. Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ( 1 Peter 5:7). By doing this we will be developing faith and trust in God.
Conclusion
As we desire to build faith and trust in God, we should never forget our faith and trust should be accompanied by actions. We should be willing to live lives that reveal our faith and trust in God.
Abraham had faith in God and showed it by willing to go and sacrifice his only begotten son.
James writes that if our faith is not accompanied by actions to prove what we believe in, it is dead. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17)
Related post: https://allroundjesus.com/increase-your-faith/amp/#
