The term faith originates from the Greek word pistis, signifying “the assurance of the veracity of something, belief.” As followers of Christianity, we maintain a steadfast belief in the reality of God and the genuine conviction that Jesus is our authentic savior. This crucial truth forms the bedrock of our personal spiritual path.
The most common description of faith is seen in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith in this context refers to having confidence or trust in the only God who exists. Christians must absolutely begin believing in God and then strive to grow in faith with him.
Contents
- 1 What Does The Bible Say About Growing In Faith?
- 2 10 Ways To Grow In Faith
- 2.1 1. Have A Personal Bible Reading Routine
- 2.2 2. Consistently Ask God For More Faith
- 2.3 3. Concentrate On Following God
- 2.4 4. Study The Early Church And Christianity Thoroughly
- 2.5 5. Get Rid Of Our Bad Habits And Sins The Best Way We Can
- 2.6 6. Do Small Deeds
- 2.7 7. Instill God’s Word In Our Hearts And Minds
- 2.8 8. Constantly Engage With Other Fellow Christians
- 2.9 9. Help People In Need Enthusiastically
- 2.10 10. Our Prayers Should Be Bigger And Bolder
- 3 What Are The Signs That You Are Growing And Maturing In Faith?
- 4 How Do You Keep Your Faith Alive And Growing?
- 5 Conclusion
What Does The Bible Say About Growing In Faith?
The authors of Hebrews caution us against “falling away.” It stresses that for us to grow in our faith, we must start with “milk” and work our way up to “solid food.” This means that our faith cannot remain stagnant forever; we must grow.
On top of that, Hebrews 5:14 indicates that “solid food” is for those mature enough to know the difference between good and evil. Our ability to comprehend God’s Word will flourish once our faith develops and we put what we have learned into practice.
Paul indicated to a parish in the city of Thessalonica the development of their faith to positively motivate and commend them: “It is just right that we should thank God for you, brothers, because your faith is growing strong, and the love you have for each other is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
10 Ways To Grow In Faith
1. Have A Personal Bible Reading Routine
This practice does not have to be on your to-do list every single day. It does not even have to be accomplished in a long, agonizing period. But we must read the Word of God often enough that it becomes a significant and beneficial part of our lives. These nice biblical stories and verses will undoubtedly inspire us through our life journey.
Reading the Holy Scripture will make a positive change in our mindset[1] and behavior. There are many Bible study apps available online that can help us easily develop the habit of Bible reading.
2. Consistently Ask God For More Faith
We need the Lord to supply us with Jesus Christ’s unique faith (through the power of the Holy Spirit). We should be praying for such faith on a regular basis. We shouldn’t think that he will immediately grant us greater faith if we don’t ask for it.
God is looking to see how much we desire to grow our faith. He wishes to know how important he is to our lives. So, we must consistently ask him for more faith and pray that it will be granted to us.
3. Concentrate On Following God
“What does one gain, my brothers, when they say they have faith but do not have works? Can faith save us?” (James 2:14). It’s very reassuring to have God’s instructions on how to grow our faith. We don’t have to blindly guess it on our own. We just have to follow what God says! God does look for “works” in our Christian lives. But what exactly are these “works?” This brings us back to the first step, which means following and obeying each word of God.
James backs up his claim with a practical illustration in verses 15–16: “If our brothers and sisters are naked and lacking daily food, and one of you simply says, ‘Go in peace, find warmth, and be filled,’ but you do not give them the things that are needed for the body, what do you gain?”
Faith that is not accompanied by obedience is inauthentic. If anything, it is a mockery of the sincere, living faith that God asks of us. The Lord tells us that the faith we have is shallow until we follow his commands and live the right way of life.
4. Study The Early Church And Christianity Thoroughly
Arm ourselves with the right knowledge about the Holy Bible and Christianity. We can also read books or watch video documentaries (with credible sources) that advance our awareness of the Christian religion. We can even learn from our pastor’s sermon, which can teach us tons of things on certain topics in depth.
5. Get Rid Of Our Bad Habits And Sins The Best Way We Can
Assessing our lives and actions is a very important way to step up our spiritual state and Christian life. Are there any sins that are preventing me from growing spiritually?
Everyone struggles with something in life. I might be suffering from my mother’s anger or impatience or comparing myself to others. I might not appreciate my spouse enough or worry too much about my finances. We might also be struggling with understanding who we are in Christ because we are troubled by previous sin and guilt, or we need a lesson on how to bring each thought to Christ.
If there are bad habits that you’re dealing with and you realize that you want to change for the better but are unsure how or where to begin, start small. Trust God completely during these storms, and start by praying to him for guidance. Our character will grow since our “faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2–3) during these trying times.
6. Do Small Deeds
Do you believe that learning how to deepen one’s faith must be tough, complex, or overwhelming? That’s a big no. There are many simple things we can do right now that will surely make a real difference in our spiritual state. Some practical ideas are:
- Making an extra serving of dinner and delivering the other part to somebody who needs it
- Playing Christian music on the ride to work
- Putting Scripture Cards in noticeable places throughout the house
- Carrying a nice Christian book in our handbag to read when there are a few minutes of free time while waiting in line
7. Instill God’s Word In Our Hearts And Minds
An important verse is seen in Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We won’t grow in faith unless we put and instill the message of God into our hearts and minds.
In Hebrews 11:8–9, we learn more about Abraham: “By faith, Abraham, when called to go to what would later be his inheritance, obeyed and went without question, even though he did not know where he was going. With faith, he made a home in this promised land as that of a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him, given the same promise.”
Sometimes, when we focus on our physical situations, we are less likely to have faith. So, when we look at and instill God’s Word in our lives, our faith will become stronger.
8. Constantly Engage With Other Fellow Christians
This doesn’t imply that every single one of our friends must be a devout Christian. But if we want to understand how to strengthen our faith, spending time with other faithful Christians is very beneficial.
Not only will they motivate, inspire, and support us when necessary, but being among them changes what we usually think of as “normal” and what we pay attention to. This way, it absolutely simplifies learning how to strengthen and grow in faith!
9. Help People In Need Enthusiastically
Jesus mentioned the two commandments: to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:36–40) when he was asked which was the greatest one. Do we wholeheartedly extend our helping hand to those who are struggling? Do we give our utmost support to our less fortunate fellow brothers and sisters? If not, that could be the perfect means for us to grow in faith. Just make a small step, and the rest will follow!
To grow in faith, we should look for an event with a specific time and date that we can sign up for. Since this will compel us, it will make us more unlikely to back out. But if we cannot find the time in our busy lives, it still helps to lend a hand whenever and wherever we can.
10. Our Prayers Should Be Bigger And Bolder
So, for whom do you pray? The entire world? Or only for yourself and your family? How frequently do you pray? Continuously or just occasionally? How bold are the prayers you make?
Do you usually pray for major things like renewal, transformed hearts, or restoration, or for minor things such as surviving through the day?
Growing in faith requires knowing how to commune with God more effectively, which is a crucial step in the process. Our faith will get stronger as our prayer life grows stronger.
What Are The Signs That You Are Growing And Maturing In Faith?
Recognizing that the Lord knows best is a sign of growing in faith. The prayer done by Christ undoubtedly serves as an example for us to emulate. His example is very evident in the words we see in Mark 11.
Matthew 26:39 expresses Jesus Christ’s prayer, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; still, not as I will, but as You will.” Christ Jesus prayed his plea, then placed it in the hands of God the Father to carry out what He believed was best.
Another indicator of growing in faith (in our spiritual life) is complete trust in God’s promises. The Bible contains many straightforward, easy-to-understand promises. The following are some of God’s promises to his children:
- God will forgive all our sins once we repent (1 John 1:9)
- He will never let our struggles be greater than we can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- He will complete the spiritual work He began in all of us (Philippians 1:6)
- He will make everything that occurs in our lives work out for our good (Romans 8:28)
- He will provide us with the wisdom we seek (James 1:5)
- He won’t ever leave us (Hebrews 13:5)
- All of our material and spiritual needs will be met by him (Matthew 6:31–33; Philippians 4:19)
- He will make us feel at ease (Philippians 4:7)
- He will make it possible for us to develop and resemble Jesus more (Ephesians 4:15)
How Do You Keep Your Faith Alive And Growing?
Martin Luther King Jr. expressed it well: “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the entire staircase.” Faith is like a muscle. We must constantly use “this muscle” to develop. Thus, true faith grows when we exercise it.
Take a look at how Abraham completely believed in God. He took the first step by obeying God’s command to leave home. As he traveled in faith, several events occurred that challenged him to rise to the situation with his trust in God. He wasn’t perfect every time. But something is certain: he grew from each encounter.
Keep in mind that faith without works is empty faith. If we keep playing it safe by not exercising our faith muscle, it will weaken and die. But if we walk out in confidence, God will answer by rewarding us with stronger faith.
Embracing the idea that the Kingdom of God lives within us invites a transformative journey of self-discovery, where we unearth our innate connection to the divine through introspection and personal growth.
Conclusion
As Christians, growing in faith is a lifetime effort. It’s very important to know the things we need to do to obey his commands and undergo spiritual development. We should learn to throw away the unnecessary things from our previous lives that connect to our wicked nature and strive for what God truly desires.
Growing in faith involves genuine devotion to our Heavenly Father and a wholehearted desire to carry out his will. Through this, we’ll surely have the deep, personal, and active relationship with our savior, Jesus Christ, that he desires.