Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
No one can explain the reality of God. Therefore, the only way to know God is through faith. With faith, you can transform your circumstances. If you are suffering, believe in God’s ability to heal you. When you trust in God, you can accomplish the seemingly impossible. To increase your faith in God, consider these four things: read the Bible, cultivate prayer, overcome worry, and seek fellowship with those who are strong in faith.
What is Faith?
The Bible says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The word “faith” originates from the Greek noun “pistis.” Faith is an action word. The verb “pistueo” means having complete trust or confidence in someone or something; it is having a strong belief in the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.
Another way to perceive faith is as the catalyst that turns your hopes into tangible realities, even those that are yet to be seen. Your faith acts as the bridge that connects you to the spiritual realm, making God a palpable reality. When you learn to rely on God, your faith becomes the assurance that God is manifesting your hopes into existence. When you have faith in God, you will develop faith like God. To enhance your faith in God, start with the Bible.
There are two levels of faith: little faith and great faith. When you have little faith, you tend to ask God for small things. But when you have great faith, you will ask God for insurmountable things that seem impossible to others. You will never increase your faith if you only ask God for mediocre things. That’s because we receive from God according to our level of faith. Jesus said, “According to your faith, it will be done for you.”
Great Confidence Believes God Can Do Anything
Do you only ask God for help with little things you can do alone? Why don’t you stop praying, ‘Oh, God, can you help me pay my house note this month?’ Instead of asking God to help you pay your house note, why don’t you ask Him to pay off your mortgage? If you want to increase your faith, ask God for big things that seem impossible.
When you have great faith, you believe God can do anything. The Centurion in Matthew chapter 8 had such great confidence. When his servant fell ill, he traveled to Capernaum to ask Jesus to heal him. Jesus agreed to go to his house and heal his servant, but the Centurion told Jesus that He didn’t need to come to his house; He only needed to speak a word, and his servant would be healed. When Jesus saw his great faith, He said, “Go your way; as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” The next day, the Centurion returned home and found his servant wholly healed.
When you pray, do you approach God in the same way the Centurion approached Jesus? Do you have the confidence to believe He can do what you ask of Him? What’s more, do you believe He will do it for you? Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). When you pray, believe that God has already answered your prayer. You will receive what you prayed for.
Read the Bible
Reading the Bible offers us insights into the character of God. For instance, in the New Testament Book of Colossians, the Bible states that Jesus is the exact representation of God. Therefore, if you wish to comprehend God’s nature, open the Bible and study Jesus. Jesus Himself proclaimed that knowing Him is knowing God (John 14:7). The Bible is replete with remarkable stories that will bolster your faith. When you read the Bible and witness the faith of others, it will elevate your faith in God.
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, there is a story of three young men who had incredible faith. King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, erected a statue of himself and made a decree that everyone should bow down and worship it. Anyone who did not worship the image would be thrown alive into a fiery furnace. But three young Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, refused to bow down and worship the image. They said, “Our God whom we serve can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand. But even if He does not deliver us, we will not serve your gods or worship your image.” When they would not bow to the king, he had them thrown into the furnace. But because of their confidence in God, God miraculously delivered them from the fire.
Pray with Confidence
Prayer is a means of communicating with God and increasing our faith in Him. That is why the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But this does not mean we should walk around in a daze, praying nonstop all day long. It means praying consistently about everything without losing hope. When you pray, God reveals Himself. When you know God, you will trust Him.
In Luke chapter 18, two men went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—freeloaders, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all my possessions.” But the tax collector stood by himself, afar off, and would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. He prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” The Bible says God heard the tax collector’s prayer and justified him, but disregarded the Pharisee’s prayer.
When you pray, don’t pray like the Pharisee, who prayed an insignificant, self-righteous prayer. The praying Pharisee told God of the things he did to make himself righteous, but he didn’t tell God he was a sinner. To increase your faith, pray like the tax collector. The tax collector didn’t tell God of his self-righteousness. Instead, he acknowledged his sin, and he asked God for mercy.
Do Not Worry
Not only does reading the Bible increase your faith, but it also helps you stay worry-free. When you worry, it is an indication that you exercise little faith. When learning how to increase your faith in God, you must stop worrying. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for today is its own trouble.”
Your level of faith speaks loudly in your actions. So, rather than worry about tomorrow, think of how you overcame yesterday. People who worry spend their lives worrying about tomorrow. God already knows what you need. You must believe that God is faithful to supply your needs today. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.
Surround Yourself with Faith-filled People
A Jewish ruler named Jairus sought Jesus to heal his twelve-year-old, one and only daughter. When he found Jesus, Jesus agreed to go with him to heal his daughter. While they were on the way to Jairus’ house, Jesus stopped to heal a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Jesus was still speaking to the woman when a messenger came from Jairus’ home with the news that his daughter was dead. “Your daughter is gone,” said the servant to Jairus; “there’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid! Just trust me, and your daughter will be fine.”
A crowd cried and wailed loudly upon their arrival at the house. Jesus asked, “Why are you crying and making this commotion? The girl is not dead but sleeping.” When the people heard Jesus, they stopped crying and started laughing, but their laughter did not faze Jesus. He put everyone outside except the girl’s father, mother, and disciples, who were with Him. Then Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, “Little girl, arise.” Instantly, her life returned, and she jumped up.
Don’t allow others’ negative words and emotions to pollute your faith. Had Jesus allowed the scorners to enter the room, it would have caused Jairus and his wife to doubt God. If you want to increase your faith in God, surround yourself with faith-filled people —those who are bold enough to trust God for seemingly impossible things. Miracles happen when two or more people unite in faith.
