How to build up our faith

[ByTheSpirit]

So I was thinking of ways to encourage my brothers and sisters in their walk with God, and this will be one such feeble attempt to do so.

Luke 17:5 (BSB)
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

How many times have I asked the Lord to increase my faith when I felt like I was lacking? How many times have I failed a test of faith just to get down on myself and think if I had just been a bit bolder or courageous. Well how do we increase our faith?

What did Jesus do in response to the request presented to Him?

Luke 17:6 (BSB)
And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Notice Jesus didn't say, "You're request is granted." Well why?

Faith is like a muscle, I'm sure we've all heard that at some point. We all have some measure of faith already (Romans 12:3), you wouldn't be a child of God without faith so you have faith somewhere lurking inside you. So what do we do with that?

First a story. I spent 3 years of my younger adult life jumping out of airplanes. Why? I was young and rather lacking in sense. It was terrifying at first. I used to tell myself, no way would I ever do something like that. But I became familiar with my equipment, I observed others who were more experienced jumping, I trained in proper technique, and my confidence grew. Finally it came time for me to jump out and wouldn't you know it... I refused! No no, just kidding, I did! I jumped and my parachute opened and I landed safely on the ground.

What does that story have to do with faith? It has everything to do with faith! I had faith in that parachute to do what it was supposed to do. I did my part, it did it's part. My confidence in that parachute became stronger as I trained with it. That is how we MUST approach our walk of faith! We must approach it from that direction.

Become familiar with your equipment.

Ephesians 6:13-18 (BSB)
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

Lots to unpack here, but to save time and stress on our eyes from reading, let me encourage you to familiarize yourself with the "Armor of God" Learn each and every piece and how you are to use it. Armor only does us good if we are trained in it's proper use.

So what is the armor?

1. Belt of Truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness
3. Feet prepared to do the work of the kingdom (share the gospel)
4. Shield of faith
5. Helmet of salvation

What are our weapons?

1. Sword of the Spirit! - The Word of God, we MUST read, meditate on and study the Word of God.
2. Prayer!

Now that you know your equipment, watch others use it!

1 Corinthians 11:1 (BSB)
You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

You can observe leaders in your church, watch videos of faith online, listen to a podcast, read faith inspiring stories from the Bible (this one is actually the most important I think). But it's important that you watch other people step out in faith and watch how God takes care of them.

Lastly, now that you've learned your equipment and you've observed others using it, you need to train.
1 Timothy 4:7 (BSB)
train yourself for godliness.

Well to train you need a guide or manual to show you the proper way of doing things.

Psalms 119:105 (BSB)​

Your word is a lamp to my feet​

and a light to my path.​

​

Get into God's word! Remember the Word is your sword! It is your weapon! Jesus when He was tempted by the devil quoted scripture back to resist. Paul writes in Romans that faith comes from hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17). As you read stories of the faithful throughout the generations, observe how they walked through stressful and overwhelming situations, but God was with the the whole time! Let it build your faith.

Also when training, you need someone to observe you and give you advice on how you can do it better.
So pray! Ask the Lord to help you and show you His ways! Fully commit to Him and to do whatever it is He shows you! When you know you've made a mistake (which happens during training), admit that to Him, ask Him for forgiveness and then keep going.

So in conclusion, to build our faith we need to know what has been offered to us for living, the Armor of God. We need to observe and fellowship with other faithful believers who can encourage us by their example. And we need to train ourselves! As you persist in these matters, you're faith will grow, and you will find yourself becoming more bold, confident, and courageous in the Lord to the point where eventually you will also be able to say:

Philippians 4:13 (BSB)
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

God bless you!

 

[GTW27]

Faith is a gift. Faith came in when The Holy Spirit enters in, The gift comes with The Gift. I believe because of faith, and I doubt not.

 

[Unqualified]

Pray for patience. This is a way to build up your faith.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Faith is a gift. Faith came in when The Holy Spirit enters in, The gift comes with The Gift. I believe because of faith, and I doubt not.

So you think the faith a person receives at salvation is all the faith they will ever get?

 

[tturt]

God's armor is available for us - we put it on:
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Eph 6:11)
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.(" v 13)

Faith is multi-faceted and one way it can increase through -
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

 

[GTW27]

So you think the faith a person receives at salvation is all the faith they will ever get?

Is not The Father and The Son(Jesus) in the form of The Holy Spirit that enters in, enough. By faith as small as a mustard seed a man came to a man who was low on faith and need to be restored and said, "you are only a prayer away from being restored" Was that man restored? Did it not come to pass? Sometimes what people are looking(searching) for has been there all along.

 

[Aaron112]

So you think the faith a person receives at salvation is all the faith they will ever get?

Tangently related
Do you know anyone whose life shows by "casting mountains into the sea" and so forth routinely,
do you know anyone whose life shows they have faith the size of a mustard seed ?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Tangently related
Do you know anyone whose life shows by "casting mountains into the sea" and so forth routinely,
do you know anyone whose life shows they have faith the size of a mustard seed ?

I've known a few people who did impossible things because they had faith.

 

[Aaron112]

Faith is multi-faceted and one way it can increase through -
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

I don't see that faith increases by hearing ,
only that faith is a gift from God when someone hears Him.

 

[Aaron112]

Sometimes what people are looking(searching) for has been there all along.

Is that as well like "The word of faith (no, not the church/movement)
is nigh thee, even (actually already) in they mouth ....."

 

[Aaron112]

So you think the faith a person receives at salvation is all the faith they will ever get?

When a little child is adopted and is living with his parents,
or even more when the child is born to them, is their own , a gift from God,
the child trusts them , eagerly watching them and delighted with every sound they make !

When that child grows up into the teenage years..... are they usually still so enamored or delighted with what their dad and mom say , or have they move away from that total awe and trust somewhat ?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

When a little child is adopted and is living with his parents,
or even more when the child is born to them, is their own , a gift from God,
the child trusts them , eagerly watching them and delighted with every sound they make !

When that child grows up into the teenage years..... are they usually still so enamored or delighted with what their dad and mom say , or have they move away from that total awe and trust somewhat ?

Of course little children are much more awestruck by their parents than teenagers are. But that's why Jesus said we needed to be like little children. Not questioning the Father or rebelling like teenagers are known for, but just trusting and obeying.

 

[Aaron112]

Of course little children are much more awestruck by their parents than teenagers are. But that's why Jesus said we needed to be like little children. Not questioning the Father or rebelling like teenagers are known for, but just trusting and obeying.

Yes, totally ....
so whose faith is greater ? The little child, or the teenagers who are not so keen as they were when they were little children ?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Yes, totally ....
so whose faith is greater ? The little child, or the teenagers who are not so keen as they were when they were little children ?

Faith is manifested by our actions. Trust and obedience are actions of faith, not rebellion. Just as Jesus said, have the faith of a child.

 

[Aaron112]

Faith is manifested by our actions. Trust and obedience are actions of faith, not rebellion. Just as Jesus said, have the faith of a child.

Yes, just as faith without works is as dead as a corpse on the sidewalk with no life in it.

But I asked whose faith is 'greater', if one is , the little child, or the teen ?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Yes, just as faith without works is as dead as a corpse on the sidewalk with no life in it.

But I asked whose faith is 'greater', if one is , the little child, or the teen ?

Is it possible to know? Peter is the only disciple to be rebuked as Satan by Jesus, yet Peter was the rock. Even the strong of faith have doubts and insecurities at times. I don't think it's possible to have stronger or greater faith than that of a child though.

 

[Aaron112]

Is it possible to know?

See in the Epistles when it was/is/ known.

I don't think it's possible to have stronger or greater faith than that of a child though.

Good and I think right.

Unless we become like a great man of faith we will never see heaven ? <no!>
Unless we become like little children(infants) we will never see heaven? <That's IT!>

 

[ByTheSpirit]

See in the Epistles when it was/is/ known.

Good and I think right.

Unless we become like a great man of faith we will never see heaven ? <no!>
Unless we become like little children(infants) we will never see heaven? <That's IT!>

No here is where I'll disagree with you. Those two ideas are not separate from each other. What made great men of faith... great men of faith?

Peter, Paul, Moses, Elijah, etc?

It was their child like faith, their humility.

Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. Numbers 12:3 (BSB)

We all know our example is Jesus.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (BSB)

The great men of faith all followed the example of Christ and exhorted their audiences to do the same!

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 (BSB)

You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (BSB)

There's even an entire chapter of the scriptures devoted to this very topic, Hebrews 11-12:2

So I would definitely say that following the example of faith that the greats gave to us, we will have the "faith of a child"

 

[GTW27]

Is that as well like "The word of faith (no, not the church/movement)
is nigh thee, even (actually already) in they mouth ....."

Some times we go looking outside ourselves for answers when The Lord(The Holy Spirit) is within us. I have faith because The Lord is with me. I need not prepare my words because The Lord is faithful. Faithful to provide. And He does. just as He promised.

 

[Aaron112]

No here is where I'll disagree with you. Those two ideas are not separate from each other. What made great men of faith... great men of faith?

Peter, Paul, Moses, Elijah, etc?

It was their child like faith, their humility.

I do not see you are disagreeing with me, but rather in agreement.