How to Grow Faith in God: 3 Practical Steps to Expanding Your Faith
- 3 days ago
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In our daily devotionals at Group Bible Study, we are continuing our topic of “Growing Our Faith in God.” Let’s get into it:
When the apostles asked Jesus to "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5), His response was surprising. He did not provide a formula for emotional intensity, nor did He promise an immediate spiritual sensation. Instead, He spoke about a mustard seed and a servant fulfilling his daily duties.
Jesus explained that even faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish remarkable things. The primary issue is not the size of our faith, but what we do with it. He illustrated this truth with a parable about a servant returning from the field who prepares his master’s meal before sitting down to eat himself (Luke 17:5–10).
Expanding Your Faith Through Humble Obedience
The point of the illustration is clear: faith expands through steady, humble obedience. Just as a servant fulfills their duties because of who their master is, we step out in faith because we know the character of our Lord. Faith grows as we align our daily actions with God's clear instructions, regardless of our feelings.
In his book Fight, Flight, or Faith, Charles Cooper offers a helpful illustration for this process. Imagine faith as an empty pie dish. The dish represents your capacity for faith. You do not need to expand the dish itself; rather, you fill it with slices of truth, conviction, and experiential knowledge of God.
Adding Knowledge and Truth to Your Daily Walk
The Apostle Peter echoes this concept: "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge"(2 Peter 1:5). Every trial you encounter serves as an opportunity to place another "slice" of spiritual knowledge into your life. Head knowledge alone is insufficient; we need the practical knowledge that comes from experiencing God's faithfulness in real-life situations.
When facing trials, we can rely on what theologians call a Rhema word—a specific, living application of God’s truth brought home to our hearts by the Holy Spirit for a particular situation. Paul refers to this in Ephesians 6:17 as "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [Rhema] of God."
A Rhema word always aligns with the written Scriptures. It occurs when a passage of Scripture or a quiet conviction from the Holy Spirit directly addresses your immediate circumstances, giving you the assurance that God has heard your prayer and is at work.
Experiencing God’s Faithfulness in Personal Circumstances
We see a clear example of this in John 1:45–50. When Philip brought Nathanael to meet Jesus, Nathanael was initially skeptical, asking: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" But when Jesus saw him, He said: "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
That specific statement touched Nathanael's heart. It likely referred to a private moment of prayer under that fig tree where Nathanael had poured out his heart to God. Realizing that Jesus knew his private thoughts, Nathanael’s hesitation vanished, and he declared: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!" Personal, experiential truth provided the exact insight his faith needed to flourish.
Similarly, when the apostle Thomas struggled to believe in the resurrection, Jesus met him with tangible evidence, inviting him to touch His hands and side. Thomas responded in faith: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus then added a gentle reminder for us all: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
You do not need to manufacture extraordinary faith on your own. Take the faith you currently have, align it with the truth of God’s Word, and step out in active obedience. As you do, you will experience the truth that nothing is impossible with God. Keith Thomas
Daily Application: Moving from Passive Agreement to Active Obedience
Growing in faith requires moving from passive agreement to active obedience.
Add knowledge to your faith: What specific attribute of God's character (such as His sovereignty, goodness, or provision) do you need to apply to your current circumstances?
Seek a specific word: Open Scripture today, asking the Holy Spirit to highlight a specific promise or truth that applies directly to your current situation.
Take an obedient step: Identify one action God is asking you to take—such as forgiving someone, offering help, or stepping into a new responsibility—and carry it out today.
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Go Deeper:
· 📺 For a deeper understanding of Growing Our Faith in God, watch the complete Bible study video on YouTube, available with subtitles in 70 languages. Click the following link:
· Bookmark this page to browse all our free 3-minute Bible meditations.
· Read the full study online: Increase Our Faith in God
· Series: This excerpt is taken from the series Growing Faith in God
· Visit the Keith Thomas YouTube Channel for more teachings.
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