How can I build a stronger faith?

Over the past two years, social media has been replete with stories of horrific events taking place around the globe. This has put a lot of pressure on individuals and communities around the world. While it’s important to take time to care for ourselves and provide self-care in order to guard against stress, there are some things we should do in order to build a stronger faith.

Sometimes, it's easy to give up. When we face problems, we easily get discouraged. We easily get frustrated, and we easily get disappointed.

When we have problems or trials, it's natural for us to look at our situation and think that God is not there or He has abandoned us.

This is why the Bible says that "God disciplines those He loves." (Hebrews 12:6)

Why? Because He wants us to build a stronger faith!

Faith that is tested

The reason why many people have weak faith is that they have never been tested before. They have never faced any trials in their life so they don't know what it means when God does not answer their prayers immediately.

But when you face a trial or problem in your life, it's actually an opportunity for you to grow stronger in your relationship with God. It's an opportunity for you to rely on Him more than ever before because when we face trials and problems, we naturally become more dependent upon God instead of depending on ourselves alone or relying on our own strength alone to overcome them successfully.

Faith is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.

Because we easily give up when we have problems, we easily get exploited. But if you build a faith that doesn't break down when things go wrong, then you can handle any adversity that comes your way.

When Noah's ark got caught in a storm and was going to sink, he didn't give up. Instead he built an ark that could float in water. When Jesus was tempted by Satan during his 40 days in the desert, he didn't give up on God but defeated Satan with his words.

Faith is not based on Feelings or emotions. 

Strong faith is not based on feelings or emotions. It's based on the Word of God. The Bible says, "Faith comes from hearing the message" (Romans 10:17). If you don't believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead, then you can't have faith in Him.

If you're struggling with your faith right now, don't give up! Don't let Satan defeat you by making you think your faith isn't strong enough or that God doesn't love you anymore because of what happened in your life recently (or in the past).

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). He wants us to experience abundant life—not just a few good years at the beginning of our walk with Him but

This is how we should respond to suffering: We don't give up but persevere until the end (Matthew 24:13).

It is not easy to live with problems. We easily give up when we have problems, so we easily get exploited. This is why we need to build a stronger faith so that we can overcome our difficulties more easily.

The Bible says: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). If you want God’s guidance in life, you must acknowledge Him first. You should know that He knows what you need even before you ask Him for help.

Prayer is one way to build strong faith

When someone asks me for advice about something he wants to do, I tell him that it is important for him to pray about it first because God knows what will happen after he does it. So if he prays earnestly and asks God for His guidance, then he will know whether his plan will work or not.

Jesus told us to pray for boldness and confidence in our prayers. Prayer is one way to build strong faith.

Praying for strength will help you face challenges with courage and determination. When we have faith in God's love, we can be confident that He will protect us from harm and bring blessings into our lives.

We must also learn to trust God's plan for us even when we don't understand it. Our lives may seem difficult or unfair at times, but God has a purpose for everything He allows to happen to us. We can experience peace if we accept His will no matter what happens in our lives.

God wants us to be strong because he knows that we'll need it in this world. When problems come along, they can easily bring us down — whether it's something small like a headache or something big like a health issue or job loss.   But God wants us to be strong because He loves us, He doesn't want us to give up easily when things get tough. They keep going despite their difficulties until they reach their goals and dreams. 

About the author 

Jack Marbida is a husband to his wife Wene and a father of 2 little boys Isaac and Israel, he is a financial advisor, speaker, and writer who helps families be financially stable and grow their relationships. He works with families to help them reach their goals by teaching them about financial literacy and helping them develop a healthy relationship with money.

He has been featured in Sun Life Financials and others for his work as a financial coach. He is also the founder of Online Advisors Financial Education, which provides free educational content through blogs and videos.

Jack speaks at conferences across the Philippines on topics such as family finances, and personal and professional growth.  

You can contact Jack Marbida through his social media accounts or email him at papajackph@gmail.com.

Cheers!