Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. But sometimes life throws challenges that make trusting God feel impossible. Your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling. God feels distant. Doubt creeps in.
You’re not alone in this struggle. Every believer faces seasons where faith feels weak. The good news? God wants to strengthen your faith even more than you do. He’s given us tools to build unshakeable trust in Him.
This guide will show you how to identify what blocks your faith and give you practical steps to grow stronger in your walk with God.
What Blocks Our Faith?
Before we build faith, we need to recognise what tears it down. Three main enemies work against your trust in God.
Fear
Fear whispers lies about God’s character. It says He won’t come through for you. It magnifies problems and makes God seem small. Fear looks at circumstances instead of God’s promises.
When the Israelites saw the giants in the Promised Land, fear made them forget God’s power. They focused on what they could see instead of what God had promised. Fear always does this. It makes mountains out of molehills and turns promises into problems.
Doubt
Doubt questions everything God has said. It asks, “Did God really say that?” It makes you second-guess His word and His heart toward you. Doubt often comes disguised as wisdom or being realistic.
Thomas doubted Jesus had risen until he could touch the nail scars. His doubt wasn’t wrong, but it limited his peace and joy. Doubt steals the confidence that should mark every believer’s life.
Unbelief
Unbelief goes further than doubt. It hardens the heart against God’s truth. Unbelief says, “I won’t believe even if I see proof.” It’s a choice to reject what God has revealed.
The people in Jesus’ hometown struggled with unbelief. They knew Him as a carpenter’s son and couldn’t accept Him as Messiah. Their unbelief limited what Jesus could do among them. Unbelief always limits God’s work in our lives.
These three enemies work together. Fear opens the door. Doubt walks in. Unbelief sets up camp. But you don’t have to let them stay.
Habits That Build Faith
Faith grows through specific practices. Just like physical exercise builds muscle, spiritual disciplines build trust in God. Here are three powerful faith-building habits.
Meditate on Scripture
God’s Word is faith’s fuel. When you fill your mind with Scripture, you’re programming your heart to trust. The Bible calls this meditating on God’s Word day and night.
Meditation isn’t complicated. Pick one verse that speaks to your current situation. Read it slowly several times. Think about what it means. Ask God to make it real in your heart.
Joshua 1:8 promises success to those who meditate on God’s Word. This isn’t material success, but spiritual victory. When Scripture fills your thoughts, faith comes naturally.
Start with promises that address your struggles. If you’re worried about finances, meditate on Philippians 4:19: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” If you’re afraid, focus on Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”
Read these verses out loud. Write them down. Put them where you’ll see them often. Let God’s promises crowd out fear and doubt.
Listen to Testimonies
Faith grows when you hear what God has done for others. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing. This includes hearing testimonies of God’s goodness.
When someone shares how God provided, healed, or delivered them, your faith gets a boost. Their victory becomes fuel for your trust. You realise that if God did it for them, He can do it for you.
Make it a habit to seek out testimonies. Read books about God’s miracles. Watch videos of people sharing their breakthroughs. Listen to friends tell how God came through.
Don’t just listen passively. Let testimonies stir expectation in your heart. If God opened the Red Sea for Moses, He can handle your problems. If He provided for the widow of Zarephath, He can meet your needs.
Keep a journal of testimonies that encourage you. When doubt attacks, read them again. Let other people’s faith victories strengthen your own trust.
Pray in the Spirit
Praying in tongues builds faith in ways natural prayer can’t. When you pray in your prayer language, the Holy Spirit prays through you. He knows exactly what you need before you do.
Jude 20 says we build ourselves up in our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just emotional encouragement. Something supernatural happens when you pray in tongues.
Your spirit connects with God’s Spirit in perfect communication. Doubts and fears can’t interfere because your mind isn’t controlling the prayer. The Holy Spirit bypasses your limitations and prays God’s perfect will.
Make praying in the Spirit a daily habit. Start your quiet time by praying in tongues for a few minutes. Let the Holy Spirit warm up your heart before you pray in English. You’ll find your faith level rising as you pray.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand what you’re praying. That’s the point. The Holy Spirit is handling things your natural mind can’t grasp. Trust Him to pray exactly what’s needed.
Living by Faith in Daily Decisions
Faith isn’t just for big miracles. It’s meant to guide every choice you make. Here’s how to apply faith to everyday life.
Start with Small Steps
You don’t need to quit your job and become a missionary to live by faith. Start with smaller decisions. Ask God which route to take to work. Pray about what to cook for dinner. Let Him guide your daily schedule.
These small acts of faith build trust for bigger decisions. When you see God’s guidance in little things, you’ll trust Him with major choices.
Abraham started by leaving his hometown. He didn’t know God’s full plan, but he took the first step. That step led to becoming the father of faith. Your small steps of obedience can lead to great things too.
Seek God’s Word for Guidance
Before making decisions, ask what Scripture says. God’s Word provides principles for every situation. The Bible may not tell you which job to take, but it gives wisdom about work, money, and relationships.
Study what God says about your situation. If you’re considering a business deal, look up verses about honesty and integrity. If you’re thinking about a relationship, read what Scripture says about equally yoked partnerships.
Let God’s Word shape your thinking before you choose. Faith makes decisions based on God’s truth, not just feelings or circumstances.
Listen for God’s Voice
God still speaks to His children. He might speak through Scripture, circumstances, or that still, small voice in your heart. Learn to recognise His guidance.
God’s voice brings peace, even when the direction seems challenging. His guidance aligns with Scripture and produces good fruit in your life. If something makes you anxious or goes against the Bible, it’s probably not from God.
Spend time in quiet prayer asking for direction. Don’t rush into decisions. Give God space to speak. He promises to guide you when you trust Him with all your heart.
Act on What You Hear
Faith without action is dead. When God gives direction, obey quickly. Delayed obedience is often disobedience in disguise.
You might not understand God’s full plan, but take the next step He shows you. Abraham didn’t know he was heading to the Promised Land when he left home. He just knew God said go, so he went.
Start where you are with what you know. God will give more direction as you obey what He’s already shown you. Faith acts on partial information because it trusts God’s character completely.
Practical Action Steps
Ready to strengthen your faith? Here are specific steps you can take starting today.
Create a Faith-Building Routine
Set aside 20-30 minutes daily for faith-building activities. This might include:
- Reading and meditating on Scripture
- Praying in tongues for 5-10 minutes
- Listening to a testimony or worship music
- Writing down what you’re believing God for
Consistency matters more than perfection. Even 10 minutes daily will strengthen your faith over time.
Identify Your Faith Blockers
Write down areas where fear, doubt, or unbelief affect you most. Be specific. Instead of “I struggle with doubt”, write “I doubt God will provide for my family’s financial needs.”
Once you identify specific blockers, find Scripture verses that address each one. Memorise these verses and speak them when negative thoughts come.
Surround Yourself with Faith
The people around you influence your faith level. Spend time with believers who encourage your trust in God. Join a small group or prayer meeting where faith is normal.
Limit time with people who constantly complain or speak negatively. Their words can drain your faith without you realising it.
Read books by authors who have strong faith. Listen to teaching that builds your confidence in God. Fill your environment with faith-building influences.
Keep a Faith Journal
Record answered prayers, no matter how small. Write down prophecies or encouraging words others give you. Document times when God’s timing was perfect, even if you didn’t understand it initially.
When discouragement comes, read through your journal. Remember how God has been faithful in the past. This builds confidence that He’ll be faithful again.
Practice Speaking Faith
Your words shape your heart. Instead of saying, “I’m trying to trust God,” say, “I trust God completely.” Instead of “I hope things work out,” say “God is working everything together for my good.”
This isn’t positive thinking or denial. It’s aligning your words with God’s truth. Faith calls things that are not as though they were, just like God does.
Take Faith Risks
Look for opportunities to step out in faith. Volunteer for something that stretches you. Give an offering that requires trust. Pray for someone to be healed.
These faith risks don’t have to be dramatic. The goal is exercising your faith muscle regularly. Each step of obedience strengthens your ability to trust God in bigger situations.
Building Unshakeable Trust
As you practice these habits, you’ll notice changes. Circumstances that once triggered panic will feel manageable. God’s voice will become clearer. His promises will feel more real than your problems.
This isn’t a quick fix. Faith building takes time, just like physical fitness. Some days will feel easier than others. That’s normal. Keep practicing these habits even when you don’t feel like it.
Remember that God is more interested in your faith than you are. He’ll provide opportunities for your trust to grow. He’ll orchestrate situations that require you to depend on Him. See these as gifts, not problems.
Your faith affects everyone around you. Strong faith encourages other believers and draws unbelievers to Christ. When you trust God completely, you become a testimony of His goodness.
Your Next Step
Faith isn’t built by reading about it. It’s built by doing something with what you’ve learnt. Your faith journey starts with one decision to trust God more than you trust your circumstances.
Choose one habit from this guide to start practicing this week. Maybe it’s meditating on Scripture for ten minutes each morning. Perhaps it’s finding a testimony that encourages your heart. Or it could be spending five minutes praying in tongues before bed.
Whatever you choose, start today. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect or you feel more motivated. Faith grows by taking action, not by waiting for the right moment.
God wants to take you on an adventure of trust. He has plans for your life that are bigger than you can imagine. But those plans require faith to walk them out.
Take the first step. Trust Him with something small today. Then watch as your faith grows stronger and your trust deepens. Before long, you’ll look back amazed at how much your relationship with God has transformed.
The journey of faith never ends, but it gets more exciting as you go. Start building your faith today. God is waiting to show you just how trustworthy He really is.
