Devotion for March 9 to March 13. A study in the subject of increasing our Christian faith

 

A friend asked me how do I increase my faith? That is an excellent question and an excellent state to be in where someone wants to increase their faith. I certainly want to increase my faith. This led me to try and answer his question and help us all to increase our faith through this devotion.

While the Bible shares stories of heroes of the faith it also shows us that we are human and there will be times when our faith may falter like in the case of Abraham and also in the case of John The Baptist. The solution is not to feel down and guilty and feel defeated but to ask The Holy Spirit to strengthen us and work to victoriously increase our faith

So what is faith?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

أَمَّا الإِيمَانُ، فَهُوَ الثِّقَةُ بِمَا نَرْجُوهُ، وَالاقْتِنَاعُ بِأَنَّ مَا لَا نَرَاهُ مَوْجُودٌ حَقّاً.

Hebrews 11:1

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 أَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَرَوْا الْمَسِيحَ، وَلكِنَّكُمْ تُحِبُّونَهُ. وَمَعَ أَنَّكُمْ لَا تَرَوْنَهُ الآنَ، فَأَنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَتَبْتَهِجُونَ بِفَرَحٍ مَجِيدٍ يَفُوقُ الْوَصْفَ. ⁹ إِذْ تَبْلُغُونَ هَدَفَ إِيمَانِكُمْ، وَهُوَ خَلاصُ نُفُوسِكُمْ.

 1 Peter 1:8-9 |

 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

فَإِنَّ الإِيمَانَ فِي القَلْبِ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَالاعْتِرَافَ بِالْفَمِ يُؤَيِّدُ الْخَلاصَ،

 Romans 10:10

So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.

إِذاً، الإِيمَانُ نَتِيجَةُ السَّمَاعِ، وَالسَّمَاعُ هُوَ مِنَ التَّبْشِيرِ بِكَلِمَةِ الْمَسِيحِ

Romans 10:17

Learning from the heroes of faith in The Bible:

God said to Abram Go away from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you

 وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لأَبْرَامَ: «اتْرُكْ أَرْضَكَ وَعَشِيرَتَكَ وَبَيْتَ أَبِيكَ وَاذْهَبْ إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي أُرِيكَ

 Genesis 12:1

Although Abraham did not have any clue where he was going he followed God’s command and left everything behind, and went into the unknown (to him). That is an example of great faith. Yet we see other events in his life where Abraham did not trust God. However God tests Abraham’s faith once more. After waiting 25 years to have his son Isaac, God told Abraham:  

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

وَبَعْدَ هَذَا امْتَحَنَ اللهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَنَادَاهُ: «يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ» فَأَجَابَهُ: «لَبَّيْكَ». ² فَقَالَ لَهُ: «خُذِ ابْنَكَ وَحِيدَكَ، إِسْحاقَ الَّذِي تُحِبُّهُ، وَانْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْمُرِيَّا وَقَدِّمْهُ مُحْرَقَةً عَلَى أَحَدِ الْجِبَالِ الَّذِي أَهْدِيكَ إِلَيْهِ».

Genesis 22:1-2

God was pleased with Abraham’s trust as he followed God’s orders and God saved Isaac from death.

In the case of John The Baptist even though he witnessed The Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and heard God’s voice saying:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

«هَذَا هُوَ ابْنِي الْحَبِيبُ، الَّذِي بِهِ سُرِرْتُ كُلَّ سُرُورٍ!»

Matthew 3:17

While he was imprisoned he sent a follower to ask Jesus:

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”³ 

أَأَنْتَ هُوَ الآتِي، أَمْ نَنْتَظِرُ غَيْرَكَ

Matthew 11:3

So now that we know that even the heroes of the Bible may question their faith at times, what do we learn? It teaches us that we are human but we should not succumb to that way of thinking nor should we be tough with ourselves but pray without ceasing for God to strengthen our faith and we must:

Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

      وَإِنَّمَا، عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ ذَلِكَ بِإِيمَانٍ، دُونَ أَيِّ تَرَدُّدٍ أَوْ شَكٍّ.

James 1:6

WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH:

1.   TRUST

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

 الرَّبُّ قُوَّتِي وَنَشِيدِي وَقَدْ صَارَ خَلاصِي، هَذَا هُوَ إِلَهِي فَأُسَبِّحُهُ. وَإِلَهُ أَبِي فَأُعَظِّمُهُ.

Exodus 15:2

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 لَا تَخَفْ لأَنِّي مَعَكَ. لَا تَتَلَفَّتْ حَوْلَكَ جَزَعاً، لأَنِّي إِلَهُكَ، أُشَدِّدُكَ وَأُعِينُكَ وَأَعْضُدُكَ بِيَمِينِ بِرِّي

Isaiah 41:10

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

تَأَمَّلُوا طُيُورَ السَّمَاءِ: إِنَّهَا لَا تَزْرَعُ وَلا تَحْصُدُ وَلا تَجْمَعُ فِي مَخَازِنَ، وَأَبُوكُمُ السَّمَاوِيُّ يَعُولُهَا. أَفَلَسْتُمْ أَنْتُمْ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهَا كَثِيراً؟

Matthew 6:26

2: PRAY

²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

 فَقَالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: «بَلْ إِنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ، فَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ مُسْتَطَاعٌ لَدَى الْمُؤْمِنِ!» ²⁴ فَصَرَخَ أَبُو الصَّبِيِّ فِي الْحَالِ: «أَنَا أُومِنُ، فَأَعِنْ عَدَمَ إِيمَانِي».

Mark 9:23-24

If you have any unbelief be like the man who said to Jesus, “help my unbelief” so take your

unbelief to God and pray for Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Surrender yourself completely to Him. Faith is a gift from God. Asking for faith in prayer is the way we received it when we were first saved, and it is the way we receive it each and every day of our life. God wants us to lift up our every need to Him. God wants us to give Him every single one of our burdens, worries, doubts and fears.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received^[a] it, and it will be yours.

 لِهذَا السَّبَبِ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّ مَا تَطْلُبُونَهُ وَتُصَلُّونَ لأَجْلِهِ، فَآمِنُوا أَنَّكُمْ قَدْ نِلْتُمُوهُ، فَيَتِمَّ لَكُمْ.

Mark 11:24

3: READ & MEDITATE on SCRIPTURES

Knowing God’s Word goes hand in hand with trusting God and praying. Remember how much He helped and guided you in the past. Read His promises, and pray them over your life. In God’s Word we will find strength, hope, love, peace, and joy. We will also find promises of provision, and instructions to keep us away from sin and rebuke the devil. 

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

 وَإِنَّ إِلَهِي سَيَسُدُّ حَاجَاتِكُمْ كُلَّهَا إِلَى التَّمَامِ، وَفْقاً لِغِنَاهُ فِي الْمَجْدِ، فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ.

Philippians 4:19

4: APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN

If we want to exercise faith in our lives, we must let God’s instructions and commands be our guide. In doing so we will strengthen our faith greatly. Applying the Word of God to the lives we live, will deepen our walk with Him and strengthen our faith.

5: LET YOUR DEEDS REFLECT YOUR FAITH

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

فَإِنَّنَا نَحْنُ عَمَلُ اللهِ، وَقَدْ خَلَقَنَا فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ لأَعْمَالٍ صَالِحَةٍ أَعَدَّهَا سَلَفاً لِنَسْلُكَ فِيهَا.

Ephesians 2:10

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please help my unbelief, help me increase my faith by giving me confidence in what I hope for and assurance about what I do not see. Lord though I have not seen You, help me to love You; believe in You and fill me with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for I am receiving the end result of my faith, the salvation of my soul. Lord please remove any doubts from my mind and help me to depend totally on You for You are my strength and salvation. Lord, give me wisdom to not lean on my own understanding and strengthen me to trust You and follow You with all my heart and all my mind, soul and strength. Lord I am confident that You will strengthen me, will help me, and will uphold me with Your righteous right hand. Abba Father I trust that You will supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Strengthen me God so as to behave in a such a way that pleases Your spirit within me and to do all the good deeds that You have prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them. God I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, I lift You up on high, and glorify Your holy ame. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life.

Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21 Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein