Faith Without Doubt: How to Have Faith in God without Doubting

Do you ever find yourself surrounded by terrifying situations, and it gets more challenging to have faith in God? Do you see yourself starting to doubt God’s promises for your life?

I’m not going to sugar-coat things because the truth is there are situations you will encounter that will shake your faith. Maybe because we tend always to want to be in control, we start fighting God’s battles for Him. Trying to have faith in God, especially during hard times, can seem impossible, but the consolation is that peace comes when we let go.

Below is an excerpt from the song ‘Jesus take the wheel’ by Carrie Underwood

“…Before she knew it, she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass,

She saw both their lives flash before her eyes…

She was so scared. She threw her hands up in the air!

Jesus, take the wheel. Take it from my hands.”

This song depicts what it means to be in a situation you have no control over and, at the same time, letting go and trusting God completely. As a mother, you will understand that it wasn’t easy for that woman to let go of that wheel while her baby was in the back seat. 

How could she let go of the danger and focus on God? How do you have faith in God when nothing seems to be working? How do you trust God in dangerous times? 

First,

What is Faith?

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)

“Faith is a complete trust in something or someone you can’t see.”

“Faith is your belief in the integrity of God.”

I can provide you with several other definitions of faith, but the simplest for me is ‘trust in God.’ To me, faith is just that simple and that hard. Descriptions can be easy to give but hard to carry out, and it gets even more challenging when what you are holding on to is not visible.

As Christians, our whole life is to be lived by faith (Hebrews 10:38). Even when faced with several situations, we still need to hold on to that faith. But what do we do when all hope is lost and victory is nowhere in sight?

Reasons for doubts

In one of the comments on her posts, Beth Grider said, “during hard times, we tend to focus on our circumstance rather than on the One that has control over the circumstance.” It is true because right then, we are first humans before we are Christians, i.e., our humanity defines our reaction.

I am always amazed at the story of Job and keep wondering how much a man could grow in God that his humanity becomes the second place in his life.

There are several reasons why doubt creeps on us, and some are: 

• Challenging situations
• Loss of spiritual intimacy 
• Not understanding the move of God
• Ignorance
• Backsliding
• Give in to the voice of doubt

The truth is that there are several reasons we can doubt God, and it is not limited to specific life situations. Doubt is a temptation in itself; we cannot predict when or how we can be tempted. 

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How to have faith in God

I loved Yvette saying, “Life is hard, but God is good.” See, it is crucial to have faith in God. And you must build your faith up again when you observe that it seems to be waning. Here are some things I do when I encounter challenges that shake my faith:

Be sincere

See, when I am in doubt, I always acknowledge it. Remaining in denial and carrying on with a faux air of faith will only make that phase much longer.

When I am in doubt, I find it so hard to pray, so what I do is I just keep talking. I keep talking about how frustrated and out of control I feel, how unfair it is, and I just keep talking. When my faith is low, the devil brings several other tempting alternatives that do not align with the Scriptures, which I report to God.

I might go like this “Lord, hope you’re seeing this? Now, see my state! I can’t believe I’m considering this alternative. You know how weak I am right now, so please do something to stop me from making this mistake.”

In the process of talking, it transitions me into praying, and I begin to remember specific scriptures that relate to what I am going through or God’s promises for my future through the help of the Holy Spirit.

It doesn’t all come at once; sometimes, it takes a few minutes, and other times, a few days, but what matters is that I keep talking and being sincere about how I feel.

Seek help

Some challenges might require you to seek help from your spiritual mentors, and you should not hesitate. The thing about doubt is that the more you dwell on it, the more it grows in your heart. 

Talk to someone you know can help you, and ask them to pray for you and your faith to be renewed. 

Pray for others

You might wonder how praying for others will help your faith.

I ultimately believe that the best way to receive is to give. Whenever I need help, I give help.

It’s not as easy as typing it because, at that point, the last thing I want to do is to call my friend and give her hope when I don’t have one. I don’t want to get down on my knees and pray for someone else when I also need help, but I deliberately push myself and do it anyway. 

In the process, little by little, my faith builds up, and before you know it, that little faith starts to move the mountain of challenges.

Read the Bible

Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. The Bible contains God’s rich promises for us and our lives. Go through the Bible, meditate on it, use God’s promises as affirmations, and profess them into your life.

Repeat these promises as loud as you can until your heart starts to believe them.

Go on a retreat

Remember that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. YES! Going on a personal spiritual retreat will help you regain your lost strength and remind you of God’s promises for your life. 

During personal retreats, you must intentionally get your mind off your current challenges and hear what God says about them instead. Remember how Christ told Peter to look at Him instead of the waves? That’s what you do during your personal spiritual retreat, and even if the wave isn’t calm, you become peaceful.

I have a blog post with tips on how to go for a personal spiritual retreat (Read Post Here), where I also highlighted the benefits of a retreat to your spiritual life.

Worship

Worship transports you; that’s how best I can explain this. When you worship, it pleases God, it moves heaven, and it moves you. Worship has a way of transporting you from the end of the line to the front.

In worship, you are reminded of how powerful God is and how small your problem is. It reminds you to shift your focus from the situation and look to God. It refuels your faith and gives you the strength to break down the walls of doubt.

This concept is not abstract; it is the reality of what worship can do to your faith.

Faith verses to help you during hard times

• Romans 8:37

“Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NKJV

• Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NKJV

• Mark 11:24

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:24 NKJV

• Mark 9:23

“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 NKJV

• Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

• Proverbs 3:5,6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NKJV

• Matthew 15:28

“Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 NKJV

Let’s Recap

Sometimes, all it takes to have faith in God is to stop rational thinking and deep dive into God’s promises for you. Remember that God remains God when things work out well and even when they don’t. So, hold on to His promises for you because they will never change.

God is thinking of you, Sis; don’t ever forget that. Be strong, hold your Bible close and just let go of the wheel. It’s also okay to let God know how weak your faith is. Pour out your heart to Him; He listens.

What is your most effective way of coping when your faith is weak? Share in the comments below

READ ALSO: 9 Tips for taking an effective personal spiritual retreat

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