The Journey of Faith: 7 Ways to Grow in Your Trust in God

Trusting God is a battle all believers will have to fight for, at some point in their faith journey. Alongside the Sacraments, here is a list of ideas on how to grow your trust in God:

1. Be desperate
OK, so this one is not exactly a constructive action, but depending on your situation, this is a timeless tool God will use to draw you into His lap! You see, if you find yourself in a valley, you are in a moment in which God is giving you an opportunity to trust Him. Read the story of Hannah in the Book of Samuel for an example of desperate prayer and how God works through it.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with faith - that is why Jesus sent Him!
This is the mission of the Holy Spirit – to empower you with the gifts of the spirit, including faith, which empowers you to trust God. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit after He went to the Father. He did this to empower us to walk in all the gifts we need to be holy and happy. God delights in filling us with gifts when we ask. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of faith!

3. Read stories of saints and listen to testimonies of faith-filled people 
Immerse yourself in stories of saints and modern testimonies that will bolster your faith and put you in the mindset of faithful people and how they think. You may find that it is very different from the way the world thinks. Faith-filled people don’t think from a perspective of lack but of abundance and possibilities. For faith-filled people, dead-ends are God’s way of showing a new way, and not the end of the road!

4. Read stories of God’s promises for His people in the Bible
Trusting in God is an age-old story for His children. In the Bible, we see promises from the Old Testament, where Abraham is promised a son through Sarah, to the New Testament, where God promises Mary, through the angel Gabriel, that she will conceive the Son of God. A couple of my favorite (smaller) promise stories in the Bible include God’s promise to Simeon, and Jesus’s promise of heaven to the Good Thief on the Cross, who suffered on a cross alongside Him. 

As you read these interactions with God, note that in all of them, God has a good end in mind. He does not forget His children, and He finishes what He starts. He makes good on His promises. He does not leave things unfinished. The process may be different from what you imagined or take longer than you expect (like for Abraham), but it is not left unfinished. God works for completion.

5. Offer a sacrifice of praise. 
You can do this in Eucharistic Adoration, the quiet of your room, or anywhere you wish. Find a chapter in the Psalms that speaks to your current emotions and circumstances. Pray it aloud, and let the words speak to you. What verse in particular moves you and encourages you? Repeat it to yourself, and experience God's Heart for you, through it.

6. Pray for the grace to forgive – even if you don’t feel like it
Did you know that forgiving someone is an act of trust in God? It is a declaration that God will have the final say in a situation and that His love will prevail. Ask God today to give you the grace to forgive those in your life who have wronged you, and if that is hard, add the little line: “Even if I don’t feel like it.” And see how the weight lifts off of you.

7. Ask God for the next step and make a movement of faith
As you find yourself growing in love of God – a sign of faith and trust! - you might find yourself ready to take a step and ask God what He is asking of you next. Look at your situation and see how God might be using it. Are circumstances aligning in your life that might indicate a calling for you to change a situation or start a new project? Maybe to reach out to an old or new friend or make a move? If you have asked God, sat with the idea, and felt peace despite discomfort at the prospect, it is time to make a leap and know that God will catch you (and often in ways you could not have imagined!)

A year from now, look back at the leap, see how God worked, and thank Him!