Faith Challenge ~ Episode 200
It’s time for a challenge, a faith challenge! When was the last time you asked God for more of Him and less of you? When we look at our faith is it something we take for granted, or is it something we need to cherish? Felice shares three faith challenges in this 200th episode of A Few Minutes with God!
Visit my website for great faith challenging books, such as One More Child and A Few Minutes with God.
What is a faith challenge? It is a way to increase our faith in good times and in bad. It is a time to grow, to become stronger, and to be light to others. It is also helpful to be prepared and get your faith-kit together. Something you can pull out in times of need that will help you to overcome with God. God is here for us all of the time, yet in times of crisis, we freeze up and forget we have many tools in our arsenal!
Perhaps your faith has been challenged when something terrible happens in your life or the life of someone you love. What do you do during these times? Usually, we drop to our knees and pray, but sometimes we feel like God doesn’t hear us. Has this happened to you? For many Christians when our faith is challenged we get more of God, not less. We may not feel Him, but we know without Him we would fall.
First Faith Challenge Prep:
- Be prepared. Do you have a prayer you can pray to calm yourself down? If not find one or write one.
- What are your favorite go-to scriptures when you are in need? Write them down with the subheading for each topic. Have your Bible handy with marked passages to read.
- Be ready to use your praise journal (and prayer journal) and have it handy.
Faith Challenge 1 ~ Hard Times:
- Pray for strength and wisdom.
- Pray with someone else and if necessary, pick up the phone and text or call someone who will pray for you.
- Put your need on a prayer chain. If you do not have one, ask around. There are many eMail prayer chains available as well as on social media. The Facebook page here is just for that need.
All of us have been challenged by recent worldwide events. I don’t need to list them, I am sure you have a mental list of your own. It was and has been a horrible time with fear the number one ingredient that everyone in the media keeps pushing. Are you fearful? What do you do when you experience fear?
Faith Challenge 2 – When Things Are Out of Our Control:
- Know that God is in control, remind yourself of this.
- Remind yourself that God always wins.
- The enemy is a liar and fear is one way to manipulate us, pray this verse: 1 John 4:4 “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.“
Another challenge in our lives is when someone lets us down. This is more difficult when it is someone we know or love. We feel abandoned and alone. We feel misunderstood. We feel at a loss. During these times where can you turn?
Faith Challenge 3 ~ When People Let Us Down.
- Remember that God will never let you down. God is always there, even in the midst of difficulty and trial.
- Focus on today, don’t let past hurt or future what-ifs bog you down.
- Pray Jeremiah 29:11 –For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
The biggest challenge we have as Christians is to get out of our own way and allow the Lord to work in our lives. We often give the enemy the credit, but truly it is our own obstacles that are the most deferential to our spiritual growth. If things are not going as we planned we are quick to blame (or I am quick to blame, and maybe you are a bit like me?) but I’ve realized the older I get that the only person responsible for my spiritual growth or lack, of growth, is me.
Ask yourself these quick questions:
- Am I taking time to pray and read the Bible?
- Am I spending quiet time with God?
- Do I praise God in all things?
- Am I allowing the Lord to work in me?
- Do I surround myself with like-minded Christians?
- Am I spending time ministering to others (even if it is your family – that counts).
- Do I share what God has done for me with others?
- Do I see the miracles of God’s grace in my life?
- Am I appreciative of all that I have?
- Am I loving and kind to my own family or Christian support group?
These are just a few of the ways we can check our own hearts and motivation. If we are striving to become more faithful in thought, word and deed we are working toward a goal and not becoming stagnant. The challenge for you this week and in the next is to grow in faith and challenge yourself in this way! May God be blessed.
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