Journey: A New Believer's Guide to Spiritual GrowthSample

Life Happens, Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about how important FAITH is for your new journey with God and how reading the Bible fuels your faith to stand against enemy attacks. Today, we talk about another defense and faith builder -- Prayer. Think of it as Fire for your spiritual journey.

Fire for the Journey

PRAYER is the second way to build your faith. Prayer isn’t some mystical, weird exercise. It’s a conversation between you and God. It might seem a little forced or unfamiliar at first, but the key is to trust that God is hearing you. Think of prayer as an antidote for worry. So pray about everything that you’re concerned about -- your family, your work, your future, your feelings, your struggles, your fears--all of it. 

The key to prayer is to simply trust that God hears you and that He wants to help you. This is where faith and effective prayer meet.

Don’t get discouraged if God doesn’t “answer” your prayer right away! Here’s what God does: He always answers our prayers. He might say “yes,” He might say “no,” or He might say, “wait.” But He always answers. This is where journaling your prayers and their answers can really help. You can see how God has helped you! There’s nothing more fun and faith-building than watching your prayers become a reality. It can be like a fire for your faith!

CHALLENGE

This week, try praying for at least five minutes a day. It might help to make a prayer list. This can be a note on your phone that lists the things you’re grateful for, the closest people in your life, and the needs you have. The power isn’t in impressive “religious” words, but in the fact that you believe God is hearing your every word. God cares most about your heart. Five minutes a day, that's all! You got this! 

Alright, it’s time to build your faith so you can be strong for the journey -- no matter if a challenge, a trial, the enemy, or anything else comes against you, you’ll have the faith to press forward.