How to Be More Confident in God

Learn to Trust God During Your Greatest Trials

Having confidence in God is something most Christians struggle with. Even though we
are aware of his great love for us, we find it hard to apply that knowledge during
the trials of life.
During those crisis times, doubt starts to creep in. The more passionately we pray,
the more we wonder whether God is listening. We start to panic when things don't
improve immediately.
But if we ignore those feelings of uncertainty and go with what we know to be true,
we can be more confident in God. We can be sure he is on our side, listening to our
prayers.

Confident in God's Rescue

No believer gets through life without being rescued by God, rescued so miraculously
only your heavenly Father could have done it. Whether it was being healed of
illness, getting a job just when you needed it, or getting pulled out of a
financial mess, you can point to times in your life when God answered your
prayers--powerfully.
When his rescue happens, the relief is overwhelming. The shock of having God reach
down from heaven to personally intervene in your situation takes your breath away.
It leaves you stunned and grateful.
Sadly, that gratitude wears off over time. Soon new worries steal your attention.
You get caught up in your current predicament.
That's why it's wise to write down God's rescues in a journal, keeping track of
your prayers and exactly how God answered them. A tangible record of the Lord's
care will remind you he does work in your life. Being able to relive past victories
will help you be more confident in God in the present.
Get a journal. Go back in your memory and record every time God delivered you in
the past in as much detail as you can, then keep it up to date. You will be
surprised how God helps you, in big ways and in small, and how often he does it.

Constant Reminders of God's Faithfulness

Your family and friends can tell you how God answered their prayers too. You will
be more confident in God when you see how often he steps into the lives of his
people.
Sometimes God's help is confusing right at the moment. It may even seem like the
opposite of what you wanted, but over time, his mercy becomes clear. Friends and
family members can tell you how a puzzling answer eventually proved to be the best
thing that could have happened.
To help you grasp just how widespread God's help is, you can read the testimonies
of other Christians. These true stories will show you divine intervention is a
common experience in the lives of believers.
God transforms lives all the time. His supernatural power can bring healing and
hope. Studying the stories of others will remind you God does answer prayer.

How the Bible Builds Confidence in God

Every story in the Bible is there for a reason. You will be more confident in God
when you reread the accounts of how he stood by his saints in times of need.
God miraculously provided a son for Abraham. He raised Joseph from a slave to prime
minister of Egypt. God took the stuttering, faltering Moses and made him the mighty
leader of the Jewish nation. When Joshua had to conquer Canaan, God performed
miracles to help him do it. God changed Gideon from a coward to a bold warrior, and
he gave a son to the barren Hannah.
Jesus Christ's apostles went from trembling fugitives to fearless preachers once
they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus converted Paul from a persecutor of
Christians to one of the greatest missionaries of all time.
In every case, these characters were everyday people who proved what trust in God
can do. Today they seem bigger than life, but their successes were entirely due to
the grace of God.

Faith in God's Love

Throughout life, our confidence in God ebbs and flows, affected by everything from
our physical exhaustion to attacks by our sinful culture. When we stumble, we wish
God would appear or speak or even give a sign to reassure us.
Our fears are not unique. The Psalms show us a tearful David begging God to help
him. David, that "man after God's own heart," had the same doubts we do. In his
heart, he knew the truth of God's love, but in his troubles he forgot it.
Prayers like David's demand a big leap of faith. Fortunately, we don't have to
produce that faith ourselves. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith..." Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus himself
supplies the faith we need.
The ultimate proof of God's love was the sacrifice of his only Son to free people
from sin. Even though that act happened 2,000 years ago, we can have unshakable
confidence in God today because he never changes. He was, and always will be,
faithful.

That grace is available to every Christian.