4 Ways To Cultivate More Faith
I wanted to dedicate this post to the topic of faith. Faith can seem like such a nebulous topic and I’ve had a hard time wrapping my mind around it in the past. And it means different things to different people.
But today I want to focus on how faith helps us create actual, tangible results in our lives. How it can help us bring our desires to life.
More faith can help you obtain ANY desire, reach any goal, or solve any problem. So today I wanted to show you 4 ways you can develop your faith to create actual, tangible results in your life.
4 Ways To Cultivate More Faith
This is going to be a more spiritual post—my faith is centered on Jesus Christ and I believe He is the source and creator of all things good. I believe we have divine power because of Him and the power of the Atonement. If that doesn’t align with your beliefs, that’s totally okay! I’d encourage you to keep reading this post and see what you can gain from a conversation about faith and how it applies to you.
The inspiration for this post is based on a talk given by Russell M. Nelson called Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains. It’s one of THE BEST things I’ve ever read about faith!
Here are the 4 ways to cultivate more faith, inspired by this talk:
Articulate your desire
Expand your definition of faith
Ask what would you do if you had more faith
Do not minimize the faith you already have
1. Articulate Your Desire
As we begin this conversation, I want you to start by thinking about something you WANT. A desire you have.
It could be a goal you’re trying to achieve, a problem you’re solving, a decision you’re making, or a trial you’re dealing with.
Here’s a few areas of life or examples to help you think of one:
Improving your marriage/relationship
More fun with your kids
More abundance in finances
Healing an illness
Stronger friendships
Overcoming self doubt
Improved mental health
Improved physical health
Resolving problems at work
Overcoming purposelessness
Deciding the next step in your life
Think of something you desire and clearly articulate it in your mind, writing it down if you can.
As you read this post or listen to the episode below, I want you to think about how faith could apply to this desire. Because increasing your faith will help you obtain any desire, solve any problem, or achieve any goal.
2. Expand Your Definition of Faith
As I read this talk, it became clear very quickly how limited I had been in how I thought about faith. My definition of faith would have been simply believing in something you can’t see.
But now I see that it’s SO MUCH more expansive than that.
I started making a list of all the truths mentioned about faith and all the things that faith can do for us.
Here are some truths about faith:
Faith is the greatest power available to us
ALL THINGS are possible with faith
Faith is the conduit for divine power
Everything good begins with faith
Faith unlocks the power of God in our lives
We don’t have to have perfect faith to create our desires (belief is enough)
Faith and receiving revelation for our lives takes work
Faith enables us to do what we couldn’t otherwise
Faith always propels us forward
Faith always increases our access to godly power
Just thinking about faith in this way gives me a sense of excitement and hope about what’s possible for me and my life. It helps me realize just how much power I have access to and how much I can create.
Questions to ponder:
How could you think about faith in a more expansive way?
What excites you about faith from this list?
3. Ask what you would do if you had more faith
This is my favorite step. One of the things that Russell M. Nelson says develops faith is acting in faith.
But it’s not just taking action for action’s sake or doing the things you think you “should” do.
He says:
“What would you do if you had MORE faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.”
So this is not a generic question with a generic answer. This is a personalized question for you to ask and find a personalized answer.
What would you do if you had more faith in this particular desire?
Visualize with me for a second to look more closely at this. Think about your desire (what it is that you want). What would it look like to have more faith in the specific outcome you want?
Feeling confident or excited
Making a strong decision
Having an important conversation
Praying for guidance, confident you’ll receive it
Making an appointment with a doctor or therapist
Setting a big goal
Making a plan
Visualizing the outcome in detail
Feeling gratitude ahead of time
Another question I like to consider here is: What work and effort do I need to put forth here?
It may not be action in the way you normally think about it.
It might be more meaningful prayer or intentional asking and listening for revelation.
It might feel like taking LESS action if it’s coming from desperation or panic.
It might involve making an effort to be still.
That last example is how it looks for me. When I was going through IVF earlier this year, I put forth A LOT of work and effort during my morning spiritual practice. I took a lot more time to think and pray and journal.
I visualized the exact result I wanted again and again. I was still. I chose to be hopeful and faithful and consciously (with EFFORT) redirected my mind to those faithful thoughts again and again. I practiced what faith felt like so it began to feel normal and natural.
It became an incredible experience and a chance for me to feel close with God because of the level of faith I was cultivating.
4. Do not minimize the faith you already have
I wanted to make sure to include this: Remember that you ALREADY HAVE FAITH!
Sometimes we forget that we do, as if we’re starting from zero. But think about what your faith has created in the past to remind yourself of the ways you already have cultivated faith in your life.
We learned earlier that everything good begins with faith.
So what is good in your life?
How did your faith bring that goodness about?
Seeing evidence of your existing faith will give you confidence to cultivate even more.
Increase & Expand Your Faith
To recap, the 4 ways to cultivate more faith are:
Articulate your desire
Expand your definition of faith
Ask what would you do if you had more faith
Do not minimize the faith you already have
I hope this post has inspired you to increase and expand your faith so that you can obtain your desires and achieve your goals!
Feel free to listen to the podcast episode I did on this topic below to gain more insight. And if you haven’t already, go check out that talk Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains by Russell M. Nelson.
- Kristin
Listen to the content below
You can also search The Progress Project on any podcast app.
Episode #170 4 Ways To Cultivate More Faith
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