Are you going through a hard time right now? Maybe you feel lost, hurt, or very tired. Your prayers might feel like they are hitting the ceiling. You could be asking, “Where is God in all of this?” If that’s you, please know this: you are not alone.
Feeling this way during a stormy season of life is completely normal. Faith often feels hardest when we face loss, stress, sickness, or long periods of waiting. It’s easy to feel confused or discouraged.
This article is here to help. We will walk through 10 simple, practical steps you can take to protect and grow your faith, even when it feels very small. This is not about pretending to be happy. It is about finding a steady hope to hold onto, one day at a time. Let’s begin.
Why Hard Times Challenge Faith
First, let’s understand why our faith feels shaky when life gets hard. Knowing the “why” helps us fight back.
1. Emotional Overload: When we are drowning in fear, grief, or exhaustion, it’s hard to see clearly. These heavy emotions can cloud our perspective, making it difficult to feel God’s presence or remember His promises.
2. Feeling Abandoned or Silent Answers: We pray for help, healing, or a sign, and we hear… silence. Or, the answer is “wait,” or even “no.” This can make us feel abandoned or forgotten. We wonder, “Does God even care?”
3. Comparing Your Journey to Others: Thanks to social media, we often see the highlight reels of other people’s lives. When they seem blessed and happy while we struggle, it can weaken our faith. We must remember: Comparison is the thief of joy—and faith. Everyone’s journey is different.
The 10 Steps to Keep Your Faith Strong
Step 1: Be Honest With God About Your Struggles
Faith is not about pretending everything is okay. True faith is being real with God. He already knows your heart, but speaking it out loud or writing it down brings healing.
- Practical Action: Talk to God like you would talk to a trusted friend. Say, “God, I’m really scared right now,” or “I feel so alone.” You can also write an unfiltered journal entry to Him. Use your own simple words, not special “religious” language.
Step 2: Anchor Yourself in Scripture Daily
When your mind is full of worry, truth acts like an anchor to steady you. God’s promises in the Bible do not change, even when your circumstances do.
- Practical Action: Don’t try to read a whole book of the Bible. Just read one or two short verses a day. Focus on passages about peace, strength, and God’s faithfulness (like Psalm 23, Isaiah 41:10, or Matthew 11:28-30). Write one verse on a notecard and look at it whenever anxiety starts to rise.
Step 3: Pray Even When You Do Not Feel Like It
Prayer is a habit we choose, not a mood we wait for. Our feelings change every day, but our decision to connect with God can be constant. This is how faith grows roots.
- Practical Action: Pray short, simple prayers throughout the day. “God, help me get through this meeting.” “Thank you for this small good thing.” If words are too hard, sit in silent prayer for one minute. You can also repeat a simple prayer like, “Lord, I trust you with today.”
Step 4: Stay Connected to a Faith-Based Community
When we hurt, our first instinct is often to hide. But isolation makes fear grow and faith shrink. We need others to remind us of hope when we can’t find it ourselves.
- Practical Action: Reach out to one trusted, positive friend from your faith community. Ask them just to listen. Join a small group or listen to an encouraging online sermon. Being around other believers reminds you that you are not walking this path alone.
Step 5: Remember Past Faith Victories
When you can’t see God working now, look back at where He has worked before. Remembering His past faithfulness builds trust for your present situation.
- Practical Action: Grab a notebook. Make a list titled “Times God Helped Me.” Write down any answered prayer, big or small. Look at an old journal or photo. This creates a “faith timeline” that proves your current struggle is not the end of the story.
Step 6: Serve Others Even in Small Ways
Serving others gets our eyes off our own pain and onto a purpose. It reminds us that we still have something valuable to give, which rebuilds our spirit.
- Practical Action: The act of service does not need to be huge. Send a simple text to encourage a friend. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you. Ask someone, “How are you really doing?” and just listen. As this article on why perseverance matters and shapes success explains, small acts of giving and persistence build resilience in our own hearts.
Step 7: Choose Trust One Day at a Time
You don’t have to figure out the rest of your life right now. Faith is a daily choice. You just need enough trust for today.
- Practical Action: Each morning, say, “God, I choose to trust you with today.” Let go of the need to know how everything will work out. Focus only on the next right step in front of you. This breaks an overwhelming journey into manageable steps.
Step 8: Consume Uplifting Content
What you listen to and read feeds your mind. Fill it with hope. Just as you’d seek wisdom from a good book, seek spiritual nourishment that strengthens your resolve.
- Practical Action: Read books or articles that build faith and inspire personal growth. For example, exploring a resource like The Book of Irwin Gould can provide narrative-driven insights on overcoming challenges. Listen to hopeful music or podcasts during your commute. Protect your mind from constant negativity.
Step 9: Create a Simple Routine of Reflection
Growth, especially spiritual growth, doesn’t happen by accident. It helps to have a gentle plan. A simple routine provides stability when life feels chaotic.
- Practical Action: This doesn’t have to be complex. Dedicate 5 minutes in the morning or evening to quiet reflection, reading one verse, and saying a short prayer. For more structured guidance, principles from a personal growth plan can be adapted to your spiritual journey, focusing on small, consistent habits.
Step 10: Speak Words of Hope Out Loud
Your words have power. Speaking hope and faith, even when you don’t fully feel it, can shift your atmosphere and renew your mind.
- Practical Action: Say things like, “This is hard, but I am not alone,” or “I believe better days are ahead.” Avoid saying things that seal your despair, like “Nothing ever works out.” Your words can guide your heart toward hope.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Expecting Instant Relief: Hard seasons often teach us patience. Don’t mistake a process for denial.
- Believing Doubt Means Failure: Doubt is a normal part of a thinking person’s faith journey. It’s what you do with it that matters.
- Isolating from Others: This is the most common and dangerous mistake. We need each other.
- Comparing Your Journey: Your path is unique. Trust your own timeline with God.
Encouragement for You Right Now
If you’re in the middle of the struggle, please hear this: Your faith has not disappeared. A seed grows in the dark soil, unseen. What feels like a quiet or dormant time may be a season of deep, quiet growth. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to heal. Be gentle with yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I keep my faith when I feel angry or confused?
Start by being honest about those feelings with God. Anger and confusion are emotions He understands. Pray, “God, I’m angry about this, and I need your help to understand.” Faith includes bringing our whole, messy selves to Him—guilt-free.
Is it normal to doubt during hard times?
Absolutely. Doubt is a normal human response to pain and uncertainty. It is not the opposite of faith; it is often a path to a deeper, more honest faith. The key is to take your doubts to God, not away from Him.
What if I feel like God is silent?
Silence is not absence. Sometimes God is working in ways we can’t see or hear yet. Use this season to practice patience and trust in His character, even when you don’t see His activity. Continue showing up in prayer and scripture.
How long do hard seasons usually last?
There’s no set timeline. Every person’s journey is different. Some storms pass quickly; others last for a season. Instead of focusing on the clock, focus on what you can learn and how you can grow each day through it.
Can faith really grow stronger through hardship?
Yes, it can. Like a muscle that gets stronger under resistance, faith can deepen when tested. It requires consistency (the daily steps), support (your community), and time. Many people find that after a hard season, their faith is more solid and real than ever before.
Final Reflection
Faith is not a fragile glass ornament that shatters at the first sign of trouble. It is more like a living root system that grows deeper and stronger as it searches for water in a drought. Give yourself grace. You are on a journey.
These 10 steps are not a magic formula, but a practical path. You don’t have to do them all at once. Start with just one that spoke to you today.
Call to Action
Which step do you need most right now? Is it Step 1 (Honesty) or Step 4 (Community)?
Pick one small action from that step and do it today. Share this article with a friend who might also need this encouragement. For more resources on building a resilient and purposeful life, explore the insights and stories available at Irwin Gould’s website.
Your faith can survive this. More than that—with patience and small steps of trust, it can even learn to thrive.
