How to Release Our Faith

How to Release Our Faith

how to release our faithDo you struggle with stress? Or worry? Aren’t we crazy? God has promised to take care of us. Yet, we worry or stress out things. We have faith. Yet, somehow we don’t know how to release our faith. We don’t know how to be stress-free children of God. This is something I am currently learning and it seems to be an ongoing process. But I share with you what I’ve learned so far.

Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly] (Mark. 11:22, AMP). Or in the Message version: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you.”

Faith is a gift from God. But faith is not just something we have but also something we release and put into practice. And we need to do it constantly. Not just once in awhile but constantly. How do we do that? How do we really embrace this God-life in such a manner that it carries us (and not us trying to carry it)?

We can release our faith…

John Ortberg Jr. has said “The goal of prayer is to live all of my life and speak all of my words in the joyful awareness of the presence of God. Prayer becomes real when we grasp the reality and goodness of God’s constant presence with ‘the real me.’ Jesus lived his everyday life in conscious awareness of his Father.”

Also, we need to learn to live our everyday lives in conscious awareness of God. This seems to be the key to stress-free living. When we are aware of God’s loving presence in our lives, faith comes naturally. All this is ours as we live in constant conversation with God. The more we rely on God, the less pressure we feel on ourselves.

…by praying

Prayer is not optional for Christians, it is supposed to be our way of life. We need to learn to live with God and we can best do it in prayer. Praying Scripture is also a very good way to go, to release them into your life. Sometimes it is also helpful to declare some essential faith statements out loud. It’s important to find our own ways to communicate with God because we can truly release our faith by praying.

Faith is not something we practice only on Sundays, it is something we live out every day in the presence of God. When we do that, we naturally release our faith into action. And that’s the key to stress-free living. Then it’s not us living but Christ living in us. Hence we are not to worry. This God-life is empowered by grace. And not by us. So let us relax. It’s not about us, it’s about Christ in us.

 

Gracious God,
Forgive us for stressing and worrying endlessly.
We want to live by faith, show us how.
Show us how to rely on you and not on ourselves.
Forgive us for thinking our well-being is on our own shoulders.
Enable us to release our faith and let you rule our lives.
Help us to live in joyful awareness of your loving presence in our lives.
Empower us to enjoy our lives as your children.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you know how to live stress-free? How do you release your faith?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you embrace this God-life for all it is!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses toBiblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.].

Photo by Nathan McBride on Unsplash. Linking up today with Dance with JesusFive-minute Friday.

12 thoughts on “How to Release Our Faith

  1. For a professional worrier it’s uphill work to learn this lesson but I’m trying to remember that it’s God’s work in me, not my work in me.
    And how delightful to see that you quote John Ortberg. He’s one of my favourite writers.

    1. Yes, it is very hard to stop worrying and/or stressing out. We might take a few steps forward and think we’re doing well …and then suddenly we’re at it again. But, yes, it’s all God’s work in us. One of the best reason’s to stop stressing out. Thanks, Katriina. I love John Ortberg too. Have you read anything from Eugene Peterson, my favorite living theologian. Blessings to you!

  2. Thank you for your reminders and assurance in what we are doing too. I am in a hard yet wonderful place right now. Both the hard and the wonderful are enveloped by Jesus. My husband has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We are both walking with Him through this, finding His peace to be so powerful. He keeps us calm and open to His will. Prayer is a HUGE part of this and we just feel so incredibly blessed. May we continue to walk in His light.
    Thank you so, ~ linda

    1. Thank you, Linda, for sharing your experiences. God’s peace really is powerful and only with His peace, we can endure hardships. Your testimony is highly valued, thank you. Prayer really keeps us in His presence and in His will. May God continue to bless you both!

  3. Prayer is such a gift! Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for and things not yet seen.” Blessed to be your neighbor at FMF!

  4. Thank you Mari for sharing this post. Sometimes the crisis can be so overwhelming that you feel like your faith ain’t working, it’s just tough sometimes I tell you.

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