Praying Made Easy. 11. To Strengthen Faith
The desire — or the need! — to strengthen faith may seem contradictory to the meaning of faith. If faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”, why would we need to strengthen it?
Strengthen Faith on Shaky Ground
Don’t know about you, but sometimes my faith feels like it’s “standin’ on shaky ground”. (Thank you, Phoebe Snow.) Why do I feel that way? Not sure I can explain it logically, and maybe faith and logic haven’t that much in common.
I surmise that my ego chooses to undermine my faith in Oneness by offering me doubt. And the saplings of doubt may only project what might go wrong, what might not come true. They may not have already grown to full blown doubts. Still, they give cause to my desire to strengthen my faith.
At times like these, strengthening my faith has been my target…and probably will be again:
- Before a new and involved presentation
- When Cindy or I had some medical procedure approaching
- As I’m about to make the long drive to visit Robin, my sister
Think of times you’ve had. Situations you’ve not looked forward to. Bring them clearly to your mind. I mean clearly. Take some deep breaths and don’t rush through this. Feel the doubt or fear or concern. Look at it. Hear its sounds. Pick it up to see how heavy it is.
Now, select a very real, very physical image for your faith. I suggest something like a box or a tarpaulin or a burlap bag. You probably get the idea. See it clearly. You are creating it in your mind (and heart), so make it as big as you need it to be. Big enough to completely hold, cover, smother your doubts.
A Prayer to Strengthen Faith
We believe in God because we believe in ourselves.
Our belief in ourselves is as great as our belief in God.
And our faith is even bigger. Belief is of our mind;
faith is from our hearts.
Sweet Spirit, we have your power as our power.
That is the power to wrap our doubts, no matter what they are,
no matter how large or scary they may be,
in the tarpaulin that is our faith. Or to stuff them into the box
whose sides and cover are boards of our faith.
We may drop doubts in the burlap bag woven tight with faith
and with a strong drawstring: more faith.
We conceal the doubts, the fears, the concerns that we may
readily and easily throw them away. Let them disappear
into the nothingness that is not our faith in Spirit.
And so it is as we strengthen our faith. And so we thank you!
Love and blessings,
30 January 2018
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