1 Uncommon Spiritual Discipline for Real Spiritual Growth
Come Thursday I get a FAILURE TO PAY notice on a bill I didn’t know I had.
“FAILURE” is stamped in red right across the top of the page and I can’t help but feel the stamp flutter across my core identity, if ever so brief.
And since we’re being honest, the family’s also waiting to hear what the roof damage is on our home and how much that’s going to cost, hoping for a miracle.
There are pressures within and pressures without and life seems to be this constant stretch to keep believing, keep trusting, keep preaching the gospel to myself.
Trust is a spiritual discipline.
Walking by faith and not by sight is this buffeting of the body’s natural bent to fear, bringing our thoughts into submission to the nature of Christ.
It’s true we either feed our hunger or our Glory Hunger. We counsel our soul with worry or with Wonder – and me? I must frequently check what I’m counseling my soul with.
When the pull to anxiety threatens, part of spiritual discipline is focusing the heart on the nature and characteristics of God.
Habits of the heart can change as we grow in spiritual maturity. It is possible to move from contemplating obstacles to contemplating the Overcomer. To move from counsel of the world to counsel from the Word. From being a worry-wart to a warrior of Wondrous Love.
It’s the spiritual discipline of trust.
Abram exercised it when, by faith, he “considered that God is able.”
What would happen if we consciously and measuredly considered the ability and attributes of God?
What if we made the pull to worry a trigger to trust?
By faith Abraham… and by faith Sarah… and by faith Gideon… and by faith Moses… and what will my by faith statement read like today?
By faith Arabah… loved her children?
By faith Arabah… served her ruthless enemy?
By faith Arabah…learned what it really means to abide in Christ and learned to rest in Him?
By faith Arabah… did not fret but trusted the God who is able to sell off a few of those cattle on a thousand hills?
What will your faith statement read like today?
Will you join me in considering the nature of God… and let it write your “by faith” statement? Perhaps this set of cards (60 cards total on the names and attributes of God) can serve as a prompt to find out. Sort of like that resource to trigger trust. You can also use these cards as a resource for an attributes of God Bible study.
This set of cards is just one of the many resources found in the Trust Without Borders devotional book. You can read more about that here. You can also read about the 40 Promises to Trust God For – the Trust Without Borders Experiment – a 40-day challenge that we offer. But I’d like to share the cards with all my lovely blog readers and visitors absolutely FREE. You don’t even have to subscribe to get them~ smile~ {but I’d be thrilled if you stuck around!}
Click here to download the set of 60 cards on the names and attributes of God.
I do recommend using cardstock for durability.
Please note you are welcome to share this post with others but please do NOT share the direct download link. Thanks so much!
If you have a “By faith” statement of how you’ve walked in trust today, I’d love to hear it! May you grow in grace and trust today~~
AJ
I absolutely love the “by faith” statements to apply to myself. To inspire me to conduct my days so that at the end of the day my “by faith” statements reflect a close walk with the Lord.
Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome :)
I love the cards! I am crazy about the post. A needed reminder for me, and probably many others. Blessings to you, friend.
Arabah, this is truly an amazing post and I thank you so much for sharing this! You have blessed my heart beyond words with this one. Infinite blessings to you, Love! :-)
#Grace&TruthLinkup ;-)
Thanks for these. I want to impart the whole character of God to my children. We’ll have these on our table this week!
That’s great Terry! Thanks for using this resource :)
Wow, thanks for sharing this resource, and for your example of self-examination in placing your name in the by-faith statements. My “by faith” statement has got to be about blogging: “By faith Michele pushes ‘publish’ when she wishes she had time for at least three more edits.”
I can relate Michele! That’s a great “by faith” statement!
Beautiful cards. “By faith Heaven stepped out of her comfort zone today.” What a great exercise. I wrote a similar post about the meaning behind the name of Christ. If you’re interested you can find it here: http://heavenissmilingabove.blogspot.com/2015/03/jesus-praying-in-gethsemane-by-harry.html
Wonderful! I’m looking forward to reading your post :)
Arabah, I am so glad I was linked up after you at Laura’s Friday link-up. I love praying using the names of God, and your post and the resources here are truly encouraging and helpful. Bless you :)
Love the idea of a faith statement fueled by an attribute of God, Arabah!
My favorite is Jehovah Jireh – God provides. By faith, I will believe God for His provision.
Thanks for the encouragment today. Blessings to you and yours.
Amen! Thanks for encouraging my heart today sister.
What will my faith statement be today? – That question really cuts to the chase, friend! I love free printables, but beyond that, you’ve given me something to think about today!
Jen :)
The reminder to trust in the midst of worry was so needed today … as I scrolled briefly through Pinterest trying to control the fear and emotions that have threatened to overtake me today. Sitting in front of high schoolers as a substitute teacher has not been a helpful distraction. God is able to work all things, and already has a plan to deal with all the things that feel like they are suffocating me today. Thank you for the reminder to seek Him because of who He is!
Thanks for this post! I so very much desire to not only tell and teach my daughters of Christ but want to model Him always, in this area I can fail. I am quick to react and instead of respond. So my faith statement “By faith Amanda responded in Christ with gentle words that stirred up love and not anger!”
Amen, sister! That’s a great faith statement! Praying for you today..
By faith… I will have patience with my husband and our parents.
By faith… I will not retreat.
By faith… I will win the victory for Christ has won it for me already.
By faith… I will ride over my Kidron rivers with my King.
By faith… I will trust my God’s plan for my future.
Amen and amen!!
Just wanted to say thank you for using your gift of teaching.
You give clear and meaningful directives from the Word.
Today as I began the process of Examen from your study on Romans 6 today I was struck with an ardent desire to Know myself and to Know myself IN CHRIST.
At age 72 I feel so thankful for His mercy and grace over these many years as He reveals my “old man” and yet loves me as complete in Him. Amazingly wonderful.
Gail, I can’t tell you how encouraging your comment is! Thank you for learning, growing, and walking ever closer to Christ. You inspire me!
Dear Abrah Joy,
I am encouraged by your efforts to minister to God’s flock.
mahalo!! Little is much when God is in it. I too will do my little part in God’s tremendous Kingdom. My site is not complete and finished but you are welcome to browse my messy web site and take and run with any idea you find on it.
vern
Thanks so much for this article and cards! I have printed them on lightly patterned scrapbook card stock, and placed them in the family room. It is my prayer that we will use them over and over. In fact, with that in mind, I may laminate them! Love all your writing. You are a blessing to me. Now, I must really go offline and apply some of your ideas, like immersing myself in God and His word!!
You made me laugh! Your printable sounds lovely! Yes, let’s make use of those beautiful reminders to focus on God. Thanks for your comment :)
Thank you so much for the needed encouragement and for the great printables! Could you please tell me which version of the Bible these verses were taken from? Thanks!
I struggle today with guilt from my past, which is satan’s favourite too. By faith, I trust His Blood has washed me clean.
Should say tool, instead of too. If you do not publish I understand
Thank you for sharing these.
I really enjoyed your by faith statement: my by faith statement is to trust the Lord to lead me and guide me, even when the way it not totally clear. I think I read another one of your blogs that said persever or give up too soon.
Which Bible do you use,I only have a Jehovah Witness Bible. I left them in December and have no idea what to purchase. Your blog has touched my heart, I feel at peace finally after ten plus years being deceived. May God bless you nightly. Thank you. Marlene
Hi, Marlene,
I’m so glad you are finding peace here. I’m not sure what Bible translation Arabah would recommend, I’m sure she will answer you soon, but I would recommend the New King James or the Revised Standard version of the Holy Bible. You probably have a Christian Bookstore nearby, or you can find them online at amazon or other book sites. I also recommend connecting with a local Christian church, they often have free resources/Bibles available. God bless you, as you seek Him.
Marlene, there are many different versions that I use. A couple of my favorites are the ESV and the NLT (New Living Translation). If you’ll email me your address, I’d love to buy and send you a new Bible. [email protected]
I really appreciate you sharing the word of God this way. The cards are great. I also like the picture with all of His names combined. What a joy to have a reminder of how much He does for me! Thank you!
Thank you for encouraging me to trust and keep trusting. I forget when things get stressful.
What kind of a missionary are you?
Protestant?
Catholic?
Mormon?
Just wondering.
Lovely blog and graphics
June
I am protestant :)
Thank you so much for all you do to serve the Lord. I love the printables you do and also use them to disciple others. They save a lot of time and are wonderful. (I work with female inmates at our county detention center and their families.) God bless you and your sweet little family. :)
Vicki, thank you for your service to others and the way you faithfully share God’s love. You inspire me. Sending you hugs today. AJ
I would like to download the names of God but the link is not active – can you email me the link for downloading the 60 cards. Thanks so much
Hi Pam, thanks so much for stopping by! The link is working for me. If you are having trouble, try using a different browser and/or a different device. You can also check your security settings to be sure the link is allowed. That should do the trick! AJ
Are these printable cards still available? I would love to shepherd my kids’ hearts with these!
Hi Emily, thanks for your comment and interest in these cards! They are now available in our store for $3. If you’d like to grab a set, here is the link: https://arabahjoystore.com/collections/bestsellers/products/names-and-attributes-of-god-printable-cards Thanks again and I hope that helps :) AJ
I am putting together a Names of Jesus themed tree. Thank you so much for the the printable. It is exactly what I had in mind. I just asked God for his blessings on you.
I’m going to use some of these in my “adoration” first page of my 2022 prayer journal. Thank you.
I love this blog post! Thank you for sharing it!