Hard seasons can test our strength, our resolve, and even our faith. When we go through trials, we often draw from faith we’ve stored up in our hearts in past seasons. But, as hard seasons linger, the well of stored faith may seem to run dry. We may feel like we’ve used every ounce of faith we have left.
Psalm 65:11 offers hope for our hard seasons with this promise from the Lord, “You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” (NLT)
Yet even though we know God has an abundance of goodness to pour into our lives, the pain of complex pathways can affect our faith. We may feel drained of all the strength and hope that comes from God, leaving us weak and weary. So, what do we do with the emptiness that often follows difficult circumstances? How do we rebuild our faith when the hard season ends?
This past year has been a challenging season for my family and me, beyond anything we could have handled on our own. One harsh blow after another left us questioning if we’d ever make it through the valley we were in. We grasped our faith with everything we had when the situation looked hopeless. And as the hard season began to shift, we needed to step back, breathe, and take time to allow God to replenish us.
Even the most steadfast heart gets shaken in the midst of life’s trials. But when we look back at the hard seasons God brought us through, our once-depleted storehouse of faith will grow more plentiful than before.
Lately, I’ve been rebuilding my faith by allowing God to refill my spirit after one of the most challenging seasons of my life. These spiritual practices are helping me. If you feel that your faith has waned due to a difficult season, I pray that these five practices will help you rebuild your faith as well. God is good, and he is always working on our behalf.
1. Journal Your Conversations with God
Journal writing has always been one of my favorite ways to record my struggles, victories, and prayers. Writing has been shown to improve memory, which is why I believe it is a valuable tool for recalling God’s faithfulness in day-to-day life.
Journaling allows us to pour out our emotions on the page without worrying about proper grammar or finding the right words. It’s simply expressing ourselves while providing a powerful way to engage in conversation with our Father in heaven.
When I look back at what I’ve written in my journal and realize how God provided, sustained me, and brought me through incredible hardship, my faith begins to multiply. Remembering God’s goodness renews our faith in supernatural ways.
2. Lament Again
At the onset of a difficult season, I often lament as a way of keeping my heart turned toward God. Without lament, I risk shutting God out, which can lead to feelings of isolation. I also risk believing the enemy’s lies that God has abandoned me or that he doesn't care. Lament draws me closer to my merciful Father and allows me to sense his lovingkindness.
According to biblestudytools.com, lament allows us to have “open communication with God so we can receive comfort or forgiveness.” King David showed us many examples of lament as an act of drawing closer to God in difficult times, like this powerful prayer: “Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” (Psalms 6:2-3)
Lamenting lets me cry out to God, knowing he hears and understands my hurt. This year, I realized that some seasons call for lament, not only when they begin, but also when they come to an end. It’s okay to lament again and again, as much as we need. When we trust God with our pain, we will sense his outstretched arms wrapping us in comfort that only he can provide.
3. Listen to Songs That Give God Praise
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
A routine doctor's visit led to a shocking diagnosis. This meant the coming months would involve treatments, surgery, and extended hospital stays. The news was unwelcome. The outcome was uncertain. I wanted to wallow in my sorrow, but that’s not what God’s holy Word teaches us to do in times of great disappointment.
God’s ways are contrary to the world’s, and as believers in Christ, we develop our faith muscles when we learn to praise God through hard seasons. Yes, we need to lament, but we are also called to praise the Lord through all circumstances.
One of the best ways I’ve found to maintain an attitude of praise is to keep a playlist of God-honoring praise songs handy. Music that exalts the name of the Lord will uplift our spirits when sorrow and discouragement weaken our faith.
4. Start a New Devotional Habit
With each new season comes fresh possibilities. If we stay stuck in old habits, we may struggle to see “the Lord’s goodness while we are here in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)
Instead of trying to make things look the same as they did before the hard season, try something new that will bring you joy. No pressure, no adding something to the to-do list, and just reconnecting with Jesus in a personal way that fits your life now.
Do you enjoy sitting with Jesus early in the morning while enjoying a cup of coffee? Or do you prefer a moment of quiet with Jesus and a prayer book before going to bed? A new devotional habit could be the thing that ushers in an outpouring of God’s sustaining portion.
5. Give Yourself Time to Adjust to the New Season
As I prepared to leave the hospital and transition home after a long, hard season of treatments, my anxiety grew. Fear paralyzed me. Could I reintegrate into daily life? What would things look like as I try to find a new normal? I had more questions than answers, and I discovered that I needed to rely on God more than ever before.
The space between the valley and the road ahead can be a long one. Yet somehow, we convince ourselves we should march—chin-up and shoulders back—from one season right into the next. Thankfully, God does not expect us to brush off past hurts and jump into the next season without giving ourselves time to adjust and heal. Taking time to rest, reflect, and pray through the adjustment will bring us to a new level of faith, understanding how God is at work in all things, and he will do what he promised.
After many challenges, setbacks, and baby steps forward, I returned home. I allowed myself the grace and space to adjust, and as I spent time resting in God’s presence, my faith grew.
If you’re experiencing life after a hard season right now, you can trust that God has a plan to restore you and strengthen you. Lamentations 3:22 assures us, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends!” As we rebuild our faith and store it up in our hearts, may we step out of the valley of darkness, knowing that whatever season awaits, our marvelous God goes before us.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Jonathan J Castellon
