There is a confidence that comes from knowing God—not confidence in ourselves or our own abilities, but confidence in Him. I believe one of the most powerful ways God builds that confidence is through prayer. We face situations bigger than ourselves, turn to Him in faith, do what we know to do, and then watch Him help us. As we experience His faithfulness again and again, something happens inside of us. Our faith grows, and with it comes a greater confidence that God really is with us and will help us through whatever we face.
Faith usually doesn’t become strong overnight. It grows through our relationship with God and through experiencing His faithfulness. We read His Word and discover His promises. We pray and ask for His help. We trust Him and move forward, and somewhere along the way we begin to recognize His hand working in our lives. The answered prayers and victories of yesterday become part of our history with God, and that history gives us confidence when we face the battles of today.
There was once a king named Asa who loved God and commanded God’s people to follow His ways. During his reign, an enormous army came against Judah—an army far greater than Asa’s. Asa understood that human strength alone wasn’t enough, so he cried out to God. 2 Chronicles 14:11 NLT says, “Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, ‘O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!’”
I love those words, “We trust in You alone.” Asa wasn’t pretending the enemy wasn’t powerful, nor was he denying the seriousness of the situation. He simply knew something greater than the size of the enemy—he knew the faithfulness of his God. And God answered his prayer. 2 Chronicles 14:12 NLT says, “So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.”
But Asa and his army didn’t just stand around waiting for God to do everything. They prayed, trusted God, and then moved forward and fought. They pursued the enemy and did what was before them to do. I think that is such a beautiful picture of faith. Prayer isn’t an excuse for inactivity. Faith prays, trusts God, and then moves forward doing what we know to do, believing that God will help us where we need His help.
That is also how our confidence in God grows. You face something you don’t know how to handle, so you pray. You search God’s Word for His promises. You ask Him for wisdom, direction, and help, and then you step forward and do what you believe He is leading you to do. Somewhere along the way, you begin to see His hand. Maybe He opens a door you couldn’t open. Maybe He gives you wisdom you didn’t have. Maybe He brings someone alongside you at exactly the right time. Maybe circumstances change in a way you could never have orchestrated yourself. And when you recognize that God has helped you, that experience becomes part of your history with Him.
Then another battle comes. You may still feel some fear or uncertainty, but now you have something you didn’t have before. You can look back and remember, God helped me then. He answered my prayer. He made a way when I couldn’t see one. He was faithful before, and I can trust Him again. Yesterday’s answered prayers become today’s confidence. Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV says, “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’”
Notice the words, “So we say with confidence.” Our confidence isn’t rooted in believing that everything will always turn out exactly the way we want. Our confidence is rooted in knowing that God will never leave us or forsake us and that He is our helper. As we spend time in His Word and allow His promises to encourage and strengthen us, our faith becomes stronger. When we learn to pray instead of panic and trust instead of continually worrying and complaining, we put ourselves in a position to see God’s faithfulness at work in our lives.
This is why it is so important to remember what God has already done for you. Remember the prayers He has answered. Remember the doors He has opened. Remember the wisdom He gave you when you didn’t know what to do. Remember the times He strengthened you when you felt like you had no strength left. Those experiences become building blocks of faith, and over time they produce a confidence in God that you simply cannot get any other way.
Asa and his troops prayed and leaned on the Lord, but they also worked hard doing what they knew to do. While doing their part, they saw God’s grace and power work through them and give them victory. When the battle was over, they knew who had helped them win. We can live our lives the same way—praying about everything, trusting God, doing what we know to do, and paying attention to His faithfulness along the way. Little by little, our confidence in Him grows. We begin facing tomorrow with greater faith, not because we know what tomorrow holds, but because we have learned from experience that God is faithful and will walk through it with us.
Philippians 4:6 NLT: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”
Heavenly Father, thank You for every prayer You have answered and every time You have helped me, even when I didn’t recognize Your hand at the time. Help me to remember Your faithfulness when I face new challenges, and let those memories strengthen my faith and confidence in You. Instead of worrying about what lies ahead, help me to pray, trust You, and do what I know to do, believing that You are with me and will help me every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
