How to Reinvigorate Your Faith

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Faith is an important part of most Christian’s lives. For many Christians, everything on Sunday is scheduled around church. They also often take part in other religious activities during the week, such as Bible studies for Protestants, Adoration for Catholics and nondenominational faith groups. Christianity influences every choice Christians make. Most Christians are devout because they love their faith. They love Christ and show it through their actions and decisions. Unfortunately, the zeal and joy that many Christians feel about their faith can wane. Sometimes there is a clear cause for this deterioration of interest in faith. They may have moved somewhere new and have yet to become part of the local Christian community. Their church may have undergone changes that were not for the better. They may also have had a difficult time lately and have been unable to find good answers to their honest questions. In such cases, many Christians want to regain the passion they once felt for God, but they do not know how. Here are four ways to reinvigorate your faith when it is feeling listless.

Read a Christian Book

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While watching Christian movies or listening to Christian music can help reinvigorate your faith, reading requires more focus and attention than passively staring at a screen or laying back with your headphones. Reading a Christian book requires you to focus on the words on the page. Books also take longer to consume which means you are plugged in to your faith for a longer period. Since you are unlikely to read books in one sitting, you will also find yourself going about your daily routine with the book still on your mind. This can help you refocus on God during even the most mundane times.

Obviously, the most Christian book of all is the Bible. Rereading your Bible with the intent to dig deeper into the Scripture can help you recapture your connection to God and reinvigorate your faith. Christian books that explore Christian theology or the history of the time of Christ, such as the works of Josephus or the Apocrypha, can also help breathe new life into listless belief.

Change Up Your Worship

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There is nothing wrong with feeling loyal to your church, but when your faith has become dull, you might need a change of pace. Go to a different church for a week or two. The different energy in the new congregation may be the breath of fresh air you needed. This is especially true if you have been at a church for a long time and are heavily involved in it. You may have become pigeonholed as “the youth leader” or “the music minister.” This can leave you without room to grow in your faith or approach the struggles that come with growing your faith.

Listening to a new pastor, minster or priest speak can also help reinvigorate your faith, especially if you have had the same pastor or minister for many years or know them well outside of church. You have become used to how they approach the Gospel and how they explain things. Being forced to consider a subtly different interpretation can bring you back in touch with your own beliefs.

Do Service in the Area

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One thing that can happen with faith is that it begins to feel empty. A person may feel as if their faith is not making a difference or, if it is, it is only helping them. Participating in some form of community service can help you see how your faith affects those around you.

Avoid falling into the trap of doing service or mission trips to areas that are objectively interesting or beautiful. While there is no doubt that there are service opportunities in the Caribbean, it is too easy for Christians who go to serve to become distracted by white sand beaches and fresh fruits. Try and help out a little closer to home. Volunteer at your local hospital or help build homes one town over. If you can see how your faith made a difference every day, you can recapture some of that passion for Christ.

Make Your Worship Purposeful

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Everyone has something where they are just going through the motions. They act without thought and purely out of habit. Sometimes, this can happen to Christians with their worship. You may say your prayers, but how much do you really pay attention to the words? Are you really thankful for your food, or are you just saying a prayer of thanks because you are supposed to before dinner? Are you really begging God for protection from evil or are you just saying the prayer out of habit?

To reinvigorate your faith, make your worship purposeful. Refocus on the meaning behind prayers even ones you have said a thousand times. Think about it. When was the last time you really considered what the “Our Father” meant? Similarly, make sure that when you go to church, you are focused solely on your worship. Do not crane your neck to see where your friends are in the congregation or tune out during a sermon. Stop imagining what you are going to have for brunch after church. While you are in church physically, be there mentally as well.