How to Learn to Trust God – 10 Ways

Trusting God is not a one-time, all-or-nothing decision. It’s a process. 

That may seem scary, but let me assure you that the process is exciting and worthwhile.  Trusting God and learning to trust Him are two different things. Trusting Him means believing that He will do what He says He’ll do and believing that His ways are good, even if they don’t make sense to us. Learning to trust Him means learning how to adjust your expectations about what happens in life when things don’t go as planned (which for most of us is most of the time).  And it includes learning to put aside negative thoughts and entering a place of peace instead of doubts and anxiety.

Prayer is a Step in Learning to Trust God

Prayer is a powerful tool, and it has the power to change your life. The more you pray, the more your trust in God will develop and grow. Here are some ideas on what you can pray for:

• Guidance. You will need this when you face difficult decisions or situations in which you’re unsure of what to do. Pray for guidance from God so that He can show you the way forward through His wisdom and love.
• Peace. If you feel stressed out or anxious about something, ask God for peace.  He will help calm your emotions so that they don’t control your life anymore.
• Strength. When we face challenges in our lives, sometimes we feel like we have nothing left to give because everything seems too hard to bear alone.  When we ask God for His strength, He gives us exactly what we need so that we can keep going.

Reading the Bible Builds Trust in God

The Bible is the Word of God and is our guide to living in harmony with Him. Reading it will help you learn about God and trust Him more. The Bible tells us that God loves us, sent His Son Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus wants us to live in a relationship with Him through faith (John 3:16; Romans 10:9).

If we want to draw closer to God, we will make a practice of reading His Word regularly.  Reading about the people in the Bible gives us real life examples of those who walked with God by faith, including the times that they messed up.  Seeing how the Lord helped them, forgave them, and used them encourages us to let Him work in our lives too.

Think about Your Life Experiences in Light of Scripture.

When you read God’s Word, you can trust that it is true. When you pray, you can trust that God will answer your prayers. When you get frustrated with yourself and your life, remember that God will bless your efforts to the extent they are in line with His will.

When we think about our lives through the lens of scripture, our perspective changes. We see that we are loved and valued by God (1 John 4:9-10).  We see His promise that He works everything together for good for those who love Him.  Find promises in His Word that you can apply to your own life situations.

Meditate on God’s Character.

Meditation is a spiritual discipline that involves focusing on God’s attributes and on Scripture. To meditate, you can pray and read the Bible, listen to Christian teachings, or simply try to see God’s character in events and circumstances of life. Take time to be quiet, listening for God’s voice speaking to your spirit. As you do this, ask Him to reveal Himself more fully to you so that you can begin to trust Him more fully.

Worship Music Can Help You Trust God

God created us to respond to music.  When we worship through music, we gain a sense of His Presence.  The words make speak to us.  We can pour out our hearts in praise and thanksgiving.  Worship experiences are times when the Holy Spirit ministers to us and helps us to get our eyes off our problems and onto God.

Attend a Prayer Group or Bible Study

Fellowship with other Christians is a great way to learn how to trust God. Followers of Jesus can offer each other support, advice, prayer, and encouragement. A good prayer group or Bible study will help you grow spiritually by helping you understand Scripture better and encouraging you in your walk with Christ.  Ask God to lead you to the right group.

In addition to going to church, I participate in a women’s Bible study and in a small group that meets in a home.   These small group meetings help me grow spiritually as we share together what we see in the Scriptures, testimonies of how God is working in our lives, and prayer needs.  As we grow spiritually together, we also help each other to trust God more.

Find a Mentor

Having a mentor who will encourage you in your relationship with God is really helpful in spiritual growth.  Often we discover a mentor through relationships formed in small groups that meet together.  As you build relationships with Christians, you may discover someone who can help you grow in faith and trust.

Pray for the Lord to lead you to the right mentor.  Look for someone who has experienced God during difficult times and can help you realize that He is trustworthy. Find someone who has seen the character of God in action and can help you understand how to trust Him in difficult times. Good mentors will remind you of the times when they leaned on God in their own lives. If it looks like there is no hope left for your situation, they will help you discover new hope.

Be Thankful for God’s Blessings.

God has given you so many gifts and blessings, but do you take the time to be thankful for them? 

It’s easy to get caught up in your problems and to forget the things God has already done for you. It may seem like there is a lot more bad than good in your life, so it’s easy for gratitude to seem like something that isn’t necessary or even possible. But being thankful is an important step toward learning how to trust God.

A good place for us all start is by examining our lives and taking inventory of all the good things God has given us:  family, friends, material possessions, talents and abilities—the list goes on. If we focus on these things instead of what we don’t have (or what we think others have), then we might realize how much we do have after all.

Focus on the Beauty of Creation.

Look at the beauty of nature. Notice how beautiful it is outside and how good it feels to be surrounded by trees, grass and other plants. Feel the sun shining down on you; the wind blowing through your hair; or a gentle breeze washing over you.  Listen to the crunch of leaves or snow under your feet; the gleeful laughs of children playing; and birds singing.  These are all wonderful gifts from God that He has given us to enjoy.

Creation reveals God’s greatness. We can trust the One who spoke this beauty into existence. Since He could do that, He is great enough to help us through our life situations.  Understanding that He is the great Creator lets us know that He is great enough to work out things in our lives as we submit to Him.

Focusing on the beauty of creation is a great way to develop trust in God.

Learning to Trust God Begins With a Relationship

Trust is the foundation of any relationship, whether it’s a strong marriage or friendship, or even a business relationship. When you enter a personal relationship with God, you begin the process of getting to know Him and learning to trust Him. Without a true relationship with Him, you will not be able to grow to trust Him. The relationship begins at the moment you ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to come into your life. When you commit to follow Him, He gives you His Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you the power to trust and obey Him.

Learning to trust God takes time and effort.  Trusting God is a journey that grows throughout the life of a follower of Jesus. When you trust God, your life becomes richer, happier and more fulfilling. You’ll have Someone who will always be there for you and who can help carry your burdens.

by Karen S. Roberts
Editor of Daily-devotionals.com