My first encounter with God and faith was as a child when I learned to pray before going to bed, saying grace before a meal, and why we say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes. The journey of faith, however, has been profound and life-changing for me and has stayed with me my entire life.
I found my faith and belief heightened during these moments:
- When prayers have been answered
- During difficult or troubling situations
- When tested … spiritually, financially, emotionally and physically
- During those times when I am surprised and have exclaimed ‘Oh my God!!!’
When tested, I call upon God and exercise my faith. During these times, I feel as though God is watching over me and this activates something in the spiritual realm or in the universe at large. It evokes in me a feeling of possibility, hope, opportunity and peace of mind. I discovered that faith was important to me, and cannot be bought or given away. I had to discover and embrace it for myself.
As the years passed from childhood to adulthood, the intensity of my faith has led me to believe that what I pray for and concentrate on will manifest in my life. This has transformed my belief further and now, my faith and prayer are in real time. My connection to God is like an umbilical cord to the source of my life. He nurtures me and sustains me daily. Giving my life over to a source greater than my flesh has had its moments of fear, doubt and uncertainty. Once I was able to embrace my faith and the utter peace it has provided in my soul, , I have become unmovable. Now I can freely share and offer it to others.
One of the first things I share with people is to have an expectation that God does answer their prayers. And, when he does, it is not because of wishful thinking, a ‘perhaps’ or ‘maybe’. The notion that God always provides what you need is the foundation that true faith is built on. When we believe in God, it brings about hope, trust and confidence that life will be okay. The way to exercise faith is to put things into action, to trust in the universe and watch God work. For example: submit your resume for the dream job you might not think you are qualified for, go the bank and complete an application for a business loan or ask the person you are in love with to marry you. Ignore the fear that you feel inside and instead, tap into the butterflies in your stomach or your intuition. Then, have patience, humility and gratitude. Ask God for a sign that assures you are on the right track. Almost like magic, signs appear and God moves the universe to give you what you are manifesting. Once things start to happen, don’t forget to be grateful and share the good news of your faith. When we are grateful, faith remains alive for you and for others.
Finally, it is important to practice faith constantly and consistently. Pray and meditate daily. Record your journey and share it with others. Continuously seek new opportunities to increase and practice faith. Being connected to God and the spiritual universe is the result of living life in faith. Faith is a gateway which can bring harmony between humans and nature. I believe that nature teaches us how to live a faithful life, granting us freedom and easing our mind to continue on our journey.
With Love and Grace,
Fatima
