Increase My Faith: Trusting God When Your Faith Feels Wobbly

Editor’s note – JM Troppello’s reflection on Luke 17:5 is a simple, honest one: she was in the middle of an ordinary day, praying about a real financial need, and found herself returning to the apostles’ own request to Jesus – “Increase our faith.” We’re running this piece because that prayer cuts through a lot of performance-driven Christianity. Faith grows in the asking, not in the pretending, and that’s worth hearing again.

Something really spoke to my heart during my Bible reading and devotional time this morning, and I wanted to share it with you today.

I’ve been listening to the Bible through the YouVersion Bible app and following Tara-Leigh Cobble’s daily devotionals as I read through the Bible in a year. I’m currently in the New Testament, and today’s reading brought me to a passage in Luke I know I’ve read before, but it stood out to me differently.

It was Luke 17:5, where the apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith.”

Those three simple words really impacted me because I’ve been in a season where I’m praying about something important, and I have to admit my faith felt a little wobbly today. I know God is faithful. I’ve seen Him answer prayers and make a way when I couldn’t see how things would work out.

But sometimes, even when we know those things, we still struggle to trust Him as completely as we want. And this morning, I was reminded that it’s okay to ask God to help us grow in our faith.

Even the Apostles Asked for More Faith

I think it’s important to look at the context of this passage because it makes the apostles’ request even more meaningful. In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus was teaching His disciples about forgiveness. He told them that if someone sinned against them and repented, they were to forgive that person, even if it happened seven times in one day.

That’s a challenging instruction, especially when we think about how difficult forgiveness can sometimes be. Immediately after Jesus gave that teaching, the apostles responded in Luke 17:5:

And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' (Luke 17:5)

I love that response.

They weren’t pretending that everything Jesus asked of them was easy. They recognized their need for help and went directly to the One who could strengthen them. Jesus then responded in Luke 17:6, saying that if they had faith like a mustard seed, they could tell a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey.

I think that’s such a powerful picture of what faith in God can accomplish. And I also think it’s important to remember that Jesus was responding to their request in the context of obedience and forgiveness. He wasn’t simply giving them a formula for getting whatever they wanted.

Their request reminds me that faith isn’t about convincing ourselves we’re strong enough to handle everything. It’s about trusting the Lord and recognizing how much we need Him.

Sometimes I think we put pressure on ourselves to have unwavering faith every moment of every day. We read Scripture, remember God’s promises, and try to encourage ourselves with everything we know about His faithfulness.

Those are good things to do, and I believe spending time in God’s Word is essential to growing spiritually. But what struck me today was how simple the apostles’ request was. They asked Jesus to increase their faith.

And I realized I can do the same.

Editor’s note – It’s worth noting that the apostles didn’t ask for more faith in a vacuum. Jesus had just given them one of His hardest commands – forgive, and keep forgiving. Their request shows something true about discipleship: obedience often exposes the gap between what we’re asked to do and what we feel capable of doing on our own.

Bringing My Wobbly Faith to the Lord

During my usual prayer time this morning, I knelt before the Lord and talked with Him about something my husband and I have been praying about.

We’ve been trusting God with a financial need, and although I believe He’ll take care of us, there are moments when I look at the circumstances and wonder how everything will work out.

I don’t always know what the next step will be or how God will provide. But this morning, as I prayed, I told Him I was giving Him the day and trusting Him with our needs.

I reminded myself that He knows exactly what we’re facing, and I asked Him to help me continue trusting Him even when I can’t see the answer yet.

Then I prayed what had been on my heart.

“Lord, increase my faith today.”

It was such a simple prayer, but it meant so much to me.

I wasn’t asking God to explain everything that was happening. I wasn’t demanding that He show me exactly how or when the situation would change. I was asking Him to help me trust Him more.

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to muster up enough faith within ourselves that we forget we can go directly to the Lord and ask Him for help. That doesn’t mean we stop reading Scripture, praying, or reminding ourselves of His promises.

It means we recognize that we need His strength and grace as we continue growing in our relationship with Him. Another passage that comes to mind is Mark 9:24, where a father seeking healing for his son cried out to Jesus:

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

I love the honesty of that prayer.

Here was someone who believed, yet also recognized he needed help where his faith was struggling. And I think many of us can relate to that.

We believe God is good, but sometimes we’re afraid. We know He’s faithful, but sometimes we’re uncertain. We trust His Word, but sometimes the circumstances in front of us feel overwhelming.

We don’t need to hide those feelings from God. He already knows what’s in our hearts, and we can come to Him honestly and ask Him to strengthen us.

Editor’s note – The father’s cry in Mark 9:24 and the apostles’ request in Luke 17:5 make the same point from different angles: Scripture never asks us to pretend our faith is stronger than it is. Both men brought their doubt straight to Jesus, and both were met with grace, not rebuke.

Sometimes Encouragement Comes Through Ordinary Moments

After finishing my devotional time this morning, I had a busy day ahead.

My Costco order arrived, so I spent some time putting everything away. I also had laundry and other things to take care of around the house, along with some work and social media promotion I wanted to accomplish.

In the middle of everything, I decided to call my mom. She’s moving at the end of the month, and I wanted to check in and see how she was doing.

We had a nice conversation, and the interesting thing is that we weren’t even talking about the financial situation my husband and I have been praying about. We were simply talking about everyday things. But after I got off the phone, I realized how much that conversation had encouraged me.

My mindset improved, and I was thankful for the chance to connect with her. It reminded me that sometimes God uses the most ordinary moments to encourage us when we need it.

We might expect something extraordinary to happen, but sometimes a simple conversation with someone we love is exactly what helps us keep moving forward. And I was thankful for that little bit of encouragement today.

As I kept working throughout the day, I also had a few other positive experiences.

I connected with an author on Threads who has a new book coming out. We had a nice conversation, followed each other on social media, and later I noticed that she had downloaded one of my free guides. That made me happy because I genuinely enjoy connecting with other writers and encouraging people who are working toward their goals. I hope the guide helps her, and I’m thankful our conversation gave us a chance to connect.

I also had another sale on Vinted today. I know those things might not seem like major events, especially when I look at the bigger picture of everything my husband and I are praying about. But they were encouraging reminders that I can continue taking things one step at a time.

I don’t have to overlook the small blessings while I’m waiting for an answer to a bigger prayer. And I don’t want to become so focused on the mountain in front of me that I forget to thank God for the ways He’s already been faithful.

Editor’s note – A phone call with her mother, a conversation with another writer, a sale on an app – none of these solved JM Troppello’s financial situation, but each one steadied her for another day. God’s providence rarely announces itself; it shows up in the small, unremarkable moments we almost miss.

Taking One Step at a Time With God

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how important it is to keep my focus on the Lord.

When I look at everything that needs to happen, it can feel like a mountain standing in front of me. I can see the financial need, the responsibilities, and the things I’m hoping and praying will change. If I spend too much time looking at all of those things at once, it’s easy to get discouraged.

But I’m learning that I don’t have to figure out how to move the entire mountain today. I need to keep praying, trusting God, and taking the next right step. Sometimes that means continuing to work diligently on my business, even when progress feels slow.

Sometimes it means taking care of my responsibilities at home and being thankful for what God has already provided. And sometimes it means stopping in the middle of the day and saying, “Lord, I need You. Please increase my faith.”

I want to keep diving deeper into God’s Word because I know how important it is to fill my heart and mind with His truth. I want to continue remembering the prayers He’s already answered and the situations He’s brought me through. And I want to trust that He knows how to guide my husband and me through this season, even if the outcome or timing looks different from what I’m expecting.

I don’t have to pretend that my faith never wavers.

I can acknowledge when I’m struggling and bring those feelings directly to the Lord. And I can ask Him to help me trust Him more deeply. That’s one of the things I love about having a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We don’t have to come to Him pretending we’re perfect or have everything figured out. We can come to Him honestly, with our questions, concerns, and even our moments of uncertainty.

He’s the One who knows us completely. And He’s the One who can help us continue growing in faith. Today, I’m thankful that a few words from the apostles in Luke 17:5 reminded me of something so important.

I don’t have to manufacture stronger faith through my own efforts. I can keep seeking God through His Word and prayer, and I can ask Him to strengthen my trust in Him. I may not know exactly how everything will work out, but I know who I’m trusting.

And today, my prayer is simple.

Lord, increase my faith.

Have you ever asked God to increase your faith? Was there a particular season in your life when you needed Him to help you trust Him more deeply?

A Word from the Editor
The apostles’ prayer in Luke 17:5 is short enough to pray in the middle of folding laundry or balancing a budget, and that’s exactly the point. Faith isn’t a reserve we build up and spend down on our own; it’s a gift we keep asking for. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) is still the honest prayer of anyone trusting God through a season they can’t see the end of. Ask Him to increase yours today.

Editor Comment: Your honesty about praying for more faith in the middle of an ordinary, uncertain day is a gift to readers walking through their own wobbly seasons.

This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.