My husband struggled mightily to break free from the snare of sexual impurity, and in the early days of our journey to purity, there was a lot of forgiving that needed to happen.
I can remember being so weary of it all, lying on my face in my closet, crying my eyes out, and begging God for help. “Lord, increase my faith. Please help me. Please help my husband. I believe that you are going to heal our marriage but help my unbelief. I just can’t see how You are going to do it. Help me, Lord; give me faith to make it.”
I was like the widow in 1 Kings 17:10-16, thinking all was lost. When the widow met the prophet Elijah, he asked her to feed him, but she said she couldn't do it. She told him that she was getting ready to make one last meal for her and her son, and then they would die from starvation. She had no faith. She was looking at what she had and saying, "It isn't enough. I can't do it. I have to take care of my son and myself."
But as usual, God had other plans. Elijah tells the woman, "Don't be afraid…" offer what you have to God, and He will sustain you and your son. And by grace, God enables this widow to step out in faith. She obeys and feeds Elijah first, and sure enough, her oil and flour never run out.
Friend, God is faithful. Even if you don’t think you have the resources within you to forgive, God will give you the faith to do it. You don't have to trust your spouse; you only need to trust God.
I joyfully testify that Jesus enabled this in my life; He gave me faith to believe the message of the cross both for myself and for my husband, and I'm so thankful that He did. Today, my marriage is alive and strong because God enabled us to forgive each other as we have been forgiven.
So, coming to Jesus and looking to Him for the faith we need is the primary way to increase our faith, but God has also made other provisions for increasing our faith.