your faith will not fail

By Brittney Smith
(WITHIN Devotional Writer)

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
(Luke 22:31-32)

 Before the enemy comes for you, he has to ask for you. Good thing he is asking a God who is also your Savior, Creator and Lover-of-Your-Soul. He is the Lifter-of-Your-Head, your Present-Help-in-Trouble, your Comforter, and your Keeper. God may grant the Enemy permission, but it comes with limitations. While Satan may ransack our lives, our health, our loved ones he knows our souls belong to Jesus.

              He can’t take our salvation that is for eternity. Instead, he touches our temporal lives. He may even come for our faith that we may be destroyed with doubt. Yet, Jesus came as the Suffering Servant, was obedient to death on a cross and rose again so He could live as our High Priest who constantly intercedes on our behalf. We can be confident that because His prayers prevail, our faith will not fail!

              Yes, I know there are times when it feels like your faith has failed. I know what it’s like to stumble so gravely in unbelief that the fall seems fatal. Besides confidence in the intercession of Jesus, also know there is provision in Christ’s sacrifice for our failures. Jesus knew this before Peter denied him 3 times. Jesus knew His resurrection also meant restoration and unending grace even for His own disciples.

Peter was told to return to Jesus and to strengthen his brethren. If you have experienced setbacks in your faith I encourage you to do the same. Return to Jesus through humility and repentance. Say those prayers as often as needed. Your failure wasn’t final. There is no need to fear any past, present or future failure any longer. Through Christ, you can now make others stronger.


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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:1 Peter 1:6-8
Jude 1:20-21, 24
Luke 18: 8
Ephesians 2:8
1 John 5:4
2 Timothy 2:13
Romans 10:17
Questions to reflect on:

1. What specific things are you believing God for?
2. What scripture(s) strengthen your faith as you wait?
3. What scriptures will you rely on to help you fight against your doubts?
4. How can you strengthen someone else in their faith this week?