We all have a purpose in life. We all need to believe in something which we don't see but we know is there for us. This is faith. Holy writ describes faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is a firm belief or conviction prompted by inner feelings that can produce powerful effects on your life.
When you have faith, you acknowledge a force that helps and guides you, that motivates you, that propels you to aim for the summit. As your spiritual consciousness grows, you discover more dimensions of life that you didn't see before. The entire canvas of life with all its beautiful details becomes more and more apparent.
How can we develop faith? There are several steps:
FOCUS ON FEELINGS
Whenever you give something to somebody, focus on the feelings you want to share. Presents and gifts shouldn't be the end in itself but should symbolize the kind of feelings you wish to offer. It is feelings in the very end that sustain our relationships with others.
ALWAYS GENERATE POSITIVE THOUGHTS
Think about your emotions and feelings and how they can contribute to uplifting you and giving you peaceful and serene thoughts. The mind is like a sponge; it absorbs anything it comes in contact with. If you think negative thoughts, you develop a negative mind. If you think depraved thoughts, you develop a depraved mind. But if you think of positive thoughts, which are the kind of thoughts God would think, then you develop a positive mind.
READ INSPIRING LITERATURE
The world is filled with lots of uplifting materials that you can enjoy. Read stories of achievement, success, and faith. Watch programs that teach life's lessons. Most of all, read sacred writ, for in them you can gain the kind of knowledge that you won't find anywhere else.
BE COMPASSIONATE
There are two conflicting principles in life: justice and mercy. When you are just, you mete out either rewards or punishments, whichever is applicable, to those who do or do not follow what you say. When you are merciful, you are always lenient and helpful despite the fact that some may not be deserving of it at all. Compassion bridges these two principles; you can help out a person even while judging him or her by his actions. For example, if somebody wasn't able to pay back a debt in time, you can exercise compassion by allowing him or her to have additional time to find the means to pay back, provided he or she does pay back.
EMULATE A GREAT PERSON
The world is filled with spiritual role models whom you can emulate, not imitate. These are the people who possess the attributes you truly idealize. You can choose for your role model a great leader, a saintly figure, a revered statesman or even a kind neighbor or family member. They may not be entirely perfect, but they must possess the kind of qualities that can lead you towards perfection.
MEDITATE
You don't have to squat on the floor cross-legged and chant or hum foreign words. Meditating simply means concentrating your thoughts on one particular subject, relaxing, letting go, allowing all the distractions in your mind to melt away.
UNLOCK THE DEEPER INTELLIGENCE WITHIN YOU
Intelligence is the invisible organizer of all matter and energy. Since a portion of this intelligence resides in you, you share in the organizing power of the cosmos. Because you are inseparably linked to everything, you can tap into this vital source of truth and light for your benefit.