Develop spiritual strength through tests to grow spiritually and to withstand tests.
219. Develop spiritual strength to withstand tests: We are supposed to try, with God’s assistance, to develop our true spiritual self, so we become more God like on this earth and become more prepared for our existence, in the next phase of our life, in the world to come. To do this, one of the things we need is spiritual strength, to withstand the tests of this life, so we become more fit to take up our new spiritual roll for our existence in the next life; or, in simple terms, through these God given hardships we strengthen and develop our spiritual character in order to be more prepared to meet with and coexist in the spiritual life in the next world. 
Baha’i Faith: “Well is it with the man of discernment who hath recognized and perceived the Truth, and the one possessed of a hearing ear who hath hearkened unto His sweet Voice, and the hand that hath received His Book with such resolve as is born of God, The Lord of this world and of the next, and the earnest wayfarer who hath hastened unto His glorious Horizon, and the one endued with strength whom neither the overpowering might of the rulers, nor the tumult raised by the leaders of religion hath been able to shake.” This is one of the ways the believers in the Bahá’í Faith define having spiritual strength through God. We find that the other religions of God also relate the gaining of spiritual strength with the assistance coming from God as well.
(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 47)
BABI RELIGION: “I pray to God graciously to assist you to weather the storms of tests and trials which must needs beset you, to enable you to emerge, unscathed and triumphant, from their midst, and to lead you to your high destiny.”
The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 42)
JUDAISM: Job 5:17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:” 5:18 “For He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and His hands make whole.” 5:19 “He shall deliver thee 5:24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace;” 5:27 “Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.” (to strengthen you).” Lamentations 3:30 “He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.” 3:31 “For The LORD will not cast off for ever:” 3:32 “But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.” 3:33 “For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” 3:34 “To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the earth.” 3:35 “To turn aside the right of a man before the face of The Most High,” 3:36 “To subvert a man in His cause, The LORD approveth not.” Deuteronomy 8:5 “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee (strengthen thee).” Enoch 41:8 “Who made a separation between the light and the darkness, And divided the spirits of men, And strengthened the spirits of the righteous, In the name of His righteousness.” (Apocrypha) Ecclesiastes 7:19 “Wisdom strengtheneth the wise, For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ezra 7:27 “And I was strengthened as the hand of The LORD my God was upon me,” Psalms 27:14 “Wait on The LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on The LORD.” Psalms 31:24 “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in The LORD.” Proverbs 3:11 “My son, despise not the chastening of The LORD; neither be weary of his correction:” Proverbs 3:12 “For whom The LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I Am with thee: be not dismayed; for I Am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” 
Christianity: James 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which The Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” Hebrews 12:5 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of The Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:” Hebrews 12:6 “For whom The Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” Hebrews 12:7 “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” Hebrews 12:8 “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Hebrews 12:9 “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto The Father of spirits, and live?” Hebrews 12:10 “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 2:10 “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” It strengthens them. Romans 5:3 “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” 5:4 “And patience, experience; and experience, hope:” 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” 2 Timothy 4:17 “Notwithstanding The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;” Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;” 1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 5:11 “To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelations 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.” 1 Corinthians 11:32 “But when we are judged, we are chastened of The Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
ISLAM: 155. “Be sure We shall test you (send you hardships) with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil to strengthen you), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” 156. “Who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.’ 157. “They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance,” makes you stronger.
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2)
Islam: 5. “Verily the Hour is coming — My design is to keep it hidden — for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its endeavour (and what it endureth in thy path).
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 20)
Islam: 265. “And the likeness of those who spend their substance, seeking to please Allah (God) and to strengthen their souls, is as a garden, high and fertile: heavy rain (tests) falls on it but makes it yield a double increase of harvest. Allah seeth well whatever ye do.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2)
Islam: “He whom thou hast not punished when a child Will not prosper when he becomes a man. While a stick is green, thou canst bend it as thou listest. When it is dry, fire alone can make it straight.”
(Islamic Miscellaneous, Gulistan of Sa’di (Edwin Arnold tr))
Islam: 200. “O ye who believe! persevere in patience and constancy: vie in such perseverance (tests); strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that ye may prosper.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 3)
Islam: 110. “Then will Allah say: Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit,”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 5)
Islam: 2. “For, believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their trust in their Lord.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 8)
Islam: 26. “Call to mind when ye were a small (band), despised through the land, and afraid that men might despoil and kidnap you; but He provided a safe asylum for you, strengthened you with His aid, and gave you good things for sustenance: that ye might be grateful.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 8)
Islam: 102. “Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 16)
Islam: 22. “For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself.”
(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 58)
ZOROASTRIANISM: “Mazda as the upholder of moral order, is sure to give His support to Zarathushtra and to punish his enemies. The punishment would, however, be for their own good, to lead them to the path of rectitude. Why should God, who is all kindness, inflict punishment on anybody unless it is for his good.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 832)
Zoroastrianism: Denkard. Zoroaster, “The father should encourage his children to receive such education as would fit them later to perform their duties. Therefore is the benefit derived by His (Ahura’s) own creatures even from undergoing the test (of virtue).” Ahura chastises His children for their own benefits to strengthen them.
Zoroastrianism: 10. “(Zarathushtra:) Do Ye, O Ahura (God), grant them strength, and O Asha, and O Good Thought, that dominion, whereby he (the Savior) could produce good dwellings and peace. I also have realized Thee, Mazda (God), as the first to accomplish this.”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 29)
Zoroastrianism: 12. “Rise up for me, O Ahura, through Armaiti give strength, through the holiest Spirit give might, O Mazda, through the good Recompense, through the Right give powerful prowess, through Good Thought give the reward.”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 33)
Zoroastrianism: 6. “She (Armaiti) will give us peaceful dwelling, she will give lasting life and strength, she the beloved of Good Thought. For it Mazda Ahura.”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 48)
Zoroastrianism: 7. “Give me, O Thou that didst create, Welfare and Immortality, by the Highest Spirit, O Mazda, strength and continuance through Good Thought.”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 51)
Zoroastrianism: 4. “For the reciting of that word of truth, O Zarathushtra! the pronouncing of that formula, the Ahuna Vairya, increases strength and victory in one’s soul and piety.”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)
Zoroastrianism: 6. “Give him strength and victory! Give him welfare thus said Zarathushtra”
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)
HINDUISM: “In sight of Brahma (God)……There is no purifier like thereto In all this world, and he who seeketh it Shall find it- being grown perfect- in himself,” through the correction of Brahma.
(Hindu, Laws of Manu and Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 4)
Hinduism: 12. “Strong God, strengthen us with might, O Lord of Power.”
(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)
Hinduism: 5. “Be our protector, strengthen and increase us.”
(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)
Hinduism: 10. “May Thine assistance keep us safe, May all Thy favours strengthen us.”
(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 4)
Hinduism: “(I offer). Hail! He (Brahma) who is the giver of soul, the giver of strength, On whose instruction all the gods depend. Whose shadow is immortality, whose shadow is death; Who is the God whom we are to worship with oblation?”
(Hindu, Vedas, Yajur Veda – Kanda VII)
Hinduism: 8. “If He (Brahma, God) will hear us let Him come with succour and all that strengthens.”
(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)
BUDDHISM: “Among all the Buddhas there is a sameness of Buddha-nature, there is no distinction among them except as they manifest various transformations according to the different dispositions of beings who are to be disciplined and emancipated by various means.” “They all knew how to apply the various means, teachings and disciplinary measures according to the various mentalities and behaviors of beings;” Correction is then to be applied and growth achieved. (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra) “In meditation; one’s mind should be concentrated at all times, whether sitting, standing, moving, working; one should constantly discipline himself to that end. Gradually entering into the state of Samadhi, he will transcend all hindrances and become strengthened in faith, a faith that will be immovable.” (Buddha, Diamond Sutra)
SABEANISM: “May Kulla strengthen you! In the name of The Great Life (God, Haiyi) may healing and purity be thine!” “My Lord be praised! In the name of The Great First Sublime Life, from the worlds of light, the Transcendent, above all works, be there healing and purity (victory), strength and soundness, hearing and being heard, joy of heart and forgiving of sins.” “I am Manda-d-Hiia (Savior God), emanation of the Mighty First Life (God). ‘Rise up, go, set off, descend to the earthly world, To that world which is all birth, To be with the Elect Righteous, Men formed of flesh and blood. Hold them in thy grasp, strengthen them, Stand by them, take care of them. Give them strength and fortitude So that they may stand and worship and praise The Mighty Sublime Life (God)!’” “Great is the strength of Life; Abounding the glory of the mighty (Life)!” “Let there be strength and constancy for all lovers of Thy name! Look upon me with Your eyes and pity me in Your heart! Support me with Your strength, clothe me with Your glory, cover me with Your light. Cut me not off from Yourself! And put far from me fear, dread and terror.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 104 thru 105, 113, 115 and 410)
BABI RELIGION: “How numerous the verses which have been revealed concerning the grievous tests ye shall experience on the Day of Judgement, yet it appeareth that ye have never perused them; and how vast the number of revealed traditions regarding the trials which will overtake you on the Day of Our Return, and yet ye seem never to have set your eyes upon them.” “issued orders to persecute the Bábís, imagining that by overweening force he could eradicate and suppress matters of this nature, and that harshness would bear good fruit;” “The present reign, condemned criminals (what they considered the Babis to be; to be) crucified, blown from guns (the mouths of canons), buried alive, impaled, shod like horses, torn asunder by being bound to the heads of two trees bent together and then allowed to spring back to their natural position, converted into human torches, flayed while living.” “whereas (in fact) to interfere with matters of conscience is simply to give them greater currency and strength; the more you strive to extinguish, the more will the name be kindled, more specially in matters of faith and religion, which spread and acquire influence so soon as blood is shed, and strongly affect men’s hearts.”
(Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 140 and Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, pp. xlvii and 332)
Babi Religion: “The Báb revealed His Bayan, proclaimed a new code of religious law, and by precept and example instituted a profound moral and spiritual reform.” “Live a moral life,” “the acquisition of moral qualities and the exercise of spiritual influence through human perfections, through qualities that are excellent and pleasing, and spiritual behavior,” “abound throughout his writings.” (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, pp. 79, 83 and 87) “God, the All-Merciful, desiring not to afflict you with His punishment, has willed to reveal to your eyes the Truth. By His Divine interposition, He has instilled into your heart the love of His chosen One, and caused you to recognize the unconquerable power of His Faith.”
The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 247)
BAHA’I FAITH: “We school you with the rod of wisdom and laws, like unto the father who educateth his son, and this for naught but the protection of your own selves and the elevation of your stations. By My life, were ye to discover what We have desired for you in revealing Our holy laws, ye would offer up your very souls for this sacred, this mighty, and most exalted Faith.”
(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 35)
Baha’i Faith: “God — does not only punish the wrongdoings of His children. He (also) chastises (them), because He is just, and He chastens (them) because He loves (them). Having chastened them, He cannot, in His great mercy, leave them to their fate. Indeed, by the very act of (His) chastening them He prepares them for the mission for which He has created them. ‘My calamity is My providence,’ He, by the mouth of Bahá’u’lláh, has assured them, ‘outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy.”’ So, God, by the very act of chastising and correcting His children, is turning that which appears to be evil into something that is good for us in the long run.
(Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 115)
Baha’i Faith: “By God, though weariness should weaken Me, and hunger should destroy Me, though My couch should be made of the hard rock and My associates of the beasts of the desert, I will not blench, but will be patient, as the resolute and determined are patient, in the strength of God, the King of Preexistence, the Creator of the nations; and under all circumstances I give thanks unto God.”
(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 80)
Baha’i Faith: “O friend! Verily the prison is my paradise and the chains my necklace; my balance (or testing) is my redemption (or salvation) and the castle is my fortified safety, for this imprisonment is in the path of my Lord and it is my salvation, my joy, my gratitude and happiness. Verily, in calamity the face of Abdul-Baha shineth and through hardship joy is attained by this servant in all conditions.” “O thou friend!” “the calamities and afflictions of Abdul-Baha: These are not calamities, but bounties; they are not afflictions, but gifts; not hardships, but tranquillity; not trouble, but mercy — and we thank God for this great favor.”
(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v1, p. 128 and v2, p. 333)
Baha’i Faith: “The Breath of the Holy Spirit will help you, the Celestial Light of the Kingdom will shine in your hearts, and the blessed angels of God from Heaven will bring you strength and will succour you. Then thank God with all your hearts that you have attained to this supreme benefit.”
(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 169)