Believing is a choice. Believing is a tentative place. It’s a place to begin, even without convictions. I think the greatest difficulty we have with believing is that we want something with more certainty to start with; we want more assurance. We expect faith before we start, but believing comes first. It is not faith at the beginning; it’s speculation or suspicion, and that’s really all you can expect right then, because believing is the beginning point. ~ McQ, Joe. The Steps We Took (p. 18). August House. Kindle Edition.

As a person feels the existence of God and His power, that person believes in Him more and more. At the same time, a person is more conscious of his falling short of absolute trust in God. The soul’s progress is an increasing belief, then a cry for more faith, a plea to conquer all unbelief, all lack of trust. We can believe that that cry is heard by God and that prayer is answered in due time. And so our faith grows, little by little, day by day. ~ Anonymous. Twenty Four Hours A Day: Meditations (p. 133). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Believing comes in early, Step 2.
“Came to believe a that
a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.”
“They” say Step One is the only Step
that can be done completely.
I wrote a poem once
about a modicum of faith.
A modicum of belief is even less
since belief is a stepping stone to faith.
The soul’s progress is an increasing belief,
then a cry for more faith,
a plea to conquer all unbelief,
all lack of trust.
Belief, like faith,
can grow from a seed
as tiny as mustard seed.