What can we do when struggling with doubt? God’s Word has the answer! These Bible verses on doubt will help build your faith and belief in Jesus Christ even when you feel like a doubting Thomas! Read these scriptures and pray for the Holy Spirit to help you overcome your doubts.
Scriptures for Overcoming Doubt
- James 1:5-8 This scripture passage says we must pray in faith with no doubting.
- Ephesians 2:8 Faith is a Gift of God
- Proverbs 3:5-6 Solomon says to trust the Lord and not your own understanding.
- Matthew 21:21 Jesus says faith can move mountains.
- Jude 1:22 Bible verse on doubt.
- Mark 9:24 Help my unbelief Bible quote.
- Isaiah 41:10 Fear not scripture quote for overcoming doubt.
- Luke 24:38 Jesus asks why do you doubt.
- Mathew 14:31 Jesus has compassion on doubters Bible reference.
- John 20:27 Jesus and doubting Thomas scripture.
- Mark 11:23 Faith can move mountains Bible verse.
- FAQ about Overcoming Doubts in the Bible
James 1:5-8 This scripture passage says we must pray in faith with no doubting.
James 1:5
(ESV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
(KJV) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(MSG) If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.
(NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
(NLT) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:6
(ESV) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
(KJV) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
(MSG) Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves.
(NIV) But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
(NLT) But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:7
(ESV) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
(KJV) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
(MSG) Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way,
(NIV) That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
(NLT) Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Ephesians 2:8 Faith is a Gift of God
Ephesians 2:8
(ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
(KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(MSG) Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish!
(NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
(NLT) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Solomon says to trust the Lord and not your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
(ESV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
(KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
(MSG) Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
(NIV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
(NLT) Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:6
(ESV) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
(KJV) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(MSG) Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
(NIV) in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
(NLT) Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Matthew 21:21 Jesus says faith can move mountains.
Matthew 21:21
(ESV) And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
(KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
(MSG) But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump.
(NIV) Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
(NLT) Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
Jude 1:22 Bible verse on doubt.
Jude 1:22
(ESV) And have mercy on those who doubt;
(KJV) And of some have compassion, making a difference:
(MSG) Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith.
(NIV) Be merciful to those who doubt;
(NLT) And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.
Mark 9:24 Help my unbelief Bible quote.
Mark 9:24
(ESV) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
(KJV) And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
(MSG) No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!”
(NIV) Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
(NLT) The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not scripture quote for overcoming doubt.
Isaiah 41:10
(ESV) fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(KJV) 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.
(MSG) Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
(NIV) So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(NLT) Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Luke 24:38 Jesus asks why do you doubt.
Luke 24:38
(ESV) And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
(KJV) And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
(MSG) He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over.
(NIV) He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
(NLT) “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?
Mathew 14:31 Jesus has compassion on doubters Bible reference.
Matthew 14:31
(ESV) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
(KJV) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
(MSG) Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”
(NIV) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
(NLT) Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
John 20:27 Jesus and doubting Thomas scripture.
John 20:27
(ESV) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
(KJV) Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
(MSG) Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”
(NIV) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
(NLT) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
Mark 11:23 Faith can move mountains Bible verse.
Mark 11:23
(ESV) Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
(KJV) For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
(MSG) and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done.
(NIV) “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
(NLT) I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.
FAQ about Overcoming Doubts in the Bible
The Bible is very clear that faith is the key to overcoming doubt. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” So, if we want to please God and overcome our doubts, we need to have faith. That doesn’t mean that it will be easy. We live in a fallen world where Satan tries to attack our faith at every turn. But God has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). So, even when doubts come, we can trust God and His promises.
A biblical definition of doubt can be found in the Book of James, which states, “Where there is no faith, there is no trust. Where there is no trust, there is no place for hope. And without hope, we cannot please God.” Therefore, doubts are those things that undermine our faith and prevent us from trusting in God. They may take the form of questioning our beliefs or doubting our ability to follow God’s will. Doubts can also arise when we are faced with trials or difficult circumstances. In all these cases, the Bible tells us to have faith and trust in God. However, if we allow doubts to take root in our hearts, they can lead us astray from His path.
Doubt is common for Christians because it’s a natural part of the faith journey. We can’t help but question things that don’t make sense to us, and we can’t help but wonder if what we believe is really true. Doubt is healthy because it forces us to think critically about our beliefs and to explore different options. It also helps us to develop a deeper faith as we learn to trust God even when we don’t understand everything. So don’t be afraid of doubt – embrace it! It’s an opportunity for growth and learning. And remember that God is always with you, no matter what you’re feeling or thinking.
Jesus says that doubting Thomas is “doubting the evidence of his own eyes” and that he won’t believe until he personally puts his hand into Jesus’ wounds. In other words, Jesus is saying that Thomas is doubting what he has seen with his own eyes, which is a natural response to something traumatic. It’s interesting to note that later in the Bible, Jesus appears to Thomas and tells him ” blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This seems to be a contradiction at first glance, but it might actually be an acknowledgement of the fact that some people are able to believe without needing physical proof.
Doubt can be caused by many things- past experiences, outside influences, insecurity, etc. However, I believe that the root cause of doubt is a lack of trust in God. When we lack trust in God, we start to doubt His goodness, His love for us, and His willingness to work on our behalf. We may even doubt His very existence. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. If you are struggling with doubts, I encourage you to talk to a trusted pastor or counselor who can help you sort through your feelings and develop a greater trust in God.
Doubting God does not mean that you are automatically doomed to hell. Everyone has doubts from time to time; it’s part of being human. What counts is how you deal with your doubts.
If you have doubts about your salvation, the best thing to do is to talk to your pastor or another Christian friend or family member who can help talk you through it. It’s important not to bottle up your doubts, because they will only fester and grow.
Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them.[1][better source needed] Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty, distrust or lack of conviction on certain facts, actions, motives, or decisions. Doubt can result in delaying or rejecting relevant action out of concern for mistakes or missed opportunities. Source “Doubt” Wikipedia article.
There is a considerable amount of debate surrounding what exactly Christian existentialists believe when it comes to doubt. However, we can take a look at some of the key ideas put forth by Kierkegaard and other thinkers in this school of thought to get a general sense of their views.
Generally speaking, Christian existentialists are trying to reconcile the seemingly contradictory notions of an all-powerful and loving God with the reality of human suffering. For them, doubt is an important part of this process, as it allows us to question our assumptions and faith in light of adversity. This invite us to grapple with the big questions surrounding our existence.
Georg Hermes says that doubt is a pathway to deeper faith because it allows us to question our beliefs and understand them more deeply. When we have doubts, we can turn to God and ask for guidance. Doubt can also lead us to examine our own hearts and minds, which can help us grow in faith. Hermes writes, “Doubt is often the beginning of wisdom… It is not enough simply to have faith—one must also seek understanding. Through honest questioning and diligent searching, we can deepen our convictions and better prepare ourselves to teach others about the truth of the gospel.”