What the Bible says
One of the most honest prayers in Scripture came from a desperate father: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Jesus did not turn him away; He healed his son. The Lord is gentle with weak faith: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench” (Isaiah 42:3). And He calls His church to be the same: “And of some have compassion, making a difference” (Jude 1:22).
Jesus met His doubting disciples personally. To Thomas He said, “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” (John 20:27). Thomas answered, “My LORD and my God” (John 20:28). When Peter sank on the water, “immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him” (Matthew 14:31), and then asked, “wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Faith rests on what really happened. Peter wrote, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables … but were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). Jesus “shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3). Luke wrote “That thou mightest know the certainty of those things” (Luke 1:4). Paul says everything hangs on this, and declares, “But now is Christ risen from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
God gives faith through His Word: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). He invites us to ask for wisdom, for He “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (James 1:5). He rewards “them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). And faith rests in a Person: “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him” (2 Timothy 1:12).
14 verses, King James Version
James 1:5–6
Ask God for wisdom in faith
5If 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. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jude 1:22
Compassion for those who doubt
22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
2 Timothy 1:12
I know whom I have believed
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Acts 1:3
Many infallible proofs
3To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Mark 9:23–24
A father’s honest prayer
23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Matthew 11:2–6
Jesus answered John’s doubts with evidence
2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
John 20:27–29
Jesus met Thomas in his doubt
27Then 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. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Matthew 14:29–31
Jesus caught Peter when he sank
29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
1 Corinthians 15:17–20
Everything rests on the risen Christ
17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
2 Peter 1:16
Eyewitnesses, not myths
16For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Luke 1:1–4
Written so you can be certain
1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
John 20:30–31
Why John wrote his Gospel
30And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Romans 10:17
Faith grows by hearing God’s Word
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:6
God rewards those who seek Him
6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (public domain). Read aloud by Anthony.