Prayers to forgive doubts to strengthen your faith
Posted by: Laura Bailey
Bible reading:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through God who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor devils, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39
Listen or read below:
I’ve always been someone who asks “why?”
Why go in this direction?
Why do we do this?
Why did you want me to do that?
Before investing your time, energy, and resources, you want assurance that the results will be worth it. This isn’t a bad strategy for business or life in general, but it’s not so great when it comes to our faith.
My lack of faith in the unseen and my propensity to doubt things that cannot be easily explained led me into dark seasons where I not only doubted my own salvation, but also questioned, “Can I trust God?”
Disturbed by this, I dug deep into the Bible to convince my mind of what my heart already knew. Even on days when I was able to accept that I was a child of God, my heart was still plagued by unbelief. “Am I doing enough for the Lord? Why do I continue to struggle with sin? Is God disappointed in me because I continue to fall short?”
After a particularly tumultuous night, I decided to see the pastor. The next day, when I was sitting in front of him, I couldn’t stop my legs from shaking so much that the table shook. I couldn’t get a word out before I burst into tears. “How can I know with absolute certainty that God is real? How can I have absolute certainty that I am saved? And how can I have peace that I am doing what God wants me to do?”
“Laura, in our quest to know God better, we need to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of trying to understand Him. There are aspects of our faith that we must accept without having all the answers. We must choose to trust God and place our hope in Him,” the pastor advised. Until that day, I had no idea that the driving force behind my research was the desire to unravel God, to know all the answers, to be like God. I wanted God to prove that He was trustworthy before I completely surrendered and submitted to Him.
As we continued to talk, the pastor taught me that it’s okay to ask questions, that it’s normal to have a season of struggle, and that it’s okay to even ask “why?” Hearing this was very encouraging. But at some point, we have to get over our desire to know all the answers and have a confidence based on hope and certainty about things that are not seen, as the author of Hebrews shares (Hebrews 11:1).
With the encouragement of my pastor, I continued to study the Bible to guide me in my pursuit of assurance of salvation. This time I tried approaching it from a different angle. Rather than treating the Bible like a magic eight-ball, I asked, “What does this tell me about God?” Not only is God trustworthy, but nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39). In His mercy, God sent His Son to save us (Romans 12:1), and through His continuing works of grace He gave us His Holy Spirit to give us His assurance (Romans 16:25).
Even now, I sometimes wonder, “Why?” And there are still many questions that need to be avoided for too long. But rather than letting the unknown raise questions, it served to emphasize that God can be trusted even when there are no answers. I didn’t write this book from a place of complete healing. There are still good days and bad days. But when I was able to let go of the need to have all the answers and surrender to the One who does, I was able to experience the blessed assurance of knowing that I was safe in Christ.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, help us understand that doubt is neutral. It’s neither good nor bad. Approach questions with curiosity rather than judgment. The answer is not to ignore, push away, or ignore my questions, doubts, and struggles with faith. Instead, approach the conversation with an attitude of curiosity: “What am I wondering here about your character?” Let these questions lead to deeper intimacy with you.
You can deal with my doubts, doubts and unbelief. You are not a master puppeteer forcing me to obey. You give me free will. You can walk by faith or you can walk away. May I put my faith in You in the midst of doubt and uncertainty (no matter how uncertain). Because you are on my side.
In the name of Jesus, amen.
Share your thoughts on today’s devotion in the Daily Prayer discussion in the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/BulatSilvia
Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply Biblical truth to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes can help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and abundant lives today.
She lives in upstate South Carolina with her husband and three girls and is the director of women’s ministry at her church. Her passion is teaching women the Bible and empowering them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
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