Orthodox prayers for faith in times of doubt

Prayers for when your faith feels weak or you doubt God. People in the Gospels brought their doubts to Jesus, and He did not turn them away.

Picture: Eugène Delacroix, Christ on the Sea of Galilee, 1854

5 prayers

When you believe and doubt at once

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief

Lord, I believe.Help my unbelief.

Traditional wording, 1611

Lord, I believe;help Thou mine unbelief.

In Mark’s Gospel a father who begged Jesus to heal his son believed and doubted in the same breath. He said both out loud, and Jesus healed the boy.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Mark 9:24, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Bible, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

In thoughts of doubt

St Tikhon’s prayer in doubt

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

Son of God, eternal Light,You Who give light to all,have mercy on me.

Give light to the eyes of my heart,darkened by the mist of sins and passions,as You gave light to the blind menwho cried out to You.

Let the eyes of my heart be opened too,so that I may see You, the Light that never sets,and follow You in faith and love,You Who walked the earth for my sake,wretched as I am.

Amen.

A Russian prayer book gives this prayer for times when doubts about the faith come. It asks Christ to open the eyes of the heart, as He opened the eyes of two blind men who cried out to Him.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic, as the Russian prayer book prints it. How the wording is made.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

When faith feels too small

Increase our faith

Increase our faith.

Traditional wording, 1611

Increase our faith.

The apostles asked this after Jesus told them to forgive again and again. St Cyril of Alexandria noticed that they did not ask for faith as if they had none, but asked Him to add to it.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Luke 17:5, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Bible, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

When doubt takes hold

Lord, save me

Lord, save me!

Traditional wording, 1611

Lord, save me.

Peter was walking on the water toward Jesus when he saw the wind, grew afraid and began to sink. Jesus caught him at once, and only then asked why he had doubted (Matthew 14:31).

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Matthew 14:30, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

When you are tempted to walk away

Lord, to whom shall we go?

Lord, to whom shall we go?You have the words of eternal life.

We have believed, and we have come to knowthat You are the Christ,the Son of the living God.

Traditional wording, 1611

Lord, to whom shall we go?Thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are surethat Thou art that Christ,the Son of the living God.

After a hard teaching, many disciples turned back, and Jesus asked the Twelve whether they would leave too. St John Chrysostom noticed that He asked rather than ordered, because He wanted no one to stay by force or out of shame.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of John 6:68-69, with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

Scripture for this

²⁷Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” ²⁸Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”

John 20:27-28 Jesus invited Thomas to touch His wounds, and Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God!”

¹⁷When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

Matthew 28:17-18 Even on the mountain after the Resurrection, some of the disciples doubted. Jesus came to them and spoke to them all.

“But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:32 Jesus told Peter He had prayed that his faith would not fail, and that once Peter turned back he should strengthen his brothers.

²³Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.

Psalm 73:23-24 The psalmist almost stumbled, envying the wicked. Yet he could say to God, “I am always with You; You hold my right hand.”

And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt …

Jude 1:22 Jude tells believers to show mercy to those who doubt.

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews calls faith the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

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