Do you struggle with doubts about God’s power? If so, the reason is probably because He hasn’t answered prayer as you expected. But that doesn’t prove He’s unable to do what you desire; it just demonstrates He had a different plan in mind. Living by faith isn’t a matter of expecting God to do what you want but of trusting Him to do what He desires.

Sometimes we may feel like the man in today’s story, whose son was possessed by an evil spirit. He struggled with doubts about Christ’s ability to heal people even though Jesus had repeatedly proven that He could. We can all identify with the father’s response, “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

At times even Christians experience some uncertainty regarding God’s ways, truth, or ability. Thankfully, when that happens He is gracious to us in our weakness. Yet lingering doubts can be a spiritual hindrance. Scripture says a doubter is “double-minded” and “unstable in all his ways” and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).

To overcome doubts and walk confidently by faith, we must learn to know our Father’s character, ways, and desires through His Word. Then we will have a foundation for trust even when our requests seem unanswered.