Bible Verses About Faith
The Bible describes faith as trust in God for what we cannot yet see. Hebrews 11:1 describes it as confidence in what we hope for, Matthew 17:20 says even faith as small as a mustard seed matters, and 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we walk by trusting God rather than by what we can see.
Faith in scripture is not certainty without questions. It is trust that keeps turning towards God, sometimes boldly and sometimes with a shaky voice. These verses are for strong days and doubting days alike.
What faith is
Hebrews 11 is sometimes called the hall of faith, a list of ordinary people who trusted God before they saw how things would turn out. Faith is a gift as much as a choice. These verses lay the foundation.
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1 (BSB)
And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (BSB)
Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 (BSB)
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (BSB)
When your faith feels small
One of the most honest prayers in the Bible comes from a father who told Jesus he believed and asked for help with his unbelief. Jesus did not send him away. Small, shaky faith is still faith.
“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20 (BSB)
Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:24 (BSB)
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Luke 17:5-6 (BSB)
“Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. “Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24 (BSB)
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6 (BSB)
Walking by faith
Faith is lived out in daily choices, often without a clear view of the road ahead. These verses speak of trusting God more than our own understanding. One step at a time is enough.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (BSB)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20 (BSB)
For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17 (BSB)
Faith that keeps going
Faith is not a single moment but a lifetime of keeping on. Paul, near the end of his life, could say he had kept the faith. These verses are for the long, faithful middle of the journey.
So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
James 2:17 (BSB)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 (BSB)
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9 (BSB)
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29 (BSB)
A prayer
Lord, I believe, and I ask you to help the parts of me that struggle to. Thank you that you do not wait for my faith to be perfect before you meet me. Grow my trust in you a little each day. When I cannot see the way, help me walk it anyway, holding your hand. Let my faith show up in how I love, how I hope and how I keep going. Amen.
Questions people ask
What is the definition of faith in the Bible?
Hebrews 11:1 gives the closest thing to a definition, describing faith as confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. The rest of the chapter fills that out with examples like Abraham, Moses and Rahab, people who trusted God and acted on that trust before seeing the outcome.
What does faith as small as a mustard seed mean?
In Matthew 17:20 Jesus compares faith to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds people in his day would have known. His point is that the size of our faith matters less than the greatness of the God it rests on. Even a little genuine trust, placed in God, can accomplish more than we expect.
Is it normal to have doubts as a Christian?
Yes. Scripture is full of faithful people who wrestled with doubt, from the psalmists to Thomas, who wanted to see the risen Jesus for himself. In Mark 9:24 a father cries out that he believes and asks Jesus to help his unbelief, and Jesus responds with compassion. Doubt can be part of a growing faith.
Keep reading
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Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.