In this Matthew 14:31 Devotional, we’ll explore what the Holy Bible says about doubt in the life of a believer. Together, we’ll discover how to overcome doubt, strengthen our faith, and find peace. This passage lovingly shows us how the Living God meets us with grace, lifts us when we stumble, and gives us the courage to keep growing in our Christian walk with Him every day.
Doubt is a dirty word in Christian circles. It’s something we don’t talk about, just in case the pastor is listening. And we pretend we don’t feel it because we’re afraid our friends will think our faith isn’t strong enough.
The truth is, many of us have been taught that doubt equals weakness or failure. So instead of bringing our questions to God, we quietly wrestle with them on our own. But doubt doesn’t make us bad Christians… it makes us human. It’s part of the spiritual growing pains that help us develop real faith, the kind that stands firm even when the answers don’t come easily.
If we’re honest, every believer has faced moments when they’ve asked, “Lord, are You really there?” But those moments are exactly where God meets us. He doesn’t shame us for questioning; He uses those struggles to draw us closer to His truth.
In Scripture, we see that even the disciples, men who walked side by side with Jesus, had moments of doubt. One of the clearest examples comes from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus gently corrected Peter in the middle of a storm.
What is the Meaning of Matthew 14:31?
Let’s read this scripture together…
O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
Matthew 14:31 New King James Version
This powerful question comes from the Gospel of Matthew, in the story of Peter walking on the water. It was a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus when the Apostle Peter stepped out of the boat in complete faith, his eyes fixed on the Savior. But when the strong wind began to blow and the waves rose around him, fear took hold. In that moment, Peter’s doubt revealed the weakness of his faith, however, Jesus’ response wasn’t harsh or condemning. It was a gentle rebuke meant to strengthen Peter’s trust.
The truth is… no matter how long we’ve been Christians or how strongly we feel about our faith in God, we all have doubt. Every single one of us.
I have doubts, and I bet you do too.
Having doubt doesn’t mean we’re bad or that we don’t love Jesus. It simply means we’re human because it’s human nature to question what we can’t see.
We think if we can’t touch it or hold it in our hands, then maybe it’s not real. Sometimes doubt is just a fleeting thought. It comes to us in an instant and leaves just as quickly. But other times, doubt lingers. It plays tricks with our minds, tears us apart on the inside, and robs us of our joy.
Still, just as Jesus reached out His hand to Peter on the stormy Sea of Galilee, He reaches out to us when we waver. His words remind us that even in moments of uncertainty, His power, grace, and love never fail.
What Causes Doubt in Faith?
Before we go into how to overcome doubt, let’s look at where it comes from. If we can understand the source of our doubt, we can more easily quiet it when it comes calling.
Just like a strong wind blew in on the disciples, we face our own storms of life that shake our confidence and test our faith. Sometimes, those winds come during hard times, when prayers seem to go unanswered, our best-laid plans fall apart, or deep fear creeps into our hearts. Other times, they rise up quietly from within, stirring questions that our reasoning mind can’t fully answer.
Doubt often begins in our own hearts, where weak faith battles against what we know to be true. But even in those moments, Jesus calls us to look past the waves and fix our eyes on Him. When we do, He replaces our uncertainty with peace and teaches us to trust the One who has control of every single circumstance of life.
Many sources of doubt try to pull us away from our faith, but most of them fall into three main areas. Sometimes doubt is planted by our spiritual enemy, sometimes it’s shaped by the world around us, and other times it’s born within ourselves. Let’s take a closer look at each one so we can learn how to recognize and overcome them.
#1 Satan: The Source of Spiritual Doubt
All Christians have an enemy in Satan. He seeks to destroy us. And doubt is one of the many tactics he uses against us. The devil looks for moments of fear and weakness to plant seeds of uncertainty in our minds.
He searches for a way into our lives to achieve his goal of utterly demolishing our faith. And once he’s found a weakness, he’s relentless in his attack. He slinks in like the serpent he’s always been, whispering lies that sound believable but are designed to shake our trust in God. Then, when doubt begins to take root, he slinks away again, leaving us feeling hopeless and alone.
But believing Satan’s lies is a waste of time. His deception will always crumble under the truth of God’s Word. Jesus has already defeated him, and through faith in Christ, we have the authority to resist the devil and overcome every scheme he sets against us.
We don’t need to fear Satan or listen to his false accusations. Instead, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus has already secured our victory. When doubt tries to pull us under, we can be sure that faith, not fear, has the final say.
#2 The World’s Influence and Distraction
We are called to live in the world but not of it. But sometimes, that leaves us vulnerable to doubt. The world’s influence distracts us from God’s plan. It could be the people we surround ourselves with, the things we read or watch on TV, or the endless noise of social media. All of these can pull our focus away from God and fill our hearts with uncertainty instead of the peace of Christ.
The world is full of great temptations that try to draw us away from faith and make us question what we know to be true. But when we recognize how easily these distractions take hold, we can choose to turn our attention back to God by seeking His wisdom, resting in His Word, and trusting Him to guide our thoughts and decisions.
#3 Self-Doubt: Battling Negative Thoughts
Sometimes our doubt is much closer to home than we would like it to be. At times, we can be our own worst enemy. Our view of ourselves can leave us feeling like we’re not good enough or that we’re a failure. These negative thoughts can cause doubt to creep into our minds if we allow them to take hold.
The first thing we often do when doubt arises is listen to those inner lies instead of God’s truth. We focus on our weaknesses, our mistakes, and all the ways we think we’ve fallen short. Even when our faith feels small, Jesus reminds us that so much faith can grow out of the smallest mustard seed of belief.
When we bring our fears and insecurities to Him, He replaces our anxious thoughts with His peace. The storm within us settles, and what once felt like chaos becomes a great calm in His presence. Real faith begins when we stop believing the lies we tell ourselves and start trusting the truth of who God says we are… loved, chosen, and held in His hands.
How to Overcome Doubt in God
God, in His infinite wisdom, knows the innermost workings of our minds. He knows when we question, when we struggle, and when we wonder where He is when everything goes wrong in our lives. He understands our hearts and has not left us to face doubt on our own.
When we recognize what causes doubt, we can overcome it with one simple, God-given tool… our faith! True faith doesn’t come from our human strength, it comes from the power and presence of God working within us.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the gift of God, designed to anchor us when uncertainty tries to shake us. It’s not blind belief; it’s real faith, the evidence of the things we can’t see but know in our hearts to be true. And it’s trusting that God is who He says He is and that His promises are true even when we can’t see the outcome.
When we hold to the Word of the Lord, our hearts are strengthened, and our perspective shifts. Each trial becomes an experience of His power, reminding us that our confidence doesn’t rest in our circumstances but in the unchanging character of our loving Heavenly Father.
As we lean into His truth, we find full confidence in knowing that God is faithful to carry us through every moment of doubt and lead us to the great faith He has in store for us.
The Saving Hand of Jesus in Moments of Doubt
In Matthew 14:31, Jesus said to the disciples, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” It’s an interesting question.
The disciples had been with Jesus every day. They had witnessed Jesus’ power firsthand as He healed the sick, fed the multitudes, and calmed the stormy seas with just a word. They were eyewitnesses to the miraculous ministry of Jesus, and yet, they still struggled with moments of doubt.
It’s a reminder that doubt doesn’t mean the absence of faith, it means our focus has shifted. When Peter stepped out of the boat, he began in faith, but when his eyes turned toward the wind and waves, his confidence wavered. Still, Jesus didn’t let him sink. With immediate assistance, He reached out His hand and pulled Peter up. That’s the saving power of our Savior, grace that meets us right where we fall short.
At some point, each of us made the decision to give our lives to Christ because the Holy Spirit opened our hearts to the truth of who He is. Unlike the disciples, we haven’t physically walked beside Jesus, but through faith, we’ve experienced His presence.
Even though we can’t reach out and touch God or witness the miracles of Jesus with our own eyes, we can clearly see the hand of God at work in our lives. This is the evidence of our faith that Hebrews 11 talks about, and the visible proof of our salvation through Jesus working in us.
If we take a moment to look around, we’ll see God’s goodness surrounding us. And when doubt enters our minds, we can remember those moments when we were so close to Him it felt like we could reach out and touch His presence.
Throughout the Old Testament, we’re reminded that God has always been near to His people, offering help in hard times and strength to endure them.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
That same God still reaches out to us today. When doubt rises, remember that Jesus’ hand is never too far to save, never too slow to respond, and always extended in love. His grace gives us the strength to rise again with renewed faith and confidence in His unshakable power.
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Biblically Ways to Overcome Doubt
When our minds are clouded with questions, this New Testament Scripture tells us exactly how to set aside doubt and renew our faith.
We have the most powerful weapon on earth at our disposal, the Word of God. Faith grows as we read the Bible, hear its truth, and allow it to take root deep within our hearts. The more we study and apply Scripture, the more peace we have, knowing God is in control.
When we’re firmly grounded in His truth, doubt no longer has a hold on us. Instead of allowing uncertainty to steal our peace of mind, we can lean on the promises of God to steady our hearts. Faith doesn’t mean we’ll never face questions… it means we trust that Jesus will answer them in His perfect time.
As we rest in God’s Word, we find true confidence. No matter what doubts try to shake us, His truth remains strong, unchanging, and ready to bring calm to our hearts.
How to Strengthen Your Faith When You Doubt
When doubt creeps in, it’s easy to focus on our weaknesses instead of God’s strength. But He has a way of using every challenge to shape our own character and draw us closer to Him. Each trial helps us trust that He’s in control of every single circumstance of life… even the ones that seem uncertain.
Here are a few practical ways to have stronger faith when doubt tries to take over…
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Pray with honesty and humility. Bring your doubts before God and ask Him to replace them with peace and understanding.
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Remember God’s past faithfulness. Think of the times when He guided and provided, and you’ll see proof that He’s still at work today.
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Read and reflect on Scripture daily. Let God’s Word remind you of His promises and fill your heart with truth.
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Spend time with other believers. Encouragement from God’s people helps renew your confidence in His goodness.
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Worship through the worry. Praise invites peace and helps shift your focus from fear back to faith.
The more we practice these things, the more our hearts will rest in God’s strength and our faith will grow steady and unshakable.
Prayer to Overcome Doubt and Unbelief
This next verse is the prayer of a man who had doubt in his heart but still wanted to believe. It’s an honest and heartbreaking cry to the only One who could help him in his suffering, our loving Heavenly Father, who listens to every plea.
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:24
We all know how this man felt because we’ve been there too… on our knees, asking God to help us through the pain, confusion, and unbelief that come to the surface in tough times. His prayer shows that even when our faith feels small, it’s still faith. God doesn’t turn away from our weakness; He meets us in it.
When doubt clouds our minds, we have a direct line to our Creator. We can lift our hearts to Him and ask for the Holy Ghost, our Comforter and Counselor, to strengthen and guide us. He understands every struggle we face and responds with mercy, power, and love.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 NIV
Our prayers aren’t powerful because of our own strength or worthiness, but because they’re spoken in Jesus’ name, the name above all names. Through Him, we’re made righteous, and that’s what makes our prayers effective.
God promises that He will be faithful to hear us when we call. Even in seasons of doubt, His love never fails, and His grace is always near.
Faith Over Doubt: Holding On to God’s Promises
Yes, we all have doubt, but doubt doesn’t have to keep us from experiencing the loving touch of God’s hand in our lives. It’s okay to have questions. And it’s okay to ask God to help us when we doubt.
But we can’t afford to let doubt penetrate our minds and our souls. We must recognize it for what it is and stop it in its tracks.
This verse reminds us that our hope is secure in God. Even when doubt clouds our hearts, we can look back and see how faithfully He’s carried us since the beginning, so we can persevere in times of unbelief…
For You are my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.
Psalm 71:5 NKJV
In this Matthew 14:31 Devotional, we’ve seen that doubt doesn’t disqualify us from God’s love or presence. It’s a reminder of how much we need Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who reaches out His saving hand when our faith begins to waver.
Doubt doesn’t make us bad Christians… it simply shows our need for His strength and grace. Our faith is the tool God gives us to overcome uncertainty and draw closer to His truth.
Each verse we’ve studied reminds us that God is patient with our weakness and faithful to strengthen us through every storm. As we hold on to hope, the experience of His power lifts us from fear, steadies our hearts, and renews our confidence in His promises.
So today, let’s turn away from doubt, seek hope in God, and grow our faith in Jesus. He is our anchor in the waves, our peace in the questions, and our Savior who never lets go.
May God bless you! And help you through times of doubt and unbelief!
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