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35 Bible verses about faith
The Bible defines faith in one sentence: “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). So Bible verses about faith speak of trust more than certainty: walking “by faith, not by sight,” committing your plans to God, praying without knowing how things will end.
This page gathers verses to understand what faith is, to learn to trust, to pray, and for times of doubt. That last part matters: the Bible keeps a record of believers who doubt, like the father who tells Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” The verses are quoted word for word from the King James Version and come from the Selfia app. Read them slowly: faith rarely grows in a hurry.
What is faith? Bible verses to understand it
These verses define faith by what it looks at: things not seen, what is eternal, a grace received rather than earned. They work for a group Bible study as well as for personal reading.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being.
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Bible verses about trusting God
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” opens this group of verses. They talk about committing your way, your plans and your worries, and compare the person who trusts to a tree planted by the waters, whose leaf stays green.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green.
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.
Bible verses for seasons of doubt
Doubt is part of many journeys of faith. These verses remind you that God stays faithful even when we don’t, that nothing is impossible with him, and that “only believe” was first said to a frightened father.
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Be not afraid, only believe.
For I know that my redeemer liveth.
Bible verses about prayer
Ask, seek, knock: these verses encourage a simple, persistent kind of prayer. They remind you that God is found by those who search with all their heart, and that he hears before you have even finished speaking.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
How to read these verses about faith
Faith grows more from small, regular readings than from big resolutions. Choose one verse a week, copy it at the top of a journal page, and each evening note a moment when it spoke to you, or a question it raised. At the end of the week, reread your notes before moving on to the next verse.
If you are going through a season of doubt, start with the third section and read it without forcing yourself to reach a conclusion. You can also bring a verse to someone you trust, a friend, a pastor or a priest, and talk it over together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most powerful Bible verse about faith?
Hebrews 11:1 gives the clearest definition: faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Proverbs 3:5-6 is often quoted for trust, and 2 Corinthians 5:7 sums up the life of faith in one line: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Is doubting a lack of faith?
The Bible doesn’t present doubt as a fault in itself. Thomas wants to see before he believes, the father in Mark 9 asks for help with his unbelief, and the Psalms ask God a lot of questions. 2 Timothy 2:13 offers reassurance: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful.”
Which Bible translation is quoted?
The King James Version, in the public domain in the United States and most countries. Each verse was compared word for word with an edition published online before appearing here. Its reference lets you look it up in any Bible, whatever translation you usually read.