Have you ever gone through a season of doubt? Or, perhaps you were raised in a Christian home but fell away and came back.
What was that period of time like? How did you experience your faith or the world?
I'd love to hear about your experiences. I'll share mine first, but in a separate post after this one. heart
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2026 8:20 am
I have loved Jesus for as long as I can remember. And there have always been periods of doubt. Waves of dark waters smashing against the coast.
One of the more recent times came when I was wrestling with some deep intellectual doubts. I was in a period of reconstruction. Not deconstruction, though it might have looked like that to others. It was reconstruction. And I kept clinging to Jesus.
Every night, I would pray, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
It was all I could pray. I didn't have the strength to pray anything else. I truly didn't. I remember staying awake all night one night, just lying in bed thinking about all of the death that was happening just in that one night. All of the prayers that were going unanswered. And then my thoughts began to dwell on disease and history. All of the people who died from bacterial infections - something we treat with antibiotics now. And The Black Death. 1/3 of Europe, by lower estimates, died. How many people prayed in vain? All of the suffering and the fear...
I knew that I had to hold onto Jesus. And I had resolved that even if it all fell apart, I was determined to keep loving and following Jesus even if it was all false.
Eventually, the doubts did recede. But it took a while. And with some thinking.
I hate those periods of time. But, having endured more than one of them, I have some things I can recommend:
1. Even if all you can pray is that simple prayer I prayed, pray it. Seriously. 2. Hold onto Him. Even if it feels stupid in the moment. Even if it feels futile. Hold onto Him. Because it will pass. 3. Try to think about all the times you trusted Him that were not in vain. 4. Talk to one or two trusted Christians you know can help you. I didn't, but it probably would have helped me.
Anyway, that's one of my times of doubt stories. I'm interested to hear from you. If you ever need someone to talk to during a season of doubt, or you need prayer, please let me know. heart
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Elora Lore
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2026 12:48 pm
I also pray "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
I have struggled for a few years now since returning to Jesus with my assurance of salvation. I am trying to practice speaking the truth of the gospel to myself, because I need to hear it every day. 3nodding
I love the hymn Christ Will Hold Me Fast for this reason.
To your struggle about periods of death and disease, it is difficult to understand the suffering-- I even think about what Christians in Nigeria and Iran are going through today, they are in my prayers that the Lord will comfort them and return soon.
But I do not view the prayers of the suffering as being in vain. We see statistics, but the Lord sees each person in the moment and is the One who brings comfort, even in the midst of great suffering. He grieves with us and does not leave us, and we have the promise that one day there will be no more pain, no more suffering.
There are things He allows for His purposes that we might not understand in this life, and I think the more we can learn to be at peace with God's sovereignty in His ultimate goodness the more our heart will learn to respond as Job did:
Job 42: 2-6
2 “I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me. 5 My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. 6 Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
I think the important thing is that Jesus can handle our wrestling, doubts and questions are good things to take back to scripture and the cross in prayer. heart
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