These Bible verses for having faith are for anyone who wants to trust God more deeply, whether belief comes easily or feels like a daily struggle. They include honest prayers for help, clear promises about what faith does, and reminders that even a small amount of trust in God matters. Keep a few close and return to them when doubts rise.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
This is Scripture’s own description of faith: a settled confidence in what God has promised even before it can be seen.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
Faith is shown here as the starting point of any relationship with God, trusting both that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:22-24 (KJV)
Jesus tells His disciples to have faith in God and to pray believing, a strong reminder to bring every request to Him with trust.
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
Even faith as small as a mustard seed matters, Jesus says, which encourages anyone who feels their belief is weak.
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.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Trusting the Lord with the whole heart, rather than leaning on our own understanding, is the everyday shape of having faith.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17 (KJV)
Paul explains that faith grows by hearing the word of God, so reading Scripture is a practical way to strengthen belief.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mark 9:23-24 (KJV)
A worried father cries, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief, an honest prayer for anyone whose faith feels mixed with doubt.
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
Short and memorable, this verse reminds believers that they live by trusting God rather than by what their eyes can see.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:5-6 (KJV)
When we ask God for wisdom, James urges us to ask in faith without wavering, like a steady ship rather than a tossed wave.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
Isaiah 26:3-4 (KJV)
Perfect peace belongs to the one whose mind is fixed on God, because the Lord is everlasting strength worth trusting.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psalms 56:3-4 (KJV)
David admits he gets afraid, then chooses to trust God anyway, a pattern of faith anyone can pray in hard moments.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:29 (KJV)
Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who have not seen Him and yet believe, which includes every believer today.
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Luke 17:5-6 (KJV)
The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, a simple request worth making your own prayer.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
Salvation comes by grace through faith, not by our own works, so faith rests on God’s gift rather than personal effort.
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9 (KJV)
Peter describes believers who love Christ without seeing Him and rejoice with joy unspeakable as they trust Him.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13 (KJV)
Paul prays that the God of hope would fill believers with joy and peace in believing, a fitting blessing for growing faith.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 21:22 (KJV)
Jesus links believing prayer with receiving, inviting His followers to come to God expecting Him to answer.
Faith grows as it is fed, and Romans 10:17 says it comes by hearing the word of God. One simple habit is to choose a single verse each morning, read it slowly, and carry it through the day. Hebrews 11:1 or Proverbs 3:5-6 work well for this because they are short enough to memorise and repeat when worry starts to creep in.
These verses can also become your prayers. The father in Mark 9:24 did not hide his doubt; he brought it to Jesus and asked for help. You can do the same, praying something like, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. The apostles’ request in Luke 17:5, Increase our faith, is another prayer you can say in your own words whenever you feel weak.
Finally, share these passages with others. Writing a verse on a card for a friend, reading one aloud with family, or discussing one in a small group helps faith take root in community. Over time, remembering how God has answered past prayers will give you more confidence to trust Him with whatever comes next.
James 2:17 is worth praying honestly, asking for faith that produces real action, not only agreement.
You might also turn to Bible Verses About Faith and Hope and Bible Verses About Loving Your Enemies.
Scripture quotations follow the King James Version; Blue Letter Bible lets you read each one alongside its chapter.
Some of the same ground is covered in Bible Verses For Loss and Bible Verses For Trusting God.
Two nearby collections worth opening next are Bible Verses About God's Love and Bible Verses For New Beginnings.
Bible Verses For Strength During Hard Times and Bible Verses For Forgiving Others explore related themes.
If you want to keep reading, Bible Verses For Strong Faith and Bible Verses About Strong Faith sit close to this topic.
To see how other translations render these lines, look them up on Bible Gateway.
For word studies and cross-references, Bible Hub is a helpful next step.
Return to this verse as you continue developing genuine, active faith.
These verses were never meant to sit on a page as decoration \u2014 they’re meant to shape how you actually respond the next time you want more faith but aren’t sure how faith actually grows.
You don’t need polished or formal language for it \u2014 an honest, plainly worded sentence is enough, something as simple as telling God directly for whatever it takes to grow in genuine faith, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee, came to Jesus under cover of darkness, unwilling to be seen publicly with someone his colleagues distrusted, yet genuinely curious about what Jesus taught (John 3:1-2). Jesus did not turn him away for his caution; instead He explained the need to be born again, planting a seed that later grew into open action when Nicodemus helped bury Jesus after the crucifixion, bringing costly spices no secret follower would normally risk providing.
Among these Bible Verses For Having Faith, Nicodemus shows that faith does not have to start boldly or publicly. His quiet, uncertain first visit still counted as a real, genuine beginning, even though he waited years before acting on it publicly in front of his fellow religious leaders and close friends.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water at midday, avoiding the crowds because of her reputation, and found Jesus waiting there. She questioned Him at first, surprised He would even speak to her, but as He described her own life accurately, her skepticism gave way to curiosity, then to conviction (John 4:7-29). She left her water jar behind and ran to tell her whole town about Him.
Among these Bible Verses For Having Faith, her story unfolds gradually within a single conversation, moving from suspicion to open, public testimony by the end of it.
An Ethiopian court official was reading from Isaiah on his journey home when Philip explained that the passage pointed to Jesus. As soon as he understood, he asked to be baptized right there beside the road, with no delay and no further instruction needed (Acts 8:35-38). His faith moved from confusion to full commitment within a single conversation.
Among these Bible Verses For Having Faith, this account shows that faith can arrive quickly once genuine understanding finally clicks into place. He did not wait for a better moment or more proof before responding.
When Jesus asked His disciples who they believed He was, Peter answered plainly, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus told him this understanding had not come from human reasoning but had been revealed to him directly by the Father (Matthew 16:17).
Among these Bible Verses For Having Faith, Peter’s confession shows that real faith is ultimately a gift recognized rather than a conclusion reasoned out entirely on our own. His answer came from somewhere deeper than clever argument or careful study.
Cornelius, a Roman centurion, was already described as devout and generous, praying regularly to God even before hearing the full message about Jesus. An angel told him his prayers and gifts to the poor had been noticed, and directed him to send for Peter, who then explained the gospel to his entire household (Acts 10:1-6, 34-44).
Among these Bible Verses For Having Faith, Cornelius shows that sincere seeking, even with incomplete understanding, does not go unnoticed by God. His faith was already reaching toward God before he had all the pieces in place.
Lord, You welcomed Nicodemus even though he came to You hesitant and hidden by night, and You turned a skeptical woman at a well into an eager witness within one conversation. You welcomed an Ethiopian official the moment his understanding was ready, and You revealed Yourself directly to Peter’s heart. You noticed Cornelius reaching toward You before he knew the whole story.
Meet me wherever I am on that same road today, whether cautious, sudden, quietly given, or still seeking. Grow my faith at whatever pace You know I need, and not the pace I would choose for myself if I were left to plan it out alone. Amen.
Some assume faith must begin with total certainty and public boldness, so a hesitant, private first step, like Nicodemus visiting at night, does not really count. Scripture treats his cautious beginning seriously, and he later acted publicly once his faith had matured. Bible Verses For Having Faith allow for a slow start that grows over time, the way the woman at the well moved from doubt to testimony within one afternoon.
Cornelius corrects a second assumption, that faith requires full doctrinal understanding before it can please God. He was already seeking sincerely before Peter ever explained the gospel to him, showing that genuine seeking still matters even before every question is answered fully or completely for anyone involved.
Reading one story each day, drawn from these Bible Verses For Having Faith, highlights a different starting point for faith.
Answer these slowly, naming your own situation rather than staying general.
If your own faith feels more like Nicodemus’s quiet, uncertain visit than a bold public step, let that be enough for today rather than forcing more than you are ready for. When a truth finally makes sense to you the way it did for the Ethiopian official, act on it quickly rather than letting the moment pass. For more encouragement, see Bible Verses About Having Faith and Bible Verses About Faith and Hope.
Consider also praying honestly like Cornelius, even about things you do not yet fully understand, trusting that sincere seeking is noticed, and telling at least one other person about it the way the woman at the well told her whole town. Small, honest steps like these keep these Bible Verses For Having Faith growing steadily rather than waiting for one dramatic moment of certainty that may never actually come at all in this lifetime.
Jesus came down from the mountain of the transfiguration straight into an argument. A crowd had gathered, teachers of the law were pressing the disciples, and a father stood in the middle with a son who had suffered violent seizures since childhood. The disciples had tried and failed. Worn out, the father said to Jesus, “if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us” (Mark 9:22). Hear that little word if. Years of disappointment are folded into it.
Jesus took the word and handed it back: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). The father’s answer is one of the most honest sentences in Scripture: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). He did not choose between belief and unbelief. He brought both to Jesus in a single breath, and the boy was set free.
If you want more faith and cannot seem to produce it, here is your pattern. Nobody told the father to settle his doubts first and come back. A prayer that opens with I believe and closes with help me is allowed, and you can pray it tonight in a parked car or at the kitchen table after the kids are asleep.
The request comes right after Jesus told his followers to forgive a brother who wrongs them seven times in one day. Their reply was not a speech. It was four words: “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). They had looked at the size of the demand and knew they came up short. Notice that Jesus does not rebuke them for asking. Wanting more faith is not a sign of having none. Here it is exactly the right reflex.
His answer picks up the mustard seed again, this time with a tree that has deep, stubborn roots being told to pull itself up and plant itself in the sea (Luke 17:6). Real faith, however small, can do what looks absurd. What follows may surprise you. Jesus tells a short story about a servant who comes in from the field and simply gets supper on the table (Luke 17:7-10). The picture is of faith worn like work clothes, expressed in ordinary obedience far more than in drama.
So pair your prayer for more faith with one concrete act you have been avoiding. Maybe it is an apology call, or a bill you keep not opening, or a conversation with a relative. Faith tends to grow where it gets used, the way a muscle responds to the weight you actually lift rather than the weight you admire.
The heading of Psalm 56 says David wrote it when the Philistines seized him in Gath. That was Goliath’s hometown. The man who had killed their champion had wandered into their territory (1 Samuel 21:10-15), and he knew exactly how dangerous it was. So when he writes, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3), he is not speaking from a safe distance. He is afraid in that very moment and he says so.
The wording rewards a second look. What time means whenever, at whatever hour. David does not say if I get afraid, or once the fear lifts. Trust is chosen in the same breath as the fear, and the two sit side by side. By the next verse he has firmed up: “In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Psalm 56:4). People often move that way when they pray aloud, from a plain admission to a steadier footing, simply because they said the true thing first.
One honest caution. If anxiety is heavy and constant for you, praying this psalm does not replace talking with a doctor or counselor, and many people of faith do both. The psalm only shows that fear does not disqualify anyone. A frightened man in an enemy city wrote it, and it has been in the Bible ever since.
Isaiah 26 opens as a song for Judah to sing in a coming day, written while mighty empires loomed on the horizon. Walls and gates appear in the first verse. This is a song for people with real reasons to be afraid. Then verse 3 arrives: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Verse 4 follows: “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”
The Hebrew behind perfect peace repeats the word shalom, peace peace, which is a way of saying complete. Stayed carries the picture of something propped up, like a heavy beam resting on a post. The mind in this verse is not empty. It is leaning. That is a relief for anyone who has tried to clear their head and only made the noise louder.
A night-shift nurse could tape the verse inside her locker and lean again between patients. Each time you catch yourself spiraling over a bill or a diagnosis, you lean once more, and that is the whole practice. It does not demand flawless focus, only a return. These Bible Verses For Having Faith keep pointing toward that kind of repeated returning, more than toward a single dramatic leap.
James writes to scattered believers under pressure, and he begins with trials and wisdom. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Then comes the line people trip over: “let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6).
Some read verse 6 as a trap, as though one flicker of doubt cancels the prayer. But the setting is a request for wisdom, and the promise just before it says God gives freely and without scolding. The wavering James has in mind is the divided mind, which verse 8 calls double minded: praying for guidance while privately planning to do what you wanted all along. That differs from the honest father in Mark 9. Set the two side by side and you see that Scripture has plenty of room for trembling trust, while it warns against a split heart.
Here is a simple test before you pray about a decision. Ask whether you are really willing to hear no, or an answer you would rather not have. If you are, you are asking in faith, doubts and all. If you are not, begin by praying for willingness, and let the request for wisdom come second.
Other collections you may find useful: Bible Verses About Having Faith, Bible Verses For Faith Over Fear, Bible Verses About Faith and Hope, Bible Verses About Faith During Trials and Bible Verses About Faith and Healing.
To study these verses in more depth, try Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools.
Faith grows as it is fed, and Romans 10:17 says it comes by hearing the word of God. One simple habit is to choose a single verse each morning, read it slowly, and carry it through the day.
This page brings together 15 King James Version references about having Faith, drawn from 9 different books of the Bible.
These having Faith verses are drawn from books including Romans, Hebrews, Proverbs, Mark, Luke, among others.
Yes. The verses about having Faith gathered here include passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, such as Proverbs 3:5 and Romans 10:17.
Romans 10:17 is one of the verses about having Faith referenced in this collection, alongside Hebrews 11:1.
