Help for Unbelieving Believers: God's Remedies for Living by Faith Again

(Part 1 of 2)

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

As many believers know, faith is rarely strengthened in times of ease. More often, it is through trials, or God's graciously appointed tensions, that our faith is purified, our self-reliance is loosened, and our hope becomes realigned with His promises. Even sincere Christians can struggle during such seasons. We may hold steadfastly to sound doctrine and love the Lord Jesus Christ, yet falter in our daily, active faith which is the moment-by-moment trust in God's character and Word.

When belief remains in the head but fails to shape how we respond to difficulty, we become what Scripture indirectly describes as unbelieving believers.

The aim of this two-part post is to speak to those who feel the tension between what they confess and how they live, or respond to difficulty. We'll explore eight common signs of a weak, yet active faith, and offer biblical steps toward renewed trust in our heavenly Father who never fails His children.

In Part 1, we’ll begin by examining the first four potential concerns of unbelieving faith, along with their scriptural remedies. Each concern will be presented to help you reflect on whether it describes your current experience, and each remedy will be offered with the hopeful expectation that, if it does, God’s Word will meet you with help and grace.

When the path is unclear, God invites us to trust Him again. Faith grows not in ease, but through the climb—one obedient step at a time.

1. Nourishing Faith with the Word

Faith grows when Scripture is not only read, but meditated on and applied. Feeding on God’s Word anchors the heart in truth.

The Concern:

When God’s Word becomes optional, faith inevitably weakens. The unbelieving believer may profess to believe the Bible but spends little time in it. There’s no meditation, no feeding, no anchoring of the soul in divine truth. The result is a shallow, uncertain faith—easily shaken by trouble or temptation—because it has grown dull to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and lacks personal familiarity with God’s promises, His past faithfulness, and His guiding counsel. This lack of nourishment also contributes to the emotional and spiritual instability described in later points, such as anxiety and delayed obedience, since we cannot trust or obey what we do not remember or understand.

The Cure:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

To strengthen our faith, we must return to regular, prayerful Scripture meditation. Not merely reading for information, but lingering on God’s promises, character, and commands—allowing His Word to shape our thinking and renew our trust. Even a single verse, internalized and believed, can nourish a weary heart and help anchor a restless mind.

2. Restoring Dependence through Prayer

Prayer draws us out of self-reliance and into active dependence on God, reorienting our hearts to His sufficiency.

The Concern:

Prayerlessness often signals functional unbelief. Though the unbelieving believer may affirm God's sovereignty, they often live as though outcomes rest entirely on their shoulders. There’s little urgency to pray because, deep down, they trust more in their own ability to manage life than in God’s willingness to intervene.

The Cure:

"Be careful for nothing; (don't be anxious or overly concerned with cares and worry) but in every thing by prayer and supplication (earnest, humble, and specific requests) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”  (Philippians 4:6)

Strengthening our faith begins by re-learning our dependence on God. One of the simplest ways to do this is through honest prayer—confessing our needs, pouring out our fears, and giving thanks for His daily mercies. As our faith begins to deepen, these prayers become not just a spiritual exercise but a relational expression of trust. While God hears both silent and spoken prayers, voicing our concerns privately can help us humble ourselves, think more clearly, and draw nearer to Him—much like Hannah, who “poured out [her] soul before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:15).

3. Replacing Fear with God’s Truth

God’s promises disarm fear. When Scripture shapes our perspective, we respond to uncertainty with worship, not worry.

The Concern:

Anxiety and fear are often symptoms of misplaced trust. When life becomes overwhelming, the unbelieving believer becomes spiritually and emotionally paralyzed—panicking rather than praying, worrying rather than worshiping. Though they may affirm God's sovereignty, they often live as if He is absent or indifferent. This struggle is closely related to the self-reliant heart described in Point 2, where prayerlessness reveals a subtle dependence on self. Here, that self-dependence breaks down, exposing how fragile our sense of control truly is.

The Cure:

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalm 56:3)

Faith is re-built when we actively recall the truth of God’s character and trust in His faithfulness, sovereignty, and care. When fear floods our heart, we can confront it with truth from specific Scriptures. Memorize them. Speak them aloud. Our trust will then deepen as we submit our fears to God’s truth, letting His promises frame our perspective and steady us in the storm.

4. Strengthening Trust through Obedience

Obedience reinforces faith. As we submit to God’s commands, our confidence in His goodness and wisdom deepens.

The Concern:

Delayed or selective obedience often masks a deeper mistrust of God’s wisdom. The unbelieving believer obeys when it’s easy but hesitates when it’s costly. God's commands are evaluated rather than embraced, treated more like suggestions than divine mandates. This hesitancy often stems from the very issues mentioned earlier—when God’s Word is neglected (Point 1) or prayer is abandoned (Point 2), the spiritual confidence needed for prompt obedience is eroded.

The Cure:

“Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17)

Genuine faith submits to God’s Word even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or not fully understood. Faith doesn’t grow in theory; it grows through obedience. When we take immediate, concrete steps to follow God (especially in areas we’ve been avoiding) we learn by experience that His commands are not only right, but good. And more than that, we discover afresh that God Himself is good.

Cultivating Intentional Faith

Faith does not grow accidentally—it is cultivated intentionally. These first four concerns—neglecting the Word, prayerlessness, fear, and selective obedience—are not signs of a lost salvation but of a weak, neglected faith for which God has provided a cure.

In summary, living by faith again doesn’t begin with self-effort, but with repentance and renewed dependence—turning back to the God who, in His covenant faithfulness, calls His people to trust Him and persevere by His grace.

So far, we’ve briefly explored the first four of eight ways that reveal how an unbelieving believer's faith can weaken—and how the Almighty God graciously strengthens it. In Part 2, we’ll identify four additional symptoms of weak faith and further consider how the Holy Spirit, through the Word and His sanctifying work, restores the faith of unbelieving believer's and strengthens us to walk in daily, obedient trust.

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)