Doubt, prayer and community

Ages 13 to 17 Read alone · about 50 minutes

Read together

Many teenagers, and many adults, have doubts about faith: whether God is real, why there is suffering, whether the Bible can be trusted, or how faith fits with what they learn in school. Doubt is common. It is not the opposite of faith. The apostle Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen and asked for proof. Jesus met him with patience and showed him his hands and side (John 20:24–29). A father who asked Jesus to heal his son said, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24, a paraphrase).

The Bible is honest about hard feelings. Psalm 88 is a prayer that ends in darkness. Job and Habakkuk questioned God. The writers of the Psalms often cry out “How long?”. Honest prayer can include questions and anger.

You do not have to face doubt alone. Ask your questions out loud. Talk with a parent, a pastor, a mentor or a friend you trust. Read books written by thoughtful Christians about doubt. Keep practising what helps: prayer, Scripture, worship and service. Faith is lived in community, and a good community makes space for questions. If your church treats questions as sinful, it is all right to look for people who welcome them.

Do it

1. Write down your doubts and questions honestly, in a private notebook. Which are about facts, which are about feelings, and which are about people in the church?
2. Read John 20:24–29 and Psalm 88. What do you notice about how honest the Bible is?
3. Choose one question and look for a thoughtful answer from two sources, perhaps a book by a Christian writer and a talk with a mentor. Write what you learn.
4. Pray in your own words, including your questions, for one week. Note what changes.

Talk about it

• What is your biggest question about faith?
• Who can you ask?

For the grown-up

Teen doubt is normal and often a sign of growing faith, not of failure. Listen more than you answer. Respond with curiosity rather than alarm, and tell your teen that questions are welcome. Books such as Os Guinness's “In Two Minds” and Alister McGrath's “Doubting” may help. If doubt comes with deep sadness or hopelessness, see the lesson on stress, anxiety and getting help, and in a crisis call or text 988 (US) or find a helpline at findahelpline.com.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Gospel of John 20:24 to 29; Gospel of Mark 9:24; Psalm 88
• Os Guinness, In Two Minds: The Dilemma of Doubt and How to Resolve It (InterVarsity Press, 1976)
• Alister McGrath, Doubting: Growing Through the Uncertainties of Faith (InterVarsity Press, 2006)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.