A Prayer for Overcoming Doubt with Divine Assurance - Your Daily Prayer - September 19 

A Prayer for Overcoming Doubt with Divine Assurance
By Laura Bailey

Bible Reading
“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV

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The glowing neon light taunted me from across the room at 3:35 a.m. For weeks, I’d woken up in a full sweat at the same time in the early morning hours. Knowing I couldn’t get back to sleep, I threw off the covers and shuffled to the den. “You were up early again this morning,” my husband commented over his first and my fourth cup of coffee. Is it still the same issue keeping you awake?” For the last few months, my faith has been plagued with doubt.

• How can I be 100% certain I am saved?
• What if I choose the wrong religion, and I am going to their version of Hell?
• Why can’t I feel God’s presence? 
• Why haven’t I experienced a miracle? 
• Is God even real?

My mind raced with these thoughts at stoplights as I washed the dishes, especially around bedtime. Wrestling with my faith and experiencing doubt wasn’t new for me, yet this felt different—like a full-on spiritual attack. Since I was no stranger to these bouts of spiritual anxiety, I reached out to my pastor, shared my struggles with my accountability group, read Scripture, and prayed as often as I could. Over time, the anxiety and intrusive thoughts lessened but continued to persist. 

One morning, in my study of 1 Thessalonians, I read these words from Paul in 5:1-11, lingering over our key verse, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” As he often does, Paul reminds believers that they are soldiers in God’s army and must prepare and protect themselves for battle.

A soldier’s breastplate guards their heart; our faith gives us the courage to face the prince of this world and fills us with God’s love. The helmet, which he calls our hope of salvation, reminds us of the importance of protecting our minds against the devil’s schemes. Satan is not unique; he uses the same strategies and spouts the same lies of old. Yet, we often fall prey to his tricks, so protecting our minds with biblical truth is important! The helmet of salvation reminds us that those of us in Christ are a new creation, and nothing can separate us from His love. 

This wasn’t the first time I’d read these verses; just a few years ago, we did an in-depth study on the armor of God. Yet, in that moment, I felt like the Lord was speaking these words directly to my heart. A peace that surpasses understanding filled my spirit. I felt an unexplained comfort and sense of relief. 

I wish I could report that from that day on, I slept through the night and haven’t experienced any bouts of doubt—that is not the case. But hiding these words in my heart and speaking them out loud when the attacks start helps to shut down the enemy, not allowing him to get a stronghold over my thoughts. Friend, if you’re in a season of doubt or feel the effects of spiritual warfare, know that I pray for you as I pray for myself as you fight the enemy with the sword of truth and protect yourself with the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of faith and love.  May we remind ourselves of this encouragement in Romans 8:37, 

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” 

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, we pray that as we put on the full armor of God every day, we will diligently protect ourselves from our enemy’s evil schemes. Thank you for loving us and remaining faithful even when we doubt. Lord, help us to lean into your Spirit, and may we always look for glimmers of Heaven. Let us be careful to give coincidence credit when we know that it was divinely appointed. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Photo credit: Unsplash/Dewang Gupta

Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today.

She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com connect on Facebook and Instagram. 

Related Resource: How to Choose Your One Word for 2026

This month on the How to Study the Bible Podcast, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished.

Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026.

 This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!