How do I stop doubting? (in prayer, or regarding the Gospel)

The Bible is an ongoing record of God's frustrations and His plan to deal with the rebellious who prefer an adversarial spirit to following His will as we learn to participate as aware workers in a creation that is necessarily built upon opposites including good and evil. It is still ongoing, even if the church insists they are the end all in instruction, even as they reject the Kingdom themselves for the adversarial world of man. We are at a stage now where we are personally given a chance to repent of man's and elohim's adversarial ways and join the Kingdom before the end of our personal age, showing our worthiness for the next step in creation. Manu may think they have applied but few understand the process. It started before the earth was formed and will continue when it is gone.

The purpose of our faith is to see God glorified and to accomplish His will (read John 14:13). So when we pray we must keep in mind that “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). If it’s not according to His will He will not give us what we ask for.

There are reasons why we don’t know—aren’t able to discern—His will. For example, we may need to be transformed in our thinking by renewing the mind “so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Those who are “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (see Colossians 1:9) will offer prayers that God will receive. When He answers our prayers the Father and the Son will be glorified.

Jesus taught the disciples that a tiny amount of faith will move a mountain (Matthew 17:20; see also 1 Corinthians 13:2). This certainly exposes my level of faith for what it often is and is another reason why my prayers go unanswered.

We are more likely to pray with understanding when we are grounded in the fullness of God’s Word. In each Bible-centred local assembly God provides gifted teachers who build up believers so they will follow Christ with “spiritual understanding”.