The Ninth Mandate, on Doubt

1 He said to me: “Rid yourself of a doubting mind, and do not be of two minds at all about asking God for anything,⁠a saying to yourself, ‘How can I ask anything of the Lord and receive it, since I have committed so many sins against Him?’ 2 Do not think this way, but turn to the Lord with your whole heart, and ask Him without hesitation, and you will know His great compassion, that He will certainly not abandon you, but will fulfill the desire of your soul. 3 For God is not like people who hold grudges, but He Himself is without malice and has compassion on His creation. 4 So cleanse your heart from all the vanities of this life and from the things mentioned before; and ask the Lord, and you will receive all things, and will lack none of your requests if you ask the Lord without doubting. 5 But if you hesitate in your heart, you will certainly receive none of your requests. For those who waver before God—these are the doubters, and they never get any of their requests. 6 But those who are complete in the faith present all their requests trusting in the Lord, and they receive, because they ask without doubting, being sure; for every doubting person, if they do not repent, will hardly be saved. 7 So cleanse your heart from doubt, and put on faith, for it is strong, and trust God to grant all the requests you ask for. And if, after asking something of the Lord, you receive your desire a little late, do not be of two minds just because you did not receive the request of your soul at once. For certainly it is because of some temptation or some offense you are unaware of that you receive your request late. 8 So do not stop making your soul’s request, and you will receive it. But if you grow weary and begin to doubt as you ask, blame yourself and not the One who gives to you. Beware of this doubting, for it is evil and foolish, and uproots many from the faith—yes, even some who are very faithful and strong. For this doubt really is a daughter of the devil, and does much harm to the servants of God. 9 So despise doubt, and gain mastery over it in everything, clothing yourself with faith, which is strong and powerful. For faith promises all things and completes all things; but doubt, since it does not trust itself, fails in every work it undertakes. 10 You see, then,” he said, “that faith is from above, from the Lord, and has great power, but doubt is an earthly spirit from the devil and has no power. 11 So serve the faith that has power, and keep away from the doubt that has no power; and you will live for God—yes, and all who think this way will live for God.”