Are You Ready? Overcoming Doubt and Unbelief with Persistent Faith (Rev. Donna Burrows)

Are you ready to stand strong in faith as the world grows darker? Rev. Donna Burrows says the Lord woke her one morning with those three words, and this message is her answer. She teaches that the main obstacle every believer must overcome is doubt and unbelief, shows how the devil works to plant it, and names five warning signs that slowly harden a heart. Her goal is that when Jesus comes, He will find persistent faith in you.

Below you will find the full video, a structured summary of the message, the Scripture behind each point (linked to the New King James Version on Bible Gateway), a table of the warning signs she describes, a timestamped outline, and practical steps you can take this week.

Sermon at a Glance

This message from NTC Ministries was posted on June 27, 2024. Rev. Donna Burrows, who also teaches children’s church, builds on her previous message, in which she showed that faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Here she asks how believers can walk in that overcoming faith consistently when the enemy of our souls keeps trying to trip us up.

She draws on Israel in the wilderness, Mephibosheth and object lessons from children’s church. The message closes with the congregation standing to declare together that they are overcomers in Christ who will walk by faith and not by sight, and will persist until Jesus comes.

Are You Ready for the Days Ahead?

Rev. Burrows had been praying about what to share when she woke abruptly with three words: are you ready? She came to believe the word was for all of us. The question, she says, is whether we are ready to make a conscious decision to stand strong in faith amid whatever challenges the days ahead may bring.

She ties this to what Pastor Paul had shared earlier that morning about being ready to receive from God. God has great plans for every believer, and they fit together as parts of the body of Christ. To receive them and to stay strong, the primary thing we must overcome is the obstacle of doubt and unbelief. She calls it “a biggie.”

Last time, she reminds the church, she taught that faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). But believers are not impervious to the devil’s attempts to sow doubt. The good news is that we have a wonderful helper in the Holy Spirit.

The Roaring Lion and the King’s Favor

Peter says the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). That means it is possible to be devoured, Rev. Burrows notes, but we do not have to be susceptible. Why a roaring lion? She finds a clue in Proverbs 19:12: the king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

The devil is a great impostor, she says. He imitates our King, the true Lion of Judah, and twists it to convince us that God is angry with us when we mess up. His aim is to keep us from coming boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

The truth is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The King’s favor rests on us like dew on the grass, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).

She reads Isaiah 54:9–10. As God swore that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so He has sworn that He would not be angry with us or rebuke us. The mountains may depart, but His kindness will not depart from us, nor His covenant of peace. All of God’s wrath was poured on Jesus at the cross, she explains. God may be disappointed when we try to do things our own way, and like a loving parent He will correct and warn us, but purely out of love.

Then she turns to the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. At the end, Jesus asks whether the Son of Man will find faith on the earth when He comes (Luke 18:8). The Amplified Classic renders it as persistence in faith. Rev. Burrows says she wants Jesus to find her living in persistent faith, and that means guarding our hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23).

Feeding and Exercising Your Faith

Faith grows weak through neglect: by not feeding it, not exercising it, and filling our time with things that do not build it, even things that seem harmless.

She gives an object lesson from children’s church. Picture a glass of clear water representing your faith. As worldly influences come in, it is like stirring in dirt until the water turns cloudy and brown. But if you keep pouring in clean water, the water of the Word of God, in time the dirty water is displaced. So if you have grown lax about the Word, church or fellowship, do not despair. Begin pouring the Word back in.

When we were born again, our spirit was made new, but our minds still carry old thinking that must be renewed by the washing of water by the Word (Ephesians 5:26). She also urges believers to build up their faith by praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20), and invites anyone not yet baptized in the Spirit to see her after the service.

Faith also needs exercise. Speak faith-filled words out loud in agreement with God’s Word, act on it, and call those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). Let faith work through love (Galatians 5:6) every day, not only in a crisis. If you have not been building your faith, she warns, you will crash and burn when the crisis comes. You cannot run a marathon without training.

We need protection and provision every day, she adds, so acknowledge God daily as protector, provider and healer, who heals all our diseases (Psalm 103:2–3), and trust Him for power to overcome bad habits.

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). When we are not walking in faith, we are not inviting Him into our day.

Another gift box lesson makes the point about receiving. She holds up a wrapped box with a bright yellow bow; a child gains nothing until they reach out and take it. We do not have to beg God, yet receiving is not automatic. James 1:6–8 says to ask in faith with no doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, a double-minded man who should not suppose he will receive anything from the Lord. Faith, she concludes, is a choice.

Two Kinds of Unbelief

We are not to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices, Rev. Burrows says. He is subtle. He speaks in the first person, so his lies feel like our own thoughts, or through someone else in words that sound reasonable but deceive. So we need to know what unbelief looks like in order to spot it, resist it and stay in faith.

She describes two kinds. The first is ignorance. Hosea 4:6 says God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, and she explains that this knowledge means intimate fellowship with God, not just knowing facts or verses. The second is being unpersuadable: hearing of miracles, even seeing them, and still rationalizing them away. Hosea goes on to say they rejected knowledge.

Hebrews 3:7–19, written to believers, calls this an evil heart of unbelief. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness. They saw God’s works for forty years. So seeing miracles does not produce faith, she says; it can encourage it, but faith comes by hearing the Word of God again and again (Romans 10:17).

Israel saw God’s acts but did not know His ways as Moses did (Psalm 103:7). Because of unbelief they could not enter His rest. Unbelief never rests, she says, but faith rests in God’s love, His faithfulness and the finished work of Jesus. Hebrews also tells believers to warn and encourage each other daily, so that none of us is hardened by sin.

She asks the church to tuck one statement into their hearts: see every challenge as an opportunity to believe and trust God. Israel had every reason to trust Him. They were protected in Goshen, which she says means nearness, delivered from slavery, and fed with manna and water from the rock. She notes there was none feeble among them when they left (Psalm 105:37). Yet at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh behind them, they panicked and forgot it all.

Our faith will be tested. 1 Peter 1:6–7 says trials prove the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold tested by fire. Rev. Burrows calls faith our lifeline to God. Like Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2), we can look ahead to the joy and glory waiting for those whose faith remains strong.

Fear Is an Enemy, Not an Emotion

The fear that rose in Israel at every test is an enemy, Rev. Burrows teaches. It is designed to paralyze you, and a paralyzed person cannot reach out and take what God offers. That is why Jesus told His disciples the night before the cross, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The word let shows it is our choice.

Fear is not an uncontrollable emotion, she says; it is a spirit, and God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear comes when we take our eyes off Jesus, fix them on circumstances, give weight to negative reports and imagine the worst. Fear differs from caution; it grips the heart through wrong beliefs and a negative imagination.

Her example is Mephibosheth. When he was five, news came that Saul and Jonathan had died, and his nurse fled in fear; he fell and became lame (2 Samuel 4:4). He grew up in Lo Debar, which she says means no word or no thing. For years he likely heard stories of how Saul had hunted David.

But David had made a covenant with Jonathan and wanted to show kindness to his house. He called for Mephibosheth to restore his inheritance and seat him at the king’s table every day. Mephibosheth fell on his face, and David had to tell him not to be afraid (2 Samuel 9:1–13). Fear born of wrong information nearly robbed him of everything the king wanted to give.

What and whom we listen to really matters. Our generous King, the Lord Jesus, wants to bless us just as David did. A growing knowledge of His love is the answer, because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Each time fear is tolerated instead of dealt with, the heart grows a little harder.

She shares a saying she credits, she thinks, to Kenneth Copeland: fear tolerated is faith contaminated, like the dirty water. When anxiety rises over a bill due in two days, refuse it: my God shall supply all your need (Philippians 4:19). Whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23), so repent, change your thinking and rebuke fear in Jesus’ name. Start with Psalm 56:3–4: whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. It is a matter of the will.

Five Warning Signs of a Hardening Heart

Rev. Burrows names five warning signs that lead to a hard heart and unbelief, and notes that they tend to work together: when one shows up, the others usually join in. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. The table below follows her teaching on each.

Complaining. Israel tired of manna, yet they should have eaten it for only about eleven days. In the land, houses, wells and vineyards awaited them. They ate manna for forty years because of unbelief. If something is not changing in your life, she says, check what you are thinking and saying. Complaining comes from being carnally minded, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Philippians 2:14–15 tells us to do all things without complaining and disputing, so that we may be blameless children of God shining as lights in a crooked and perverse generation. A hard heart, she warns, ties God’s hands, because He will not override His Word or our will. A hard-hearted person rejects correction, but he who receives correction is wise (Proverbs 15:5; Proverbs 12:1).

Impatience. Israel blamed Moses and grew impatient when he did not come down from Sinai quickly, which led to the golden calf. We too can rush ahead of God’s timing. Though the vision tarries, wait for it (Habakkuk 2:3). The testing of faith produces patience (James 1:3–4), and after Abraham patiently endured, he obtained the promise (Hebrews 6:15); he and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac.

Forgetfulness and unthankfulness. Psalm 105:1–5 calls us to give thanks, make known His deeds and remember His marvelous works. Forgetting leads to unthankfulness. Rev. Burrows keeps journals of answered prayer for low moments and urges the church to share testimonies. Giving thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18) keeps the heart tender.

Unbelief is a thief, she concludes. If a thief broke into your house, you would get him out at once. Repent as soon as you detect a warning sign, and let faith come by hearing the Word. The just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, God has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38).

Faith is released mainly through our words, which James compares to a bit in a horse’s mouth or a ship’s rudder (James 3:3–5). Like steering a canoe from the stern, changing how we talk can feel like paddling upstream, but it can save us in the rapids. Submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7).

Living It Out This Week

Rev. Burrows closes by asking the congregation to stand and declare: I am an overcomer in Christ; I will walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); and I will persist until Jesus comes. If you want to answer “are you ready” with a yes, here are steps drawn from her message:

• Feed your faith daily. Pour in the clean water of the Word until it displaces whatever has clouded your faith.
• Pray in the Spirit. Build yourself up in your most holy faith, and seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit if you have not received it.
• Treat challenges as opportunities. When a test comes, say out loud that this is a chance to believe and trust God.
• Refuse to tolerate fear. Repent quickly, rebuke it in Jesus’ name and declare Psalm 56:3–4.
• Keep a thanksgiving journal. Write down answered prayers and share them so that remembering leads to thanks.
• Watch your words. Replace complaining with faith-filled words that agree with what God has said.

Timestamped Outline

• 0:00 Woken with three words: are you ready?
• 1:16 The obstacle of doubt and unbelief
• 3:44 The devil as a roaring lion
• 5:12 God’s favor and Isaiah 54
• 7:35 Will He find faith on the earth?
• 8:59 The dirty water object lesson
• 11:14 Praying in the Spirit and speaking faith
• 14:32 Without faith it is impossible to please God
• 17:00 The gift box and James 1:6–8
• 19:18 The enemy’s subtle tactics
• 20:41 Two kinds of unbelief
• 22:06 Hebrews 3: do not harden your hearts
• 27:42 Every challenge is an opportunity
• 31:23 1 Peter 1: faith tested by fire
• 34:00 Fear is an enemy
• 35:12 Mephibosheth and King David
• 42:01 Fear tolerated is faith contaminated
• 44:28 Psalm 56: I will trust
• 46:54 Manna for forty years
• 52:25 Impatience and waiting on God
• 55:18 Forgetfulness and a thanksgiving journal
• 57:44 Unbelief is a thief: Hebrews 10:38
• 59:11 Steering with our words
• 1:02:06 Declaration: I am an overcomer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is God angry with me when I fail?

Rev. Burrows teaches that He is not. Using Isaiah 54, she explains that God has sworn not to be angry with His people or rebuke them, because all His wrath was poured out on Jesus at the cross. He may be disappointed when we try to do things our own way, and like a loving parent He will correct and warn us. But the devil’s roar of anger is an imitation designed to keep us from His throne of grace.

If I have seen miracles, why do I still struggle with doubt?

Rev. Burrows points to Israel, who saw God’s miracles for forty years and still did not believe. Seeing miracles, she says, can encourage faith, but it does not produce it. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God again and again and from an intimate relationship with Him.

What should I do the moment I notice fear or complaining?

Deal with it at once. Rev. Burrows compares unbelief to a thief in your house that you would remove as soon as possible. She says to repent, change your thinking, remind yourself of God’s love and promises, and rebuke fear in Jesus’ name. Then declare what Scripture says, such as Psalm 56:3–4 or Philippians 4:19. The more consistently you refuse fear, she says, the sooner the enemy gives up that tactic.

Scripture References

All passages open in the New King James Version on Bible Gateway:

• Hebrews 3:7–19 — do not harden your hearts
• James 1:6–8 — ask in faith, with no doubting
• Luke 18:8 — will He find faith on the earth?
• Isaiah 54:9–10 — His covenant of peace
• Proverbs 19:12 — the lion’s roar and the dew
• Hosea 4:6 — destroyed for lack of knowledge
• 2 Samuel 9:1–13 — kindness to Mephibosheth
• Psalm 56:3–4 — whenever I am afraid
• Hebrews 10:38 — the just shall live by faith

How this summary was made: written with AI assistance from the sermon’s own transcript and checked against the Scriptures listed above.

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