Who Had Great Faith in the Bible & What They Teach Us
The Bible is filled with men and women who had great faith. The good news is that they weren’t perfect. The were flawed, sinful creatures, just like us. Yet they can teach us so much! After all, they are in the Bible for a reason.
Introduction
When we read the Bible, we quickly discover that faith is not one-size-fits-all. Throughout the Old Testament and New Testament, various Bible characters show us different ways to trust the Lord God. From shepherd boys to Roman officers, from queens in a foreign land to disciples of Jesus we see faith has many faces.
These biblical figures help us see what great faith looks like in real life. They believed the promise of God and held to God’s Word. Then they stepped into the unknown, often against overwhelming odds. And through their stories, God’s people today discover some of the best ways to trust God in our own challenges.
Let’s look at 10 heroes of faith—ordinary and extraordinary—who demonstrate what it means to believe God for great things, walk in His divine authority, and receive His great miracles. After each hero of faith I am including a link to a Bible study about them so you can learn more about them and their faith.
Men & Women of Great Faith
1. Abraham & Sarah: Trusting God’s Promises When the Future Looks Impossible
The story of Abraham and Sarah (who started as Abram and Sarai) begins in Genesis 12 and continues for much of the book of Genesis.
Abraham’s faith shows how ordinary people can trust in God’s promises even when circumstances seem impossible. While there are numerous examples of Abraham and Sarah’s faith, one of the first comes when God tells Abraham (in his 90s) that he and Sarah will have a son. Further, He says that their descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Alongside his wife Sarah, Abraham believed the promise of God for a son, Isaac, and a great nation. They believed despite their old age and many years of waiting.
God also called them from their homeland to a new place. Somewhere God would lead them. Their journey to the promised land required a kind of faith that holds steady in uncertainty.
Abraham’s willingness to offer his own son as the ultimate sacrifice demonstrated unshakable faith, trusting that God would remain true to His word.
Through Abraham and Sarah, we learn that faith means relying on God’s character and promises. We do this even when details are unclear and the future seems daunting. Their story reassures us that God’s promises are for ordinary people who dare to believe for great things.
What Abraham & Sarah teach us
God often asks us to trust Him beyond what makes sense; true faith holds to His character when details are unclear. We believe in the face of the unknown.
Your Great Faith
What great things do you dare to believe can come from God?
2. Moses: Faith That Follows a Divine Calling
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch. We first encounter Moses in Exodus 1 and his life story continues through Deuteronomy 34.
Moses’ story begins as a baby. He grows up in a palace, away from his Hebrew family. Many years late her leaves the palace and spends time in the wilderness.
The action really begins with a remarkable moment at a burning bush. There the Lord God called him to lead the people of Israel out of a foreign land. Despite his feelings of inadequacy, Moses responded with faith to this divine calling, trusting that God would equip him for the great things ahead.
Leaving behind a quiet country life, Moses confronted Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt, demonstrating courage and obedience. On Mount Sinai, Moses met with the Lord God and received the Ten Commandments, guiding the people toward a new way of life and deeper relationship with God.
Unlike a great king who rules with earthly power, Moses’ greatness came from his willingness to follow God’s voice—even when the path was uncertain. His faith was not based on status, but on listening and obeying the Lord. Moses’ journey shows that faith means stepping forward, trusting God to lead, and believing He can accomplish great things through those who answer His call.
What Moses teaches us
God equips those He calls; faith follows His voice even when we feel inadequate.
Your Great Faith
What is God calling you to do? How can you demonstrate faith in His calling?
I did this study earlier this year and learned a lot about Moses I never knew before. Charles Swindoll does a wonderful job blending teaching with digging into Scripture to learn for ourselves.
3. David: Strong Faith in the Face of Overwhelming Odds
David is another Bible character whose life spans several books. We first encounter him in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel 16. His life story continues through 1 Kings 2. Much of his life is also recorded in 1 and 2 Chronicles and many Psalms are written by him.
While David started out as a shepherd boy, he ended up as one of Israel’s greatest kings. He was a great king because he had great faith. God called him “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). I can’t imagine such high praise!
Though he was a young person when he was anointed king, he didn’t become king right away. Rather, God led him through some challenges and overwhelming odds. Those times crafted David’s great faith. He went on to make mistakes and suffer consequences, but he also made wise choices and asked forgiveness through repentance.
He became father to the wisest man ever known (Solomon) and is counted among the greats in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11).
What David teaches us
Faith is not about age or status; even a young person can show bold trust in God.
Your Great Faith
How can you boldly show your trust in God? Do you need to repent and return to God, as David did? Do so now; God is always ready to receive His children!
My sister and I did this study a few years ago. In true Beth Moore fashion it’s a deep dive! But you’ll learn a lot and grow your faith at the same time.
4. Ruth & Naomi: Faithful Love That Clings to God’s People
I love the story of Ruth. This book is filled with great faith demonstrated in obedience, devotion, commitment, and love.
Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi were living in Moab, a foreign land to Jews like Naomi. After much famine and death, they returned to Judah.
While there, Ruth worked hard, obeyed her mother-in-law, and encountered many good people. While Ruth was not a Jew, she learned their ways and became a woman of great faith. That faith was learned by observing Naomi.
Ruth’s commitment to Naomi and to the God of Israel shows a simple yet strong faith that reshaped her future.
What Ruth & Naomi teach us
Sometimes faith looks like loyalty, humility, and doing the next right thing.
Your Great Faith
Is there an area of your life that would demonstrate faith through humility or obedience? Read the book of Ruth and pray. Trust God to lead you as He did Ruth and Naomi.
I did this study a few years ago and loved it! I think Courtney Joseph is an unsung hero in the world of Bible studies. She shows readers how to study God’s Word really learn a lot from it. I highly recommend this study.
5. Esther & Mordecai: Courageous Faith in a Royal Crisis
While the book of Ruth discussed above is a sedate love story, the book of Esther is filled with intrigue and suspense.
The story begins with a huge party that doesn’t end well for the queen. The disgruntled king puts out a call for all young virgins to be brought to the palace so he can find his new queen. Enter Esther. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, instructs her to keep her Jewish heritage a secret.
Eventually, she becomes queen. A horrible man wants to kill all the Jews, however. After much prayer and wisdom from Mordecai, Esther risks death and enters the king’s presence. By God’s grace, she lives and enacts a plan to save her people.
Biblical figures like Esther show us that great faith guides us to overcome overwhelming odds.
What Esther & Mordecai teach us
Courage fueled by trust in God can change the course of history.
Your Great Faith
What actions in your life need courage fueled by God? Write a prayer asking for Him to fill you with that courage today.
This study is on my personal reading list. Sandra Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and this looks like a very engaging study. Let’s both commit to get it in 2026 and do the study!
6. The Centurion: Such Great Faith that Jesus Marveled
The story of the Centurion appears in several of the Gospels (Matthew, Luke, & John). In this story, a Roman officer petitions Jesus for help. When Jesus prepares to go heal the servant, the Centurion replies that he is certain Jesus can heal from afar. Jesus does as the man requested.
The Roman Centurion’s faith is notable for a few reasons. First, he had faith in Jesus, despite not being a Jew. This story is important because it shows that Jesus didn’t come just for an elite group of people. No, He came for everyone.
Second, the Centurion demonstrated that he understood authority. He understood that Jesus had that divine authority and trusted Him.
Third, the Roman Centurion trusted that Jesus would help, even though it wasn’t for a family member. Jesus cared enough about everyone, even a servant, to provide healing.
Finally, the Centurion believed that Jesus’s authority extended to His words, not just His actions. Jesus’ words alone would heal, and the Centurion knew that.
The Roman centurion understood divine authority so deeply that Jesus marveled and said He had not seen such great faith—not even among the Jewish people.
What the Centurion teaches us
Faith recognizes who Jesus truly is and trusts His word without conditions.
Your Great Faith
Do you recognize that Jesus has divine authority and can do anything? If not, read through the Gospels. See what He did. Let it sink deep into your Spirit that He can do the same for you.
The Chosen does a wonderful job with the story of the Centurion in Season 4, Episode 4. Haven’t seen The Chosen yet? Now is a great time to watch it on Prime Video!
7. The Syro-Phoenician Woman (sometimes called the Canaanite Woman): Persistent Faith for a Hurting Child
This unnamed woman from Canaan (Syro-Phoenecia) is noteworthy because of the dialogue she had with Jesus. We find that conversation in Matthew 15 and Mark 7.
This Gentile woman (non-Jewish) approached Jesus for healing her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus replied that the kingdom of heaven was for Jews alone.
What I find most compelling about this woman is how much faith she had in Jesus to love her. Instead of departing filled with discouragement, she replied. She insisted that even dogs get scraps from the family table.
Her faith that He would provide for Gentiles was enormous! Jesus’ words confirmed her believe and her daughter was healed at that very moment.
Part of what shocks me is how bold the woman was to confront Jesus after he initially dismissed her. To me, this is proof that God wants us to interact with Him. He loves us and wants us to come to Him with our needs!
What the Syro-Phoenician woman teaches us
Desperation can lead us to a deeper dependence on Jesus—the doorway into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Your Great Faith
Are you feeling a desperate need right now? Bring it to Jesus. He is the Great Healer. And while I can’t guarantee His answer to your prayer will be yes, I can guarantee He will comfort you with His presence.
8. Peter: Flawed but Faith-Growing Disciple
Ah, Peter. You can read about Peter in all the Gospels (first shows up in Matthew 4) as well as the books of 1 and 2 Peter. Originally known as Simon, Peter’s faith is the stuff of legends. Seriously.
While we would probably like to think that Jesus’ own disciples were paragons of faith, they still stumbled. And Peter, the rock on which Christ would build His church (Matthew 16:18), was no exception.
Peter walked on water, sank, confessed Jesus as the Son of the living God, denied Him, and was restored. Each of these actions provide us snapshots of faith that rises and falls.
What Peter teaches us
Jesus grows us through failures; little faith can become strong faith under His care.
Your Great Faith
Has your faith stumbled? You’re not alone. Yet God used Peter even after he denied Jesus. God can use you, too.
You may have read this here, but Max Lucado is one of my very favorite Bible study authors. He writes with such an easy style, you forget you’re studying! I always feel like Max is sitting right with me when I do his studies, and this one about Peter is no exception. And (generally) with a great price, this should be an easy study to buy.
9. Mary & Martha: Sisters with Different Approaches to Great Faith
Mary and Martha were sisters (and their brother was Lazarus). We first see them in Luke 10. We see them in various places in the Gospels, so keep reading Luke to learn more.
The verses most people are familiar with begin in Luke 10:28. Martha is serving a large group of people in the house (Jesus, His followers, and others). Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening and learning.
Martha complains that Mary isn’t helping. Jesus rebukes Martha, saying that Mary chose “the better part” by slowing down to listen to Him. Mary’s faith is highlighted here. She may have been shirking her responsibilities, but she was seizing the moment to learn from her Savior. And those opportunities don’t come around that often.
Yet later, after Lazarus died and Jesus was delaying in arriving, Martha approaches Jesus with great faith. She asserts that He is the Lord and can do anything.
What Martha & Mary teach us
These women highlight that we show our faith differently and that like the Canaanite woman, we can go to Jesus with our concerns. Concerns do not mean a lack of faith.
Your Great Faith
How do you serve God? Use the gifts He gave you and serve Him well!
I have read this book a few times and done the study twice. Joanna Weaver does a wonderful job of helping us see the value in both Mary and Martha. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about these women, you should by this study.
10. Paul: The Greatest Missionary and a Model of Unshakable Faith
Paul makes his appearance in Acts 8. He is the author of more New Testament books than anyone else. If you aren’t familiar with the story of Saul-turned-Paul, you should read it. He was in the right place for God to use him time and again in a powerful way. From a shocking beginning, God’s grace brought him where he needed to be.
Once he was accepted as a true follower of Christ, he had a lot to say about all matters of faith. He was arguably the greatest missionary ever to live.
Paul endured persecution, prison, shipwrecks, and hardship, yet he proclaimed Christ with boldness. I pray I have the boldness of Paul, yet I also don’t want to suffer as he did. Paul’s faith despite his circumstances is remarkable.
What Paul teaches us
Faith compels us to share the Gospel regardless of opposition because we trust in God’s grace and calling.
Your Great Faith
Don’t let hard times diminish your faith. Use them to proclaim God’s goodness. Jesus said we will have difficult times, but God is always with us.
While I have not done this particular study, I have done several by John MacArthur and have never been disappointed. There’s a lot to unpack with all the Bible says about Paul, so you want a reputable Bible teacher to help. John MacArthur is that teacher.
Conclusion
The Bible is full of heroes of faith, but they didn’t start out as heroes. They were ordinary people who trusted an extraordinary God. Some were from the Jewish people, others from a foreign land. Some had such great faith, while others faltered with little faith. Yet each one shows us a unique example of faith, revealing how God’s Word and God’s promises shape us into people who believe Him for great things.
Their lives remind us that true faith isn’t measured by perfection, personality, or past mistakes. It’s measured by our willingness to take God at His word.
Whether it’s Abraham looking toward a promised land, Esther stepping into the king’s presence, a Roman Centurion trusting Jesus with a single command, or a persistent Gentile woman pleading for her child—every story points us to the One who is faithful.
I pray that as you follow Christ, your faith grows every day. I pray you look to these examples of great faith and see yourself in them.
In Christ,
🌸 Andrea
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I am an author, speaker, and communication professor. My specialty is teaching people how to have successful, faith-based relationships. My passion is to teach people how to live out Scripture in healthy relationships, especially at home. I've been married for 29 years and have two boys - ages 19 and 15. I love to bake to show my love, so you'll sometimes see favorite recipes!
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