Through the lens it looks like the picture will be blurry, but when I take the photo it comes out clear. I want to be able to manually focus, and know that what I'm focusing on will be clear. Any advice??

what camera model are you using? Is it possible that the auto focus is turned to manual?

Use autofocus if you have a AF lens on it.

Usually you get a kit 18-55 AF lens that has a A/M switch on the side. The switch should be facing the A side so it's set on autofocus. Then you have 9 points on your viewfinder, those are the autofocus points. It should usually be set to center, because you usually want the object in center of your photo to not be blurry.
Remember to press the shutter button halfway and give some time for the autofocus to focus. Then you can press it all the way, you should have your photos nice and clear.

If you happen to have a manual focus lens, you should be watching through the viewfinder and turning the focus ring on the lens and determine if your object is in focus. It's hard at night, but get some practice at home when you have some more light so you get more familiar with the focus.

Your camera probably has a diopter setting around the eyepiece that can be set for your vision. Refer to your manual about how to set it.

The most likely problem is that you've switched the focus from "auto" to "manual". If you're using the 18-55mm kit lens, check the barrel of the lens for a switch that is labelled with an "A" and an "M". Slide the switch towards the "A" and your photos should be in focus once more.
If you'd like to keep your lens in manual focus, twist the end of the barrel while looking through the view finder to focus.

Hi Steve, I inform you that the problem only is moisture. Please follow this.
1. Put the camera in sunlight for few hours. After that use it & if you face same problem then
2. You need to visit camera repair shop and they open the camera completely and clean all the inside part of the camera. because you need to clean the moisture inside of lens, viewfinder & sensor too.
So only hope in sunlight. If its solve then fine.

Check the manual for instructions on how to set it for the maximum number of megapixels and the best picture quality. If it has shake control, be sure you have it on. Set the camera to "auto" everything until you become more familiar with it.

There may be a fault requiring service (probably not economically viable if they won't do it under warranty), but before you go there, does this camera have a "Macro" feature? This is usually represented by an icon that looks like a flower. If you have set that on, the camera goes into an extreme close-up mode and won't focus on items at normal distances.

The auto-focus might be bad. Set to manual focus and see if that works. If not, then the focus motor is slipping or the motor itself is bad and cannot focus the lens properly.

Is your shutter speed fast enough? If not, you'll need a faster shutter speed or a tripod.

Are you using the proper focus sensor? Is the entire image blurry or just portions of it?

What happens if you focus manually? If it comes out sharp, then there's a problem either with the lens or the autofocus system on the camera. Have you tried it with a different lens?

Is the AF switch on the lens set to A?

As simple as this may sound, have you cleaned the lens lately? A lot of image quality deterioration comes from a finger print or other smudge on the lens. Digital cameras are succeptable to even the smallest gunk on the lens. Because the lens element is very tiny, use a cotton swab with a drop of lens cleaner (or isopropyl alcohol) to thouroughly clean and dry the lens. If it isn't a dirty lens, check your file-size and flash settings.