But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery here isn't just about being unstable; it highlights how doubt actively tosses you about, both by outside pressures ("driven by the wind") and internal conflict ("tossed"). This isn't just passive indecision, but a violent, restless experience where hope and despair constantly battle within you.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
James is responding to the diverse trials his readers are facing, urging them not to waver or despair. He just encouraged them to ask God for wisdom with confidence in His generosity. This verse emphasizes that such prayers must be offered with unwavering faith, contrasting this steadfastness with the instability of a wave tossed by the wind.
When you pray, do you ever wonder if God really hears you or really cares about the specifics of your request? James gets right to the heart of it.
James isn't just talking about intellectually agreeing that God exists. He's talking about a deep, active trust in who God is and His promises. It's about believing He is, that He possesses all good, and that He's ready to give us what we need. This isn't a passive agreement, but a confident approach to God, especially when seeking the wisdom He promises to give freely.
Think of it as believing God's character and His Word so firmly that you approach Him with assurance, knowing He desires to bless you according to His will.
James uses a powerful image to describe what happens when our prayers are clouded by doubt. It's a picture of instability and being completely at the mercy of external forces.
The word James uses for 'doubting' isn't just simple uncertainty. It's a hesitation, a pulling back and forth between belief and disbelief, often leaning towards disbelief. This internal debate leaves us unstable, like a wave being tossed by the wind.
The wave has no power of its own; it's completely subject to the wind and currents. Likewise, a person who doubts is at the mercy of every passing thought, feeling, or circumstance. Their prayers lack the steady confidence that God hears and answers, leaving them restless and unproductive.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
pistis · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to a settled conviction, reliance, or trust in God’s character and promises. It is the active response of the believer to God's revelation, often contrasted with hesitation or skepticism.
diakrinō · Greek Verb
A state of internal conflict or hesitation between two options, specifically involving a lack of confidence in God’s willingness or ability to answer. It reflects an indecisive divided heart that fails to rely fully on God.
Jesus tells his disciples, 'Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.' This passage directly echoes James's teaching on the power of unhesitating faith in prayer.
Hebrews 11:6This verse states, 'without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.' It highlights faith as the essential prerequisite for approaching God, just as James emphasizes faith for effective prayer.
Isaiah 57:20The prophet describes the wicked as 'like the troubled sea that cannot be still, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.' This imagery powerfully parallels James's comparison of the doubter to a restless, unstable wave, emphasizing the turmoil that comes from a lack of faith.
Ephesians 4:14Paul warns believers to 'no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.' This passage uses similar maritime imagery to describe those unstable in their beliefs, connecting to James's depiction of a doubter's instability.
barnesJames 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
But let him ask in faith - See the passages referred to in James 1:5 . Compare the Matthew 7:7 note, and Hebrews 11:6 note. We cannot hope to obtain any favor from God if there is not faith; and where, as in regard to the wisdom necessary to guide us, we are sure that it is in accordance with his will to grant it to us, we may come to him with the utmost confi…
vincentJames 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
Doubting (διακρινόμενος)Compare Matthew 21:21. Not equivalent to unbelief, but expressing the hesitation which balances between faith and unbelief, and inclines toward the latter. This idea is brought out in the next sentence.A wave (κλύδωνι)Rev., surge. Only here and Luke 8:24; though the kindred verb occurs at Ephesians 4:14. The word is admirably chosen,…
The imagery here isn't just about being unstable; it highlights how doubt actively tosses you about, both by outside pressures ("driven by the wind") and internal conflict ("tossed"). This isn't just passive indecision, but a violent, restless experience where hope and despair constantly battle within you.
James is responding to the diverse trials his readers are facing, urging them not to waver or despair. He just encouraged them to ask God for wisdom with confidence in His generosity. This verse emphasizes that such prayers must be offered with unwavering faith, contrasting this steadfastness with the instability of a wave tossed by the wind.
James is responding to the diverse trials his readers are facing, urging them not to waver or despair. He just encouraged them to ask God for wisdom with confidence in His generosity. This verse emphasizes that such prayers must be offered with unwavering faith, contrasting this steadfastness with the instability of a wave tossed by the wind.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." — The imagery here isn't just about being unstable; it highlights how doubt actively tosses you about, both by outside pressures ("driven by the wind") and internal conflict ("tossed"). This isn't just…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026