King James Bible
"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."
James commands believers to pray with unwavering trust in God's character and promises. The Greek term for 'wavering' (diakrinō) means to doubt or be divided in mind, emphasizing that effective prayer requires wholehearted confidence rather than skeptical uncertainty. The doubter is compared to ocean waves—unstable, unpredictable, and lacking any fixed direction. This maritime metaphor would resonate with James's audience familiar with the Mediterranean's changing waters, illustrating how doubt creates spiritual instability. External forces control the doubter's spiritual state, just as wind determines a wave's movement. This passive construction emphasizes the powerlessness of those who lack faith-anchored conviction, suggesting they become victims of circumstances rather than recipients of God's wisdom.