Devine Scripture

1 John 5:14

What does 1 John 5:14 mean?

A plain-English look at 1 John 5:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What 1 John 5:14 means

Assurance leads to boldness in prayer: if we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us. This promise is as wide as His will and as wise as His purposes. It calls us to align our desires with what pleases Him, revealed in His Word and in His Son. “He hears us” means He regards and receives our petitions favorably, not that He grants caprice. This confidence does not make us careless; it makes us earnest and expectant, trusting our Father to answer in the best way and time when our requests harmonize with His will.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And we are certain that if we make any request to him which is right in his eyes, he will give ear to us:

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And this is the boldness that we have toward Him, that if anything we may ask according to his will, He doth hear us,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And this is the boldness which we have towards him, that if we ask him anything according to his will he hears us.

Context

Coming straight after the assurance of verse 13, verse 14 shows one immediate fruit: prayerful confidence. The condition—“according to his will”—guards the promise from misuse and sets up verse 15’s logical conclusion: if He hears us, we already “have” what we’ve asked. John will then apply this principle to intercession in verses 16–17, addressing prayer for a brother committing sin and the boundary posed by a “sin unto death.” Thus boldness in prayer is tethered to discernment and holiness within the community.

v.13These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

v.14This passage

v.15and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Jeremiah 33:3

    Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.

  • Matthew 7:7

    Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

  • James 5:16

    Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.

  • Hebrews 3:14

    for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:

  • Psalms 69:33

    For Jehovah heareth the needy, And despiseth not his prisoners.

  • Matthew 21:22

    And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

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