1 John 5:15 kjv
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
1 John 5:15 nkjv
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
1 John 5:15 niv
And if we know that he hears us?whatever we ask?we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:15 esv
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5:15 nlt
And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
1 John 5 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jn 5:14 | "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." | Direct preceding context, defines the basis. |
| Jn 14:13 | "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." | Asking "in Jesus' name" implies God's will. |
| Jn 15:7 | "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." | Abiding in Christ aligns desires with His. |
| Jn 16:23 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." | Further emphasizes authority of Jesus' name. |
| Matt 7:7-8 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Universal promise to those who ask sincerely. |
| Matt 21:22 | "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." | Connects prayer's efficacy to faith. |
| Jas 1:5-6 | "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God... But let him ask in faith, with no doubting." | Emphasizes asking in faith for specific needs. |
| Rom 8:26-27 | "The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings... intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." | Spirit guides us to pray according to God's will. |
| Ps 37:4 | "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." | Aligning desires with God's leads to fulfillment. |
| Phil 4:6 | "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." | Replaces anxiety with prayerful reliance. |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." | Encourages confident approach to God in prayer. |
| Mk 11:24 | "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." | Similar to 1 Jn 5:15 in present tense belief. |
| 1 Jn 3:21-22 | "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God... and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments." | Obedience and righteous living bring confidence. |
| Lk 11:9-10 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Assurance of God's readiness to respond. |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer." | God is attentive to the prayers of His people. |
| Prov 15:29 | "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous." | Righteousness is linked to heard prayer. |
| Is 65:24 | "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." | Demonstrates God's proactive readiness to hear. |
| Jas 4:3 | "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." | Illustrates limitations; prayers outside God's will or for selfish ends are not answered. |
| Rom 12:2 | "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." | Important for understanding and discerning God's will. |
| 2 Cor 12:8-9 | "Three times I pleaded with the Lord... But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you...'" | God's answer may be different than expected, but is always sufficient and aligned with His will. |
| Eph 3:20 | "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..." | God's answers often exceed our petitions. |
| 1 Jn 2:3-5 | "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar..." | "Knowing" God relates to obedience, underpinning prayer confidence. |
1 John 5 verses
1 John 5 15 Meaning
1 John 5:15 assures believers that because God hears prayers made according to His will, they can have confidence that the petitions they have asked for are already effectively granted to them in His divine purpose and provision. It emphasizes a present assurance in the act of prayer, based on a relationship of trust and alignment with God's character and plan. This confidence is a direct result of the preceding statement in verse 14, where prayer is conditioned on alignment with God's will.
1 John 5 15 Context
1 John chapter 5 is part of John’s broader message of assurance, especially focusing on assurance of salvation and knowing God. The entire letter provides criteria by which believers can be confident in their relationship with God. In chapter 5, John discusses belief in Jesus as the Son of God, overcoming the world through faith, the testimony of the Spirit, water, and blood, and then transitions to the topic of confident prayer. Verse 15 is a direct follow-up to verse 14, which establishes the foundational condition for prayer: asking "according to His will." This immediately addresses any misinterpretation of God granting "anything" indiscriminately. The original audience would have been dealing with Gnostic influences that promoted a "knowledge" distinct from ethical living and relational trust in God. John's emphasis on knowing God through obedience and confident prayer (rather than esoteric knowledge) counters these ideas. It provides an antidote to false assurance based on intellectual assent alone, linking true knowledge and faith to practical outcomes like effective prayer.
1 John 5 15 Word analysis
- And if we know: (Καὶ ἐὰν οἴδαμεν - Kai ean oidamen)
- Καὶ (kai): "And" - Connects this verse directly to the preceding thought, particularly v. 14, signifying continuity in argument.
- ἐὰν (ean): "if" - Indicates a condition, implying a truth or fact being affirmed, rather than mere possibility or doubt.
- οἴδαμεν (oidamen): "we know" (from οἶδα - oida). This is a perfect tense verb, carrying the sense of an intuitive, settled, complete knowledge or understanding derived from past experience or settled conviction. It is not merely intellectual assent but deep, experiential knowledge or certainty, often related to spiritual understanding in John's writings. It highlights assurance.
- that he hears us: (ὅτι ἀκούει ἡμῶν - hoti akouei hēmōn)
- ὅτι (hoti): "that" - Introduces a direct statement of what is known.
- ἀκούει (akouei): "he hears" (from ἀκούω - akouō). This refers not just to perceiving sound but to active listening, with the intent to understand and respond. It denotes attentiveness and responsiveness on God's part, implying a positive action will follow.
- ἡμῶν (hēmōn): "us" - Emphasizes the personal relationship between believers and God.
- whatever we ask, (ὃ ἐὰν αἰτώμεθα - ho ean aitōmetha)
- ὃ ἐὰν (ho ean): "whatever" - A general qualifier. This "whatever" is inherently qualified by "according to His will" from v. 14, underscoring that our asking must be congruent with God’s revealed nature and purpose.
- αἰτώμεθα (aitōmetha): "we ask" (from αἰτέω - aiteō). This verb for "to ask" or "request" signifies making a demand or presenting a petition. It's an act of seeking from a position of dependence.
- we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. (οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἔχομεν τὰ αἰτήματα ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ. - oidamen hoti echomen ta aitēmata ha ētēkamen ap’ autou.)
- οἴδαμεν (oidamen): "we know" - Repeated from the beginning, reinforcing the absolute certainty and settled conviction of the outcome.
- ἔχομεν (echomen): "we have" (from ἔχω - echō). This is in the present tense, denoting a current possession or reality, not just a future expectation. It signifies that from God’s perspective, the answer is already a settled matter, potentially already active even if not yet physically manifest. It speaks of divine provision already in motion.
- τὰ αἰτήματα (ta aitēmata): "the petitions/requests" - The things or matters that have been requested.
- ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν (ha ētēkamen): "which we have asked" (from αἰτέω - aiteō). The verb here is in the aorist active indicative, implying a definite past action of asking, with ongoing results, connecting to the previous request.
- ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ (ap' autou): "from Him" - Originates from God.
1 John 5 15 Bonus section
The confidence articulated in 1 John 5:15 is intrinsically linked to abiding in Christ and walking in obedience. It is not merely a formulaic approach but flows from a genuine relationship with God where one's desires are progressively conformed to His own. This verse strongly implies that the Christian life is characterized by such intimate knowing and trusting of God that one is able to pray effectually, being sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who guides our intercession according to divine purpose (Rom 8:26-27). The emphasis on "we know that we have" prior to receiving often points to faith's conviction that God has already heard and purposed the answer, bringing spiritual rest regardless of immediate visible outcomes. This highlights a present spiritual reality of possession even while the physical manifestation may be pending.
1 John 5 15 Commentary
1 John 5:15 encapsulates the profound confidence available to believers in prayer. It does not grant a "blank check" for arbitrary requests but builds on the crucial premise of verse 14: that prayers must align with God's will. When our desires and petitions are sanctified by His Spirit and directed according to His divine purpose, we can approach Him with absolute assurance. The "knowing" here is not mere hope but a firm, settled conviction stemming from deep knowledge of God's character and promises. The powerful declaration "we have the petitions" (ἔχομεν - present tense) signifies a spiritual reality; from God's eternal perspective, the answer is already decided and given, even before its temporal manifestation. This grants a peace and certainty even while waiting, understanding that what is truly in alignment with God's will is already accounted for in His divine economy. This verse underscores the privilege of intimate fellowship with a God who listens and actively responds when His children pray according to His perfect plan.