1 John 5:14

1 John 5:14, in plain English

Here's the confidence you can have when you come to God: if you ask for something that aligns with who He is and what He wants, He absolutely hears you.

Why it's here

Prayer can feel disconnected sometimes—like you're shouting into the void. John's addressing that, saying: no, God hears you. But there's a condition: 'according to His will.' This isn't blank-check praying; it's praying aligned with God's character and purposes.

Who's speaking

John the apostle

Where it sits in the story

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 'Your will be done' (Matthew 6:10). John is building on that foundation. Prayer isn't manipulating God into doing what you want; it's aligning yourself with what He wants and asking Him to accomplish it. That's when prayer becomes powerful.

The scholarly reading

Confidence in prayer before God rests on the conviction that he hears us when our petitions align with his purposes and character—it is conditional trust based on alignment with the divine will.

Language and setting

The Greek term παρρησία (parrhesia) means bold, unhindered confidence or freedom of speech. Against magical thinking about prayer (petition as a formula guaranteeing results), John establishes that efficacious prayer requires alignment with God's telos. The audience is likely discouraged by unanswered prayers or social marginalization that made prayer seem inefficacious.

Voice

John

Significance

This develops Jesus's teaching from John 14:13-14 and 15:7-8 about asking in Jesus's name and bearing fruit, now applied to the community's concrete need for effective intercession.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

14And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.

Read all of 1 John 5 — Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory — our faith. And this is the confidence: if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.