1 John · Chapter 5 · Prayer

1 John 5:14 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Read in chapter context · 1 John 5

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us."

KJV · King James Version

"And2532 this3778 is2076 the confidence3954 that3739 we have2192 in4314 him846, that3754, if1437 we ask154 any thing5100 according2596 to his846 will2307, he heareth191 us2257: in: or, concerning him"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses and, confidence, any, thing, while the WEB renders these as boldness, which, toward, anything. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

1 John 5:14 in 1 John 5

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 1 John 5:14 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 1 John 5. Read the full chapter →

v.12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
v.13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
v.14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.
v.15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
v.16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.

Book background

About the Book of 1 John

Testament: New Testament
Genre: General epistle
Author: John the apostle
Date written: c. 85–95 AD
Audience: Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy
Chapters: 5

1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. He gives three running tests of authentic Christian life: belief in Jesus, obedience, and love. The famous declaration "God is love" (4:8) and the assurance that "you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) are at its core.

Setting: Written from Ephesus late in John's life.

Key themes: love · truth · assurance · fellowship · eternal life

Read 1 John from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise 1 John 5:14

1 John 5:14 contains 22 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

This is the boldness which we have toward him

TITBWW
2

that

T
3

if we ask anything according to his will

IWAAAT
4

he listens to us.

HLTU

Frequently asked

FAQ about 1 John 5:14

What does 1 John 5:14 say?

1 John 5:14 reads: "This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us." — from the New Testament, 1 John (General epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is 1 John 5:14 in?

1 John 5:14 is in the book of 1 John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle and written around c. 85–95 AD. 1 John is general epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy. Best known for "God is love" and assurance of eternal life.

What is 1 John 5:14 about?

1 John 5:14 is primarily a Bible verse about Prayer. Within 1 John, 1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between 1 John 5:14 in WEB and KJV?

1 John 5:14 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And2532 this3778 is2076 the confidence3954 that3739 we have2192 in4314 him846, that3754, if1437 we ask154 any thing5100 according2596 to his846 will2307, he heareth191 us2257: in: or, concerning him". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is 1 John 5:14?

1 John 5:14 is 22 words in the WEB translation (112 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 7 seconds.

How can I memorise 1 John 5:14?

To memorise 1 John 5:14, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does 1 John 5:14 matter in 1 John?

How can I apply 1 John 5:14 today?

Many readers use 1 John 5:14 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 1 John 5:14 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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