Verse Lens · Concise explanation
1 John 5:15 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 15. 15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Verse 15 reasons that if God hears will-shaped requests, believers know they possess the requests made.
The letter is written so you may know you have life, then pray inside God's will.
This verse is one part of that explanation in 1 John 5:13–17. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 1 John 5:13-17
Read 1 John 5:13–17 as one complete movement. Verse 13 states the purpose of writing; verses 14–15 qualify confident prayer by God's will; verses 16–17 address intercession and the obscure distinction involving sin unto death. Verse 18 begins three closing 'we know' declarations.
Read 1 John 5:13–17 together
Why these verses belong together: Assurance of life leads to will-shaped prayer, concern for a sinning sibling, and restrained treatment of sin unto death.
Verse 13. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Verse 14. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Verse 15. 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Verse 16. 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
Verse 17. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
What Remains True
Confidence rests in God's hearing and purpose, not in a technique.
How It Can Shape Life
- Pray persistently while planning responsibly and accepting uncertainty.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 1 John 5:13–17 — Assured Life Prays within God's Will and Responds to SinSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The verse does not eliminate waiting, lament, changed circumstances, or answers different from the requested form.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 John 5:13–17, pinned eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and variation markers used for original-language analysis.
Exact location: Official SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/1John.txt, 5:13–17
Open the 1 John Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — 1 John with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and major interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible official 1 John PDF, 5:13–17 and attached translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 John PDF ↗