Confidence in PrayerSýnishorn

Confidence in Prayer

John wants us to understand the confidence that God’s people have in prayer: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 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 5:14–15). Let’s break these verses down into three parts.

First, we have confidence as God’s people that when we pray, God hears us. God wants us to know that when a child of God prays, He listens. God is receptive. God grants favor to the prayers of His people. Do you consistently have that confidence? Whatever it is that’s been troubling you, whatever it is that you’ve been taking before the throne of God’s grace, far from being indifferent to what you’re praying about, you have God’s ear!If you believe that—that’s your confidence.

Second, John says that when God hears us, we have the requests we’ve asked Him. Whatever you’ve asked of the Lord, you have it. That’s how the verse is worded: “We know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (Verse 15). It’s not that you will have it; you have it already. It is as good as granted. Some of the things that we ask for, according to the will of God, we have immediately. But with others, the answer doesn’t come instantly; it comes down the road. You’re praying according to Scripture, you know you’ve asked according to the will of God, and yet the answer seems delayed. Eventually, it is revealed.

The third thing we must grasp is that there is a condition for answered prayer: when I pray according to God’s will, I have whatever I’ve asked for. John writes that our confidence is that when we pray, God hears us; when He hears us, we have what we ask for—but this is true only when we ask according to His will. You can be a child of God, but if you ask for things not according to God’s will, He won’t grant them because He is a good Father. Trust His love for you and wait patiently for Him to reveal the answer to your prayer.