The Importance of Prayer: Approaching the Throne of GraceSample

Pray According to His Will

Read: 1 John 5:13–15

SOAP: 1 John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Into the text

John shared a wonderful promise with believers in his letter. He presented a clear explanation of how, as believers in Christ, we can know with certainty that we have eternal life in the Son of God. John then told his audience that they could have complete confidence in their eternal security with Christ. Additionally, we can have confidence that He hears us whenever we ask for anything according to God’s will.

How comforting is it to know that no matter your request, your requests are heard if you are a follower of Christ. God never has and will never turn a deaf ear toward any of your requests. He hears you. Whenever we are tempted to lose hope and wonder if God sees our circumstances, we can be confident that He does.

He will always hear your prayers. When we pray according to His will (which we may not always know), we can be confident that He will give us what we ask. God does not scold us or condemn us for praying or asking for things outside of His will, and He hears those prayers as well. We can see God’s kindness through the ways He does not always give us what we ask. Sometimes we don’t know what is best; it is a testament of His loving-kindness that He often does not give us what we ask for. If He were to give us something outside of His will, it would not be for our good. We can rest in the truth that He is in control and cares deeply about us.

God may not always answer our prayers exactly how we hoped He would, but He always answers in accordance with His will, and His will is always for our good and His glory. Because of His great love for us and because of Jesus’ resurrection, we have access to God’s constant presence, new hope, new life, and eternal security.

Prayer

Father God, I thank You that I am significant to You. I thank You that You hear me. Lord, help me trust Your promises in Your Word. Let my heart not be swayed by the answer I may receive from You, but only by Your promise that You hear me and You care. In Jesus’ name, amen.