1 John 5:14-15
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
1 John 5:14-15 NIV
This is a wonderful promise, and it also defines a proper heart-posture. The promise, is that our prayers are heard and will be answered, if they are according to God's will. The reason that it also addresses the posture of the heart, is because it starts with asking according to His will. That really requires humility, a desire for Him and His ways, and a willingness to be taught by the Scriptures and godly wisdom.
The confidence gained from this promise is great, indeed. When we are desiring God's will, trusting in His plans and lovingkindness toward us then we really have no reason to worry at all. We can still pray for the things we want, but if we are humbly accepting that what we want may be different than His will, and we are deferring to His will as being correct and good for us, then we can confidently accept whatever the answer is.
If He grants our request, then I we are confident His will is happening. If our request is not given, then we are confident what He has for us is better.
Confidence before God. That's sort of an oxymoron if you meditate upon it. Yet through the presence of Jesus at the Father's right hand and the intercession of the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence and come boldly before the Creator of the universe and know that He not only hears us, but also cares for us. Wow, what an audience.
Believers all around the world often pray for many different things. Many of them do not get what they pray for and are discouraged. They don’t understand why God does not answer them. Then they see another person pray and it seems like every prayer gets answered. And they wonder why.
John answers this in these verses. Most believers know the part of the verse saying that if they can have confidence that if they approach God He will hear them. What is often forgotten is the part that says asking anything according to His will.
This changes whether God hears you are not. What are you asking God for? Is it something that is in His will? Or is it just something you want?
In life you only see the here and now. That is a very small picture in light of all eternity and the rest of the world. God may be having you go through a rough situation in life to be a witness to someone else, or to strengthen you yourself. When Lazarus was sick don’t you think that Mary and Martha were already praying for his healing? Yet Jesus said it was good that He was not there and that Lazarus died. In the end there was a greater miracle done.
When you pray, you must be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit in your prayers. Allow God to guide you in what to pray. Find out what God’s will is for each and every situation you pray for. When you start praying for what God wants, He will be more than happy to meet that need in the way prayed.
Remember it is God who is in control and knows what is best for you and everyone else. You are not the one in control. Oh, and one final thing, he also acts on what we ask!!!
Father thank You for this day and for this grace that is astounding. Lord we are humbled when we consider how good You are to us. Father help us constantly and consistently seek Your will, and desire Your will, over anything else for our lives. Lord let Your abundant blessings be my friend and family’s portion today. Lord may every prayer we ever utter, ever form in our hearts, always be bent in submission to Your will alone. You are Lord over our lives, but You are righteous and compassionate and good. Lord thank You for this confidence and may it always reflect Your glory, and never be cause for pride in our hearts. Lord everything good we have is because of You. Let Your will be done in our lives. Be a blessing. Love ya
Father, we love You amen. !
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