“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”
My Notes
What Does 1 John 5:14 Mean?
John states the basis for confident prayer: and this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
This is the confidence (parresia — boldness, freedom of speech, open access without fear) that we have in him — the confidence is directed toward God (in him — pros auton, toward him). The confidence is not self-generated optimism. It is relational boldness — the freedom to approach God and speak openly, based on the relationship established through the gospel.
If we ask any thing (aiteoma — request, petition, specific ask) — the asking is real. Prayer involves specific requests — not vague spiritual feelings but concrete petitions directed at God. The any thing (ti) suggests breadth: the asking is not restricted to a narrow category. Any thing — the confidence covers the full range of human need.
According to his will (kata to thelema autou — in alignment with his determined purpose) — the critical qualifier. The confidence in prayer is not confidence that God grants every wish. It is confidence that God hears every prayer that aligns with his will. The kata (according to, in line with) makes the will of God the standard: the prayer must correspond to what God has already purposed.
He heareth (akouo — to hear, to listen with attention, to perceive and respond) us — God hears. The hearing is not mere acoustic reception. It is attentive listening that leads to response. When the prayer aligns with God's will, God does not merely receive the request. He hears it — in the full, active, responsive sense of the word.
Verse 15 draws the conclusion: if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. The logic: ask according to his will → he hears → we have what we asked. The confidence is grounded in the alignment: when your will and God's will coincide in the asking, the receiving is guaranteed.
The verse does not limit prayer to cautious, self-doubting requests. It produces boldness — the freedom to ask with confidence, knowing that prayer aligned with God's will is always heard and always answered. The qualifier (according to his will) is not a restriction. It is a guarantee: when the prayer matches the purpose, the answer is certain.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'confidence' (parresia — boldness, open access) describe about the posture of prayer this verse produces?
- 2.How does 'according to his will' function as a guarantee rather than a restriction — and why does alignment with God's will make prayer more confident, not less?
- 3.What does God 'hearing' mean beyond acoustic reception — and what does attentive, responsive hearing produce?
- 4.How do you grow in knowledge of God's will so that your prayers increasingly align — and what happens to your confidence as the alignment deepens?
Devotional
This is the confidence that we have in him. Confidence — boldness, freedom, the open access that says: I can approach God and ask. Not timidly. Not wondering if he will listen. With confidence — the settled assurance that the relationship allows the asking and the asking is welcome.
If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. The qualifier is the key: according to his will. The confidence is not that God grants every wish. It is that God hears every prayer that aligns with what he has already purposed. The will of God is the standard. When your prayer lines up with his will, the hearing is guaranteed. Not maybe. He heareth — actively, attentively, with the intention to respond.
According to his will. This is not a restriction that makes prayer uncertain. It is a guarantee that makes prayer confident. When you know God's will — revealed in Scripture, confirmed by the Spirit — and you pray accordingly, the answer is as certain as the will itself. The prayer does not create God's will. It accesses it. The asking aligns with the already-determined purpose — and the alignment produces the answer.
He heareth us. Heareth — not just receives the sound. Hears — with attention, with response, with the kind of listening that leads to action. The God who hears according-to-his-will prayers is the God who acts on what he hears. The hearing is not passive. It is the prelude to the giving.
If we know that he hear us, we know that we have the petitions (v.15). Know → hear → have. The confidence chain: because we know he hears, we know we have. The receiving is as certain as the hearing. And the hearing is as certain as the alignment. The whole system works when the prayer matches the will.
The challenge is not whether God hears. It is whether you know his will well enough to pray according to it. The confidence rises as the knowledge deepens. The more you know God's will, the more boldly you pray. And the more boldly you pray, the more certainly you receive. The confidence is not in your asking. It is in his will — and in the one who always hears when the asking and the will align.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And this is the confidence that we have in him,.... Either in God, to whom prayer is made; or in the Son of God, through…
And this is the confidence that we have in him - Margin, “concerning.” Greek, “toward him,” or in respect to him - πρὸς…
This is the confidence - Παρῥησια, The liberty of access and speech, that if we ask any thing according to his will,…
Here we have,
I. A privilege belonging to faith in Christ, namely, audience in prayer: This is the confidence that we…
And this is the confidence that we have in him Better, And the boldness that we have towards Him is this: see on 1Jn 1:5…
Cross References
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