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1 John 5:14, 15 - Effective Prayer.

1 John 5:14, 15 (NKJV) Now this is the 
confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything 
according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know 
that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that 
we have the petitions that we have asked of 
Him.  

1 John 5:14, 15 (CWR) We have confidence in 
God to know that He will listen to whatever we 
ask in harmony with His will. 15 And if we know 
that He listens to us, we know that He will give 
us whatever is best. 

COMMENTARY 

   Many Christians have complete confidence 
that God will answer any prayer that fits his 
will, but almost no confidence that they can know 
they are praying according to his will. It's as 
if prayer is like shooting an arrow that has a 
slim chance of hitting the bull's-eye. That's not 
what John intended here. John encourages us by 
letting us know that prayer is not a shot in the 
dark. We can pray with confidence.  
   God has revealed his general will in 
Scripture - his mission, his desire to meet people's 
needs - so anything that fits his stated purposes 
is a prayer "according to his will" And when we 
ask and listen in an ongoing conversation with 
God, he reveals his specific will for us. Over 
time, we can know his direction for our lives and 
can ask according to that direction. [NIV Once A 
Day Bible] 

   We have a very conversational King. He 
doesn't offer His provision anonymously, though some 
receive it that way. He doesn't fulfill orders as 
though He were a vending machine. He doesn't mail 
out catalogs or ship from a warehouse. He likes 
to be asked. In conversation. It's the Kingdom 
way  
   Ask boldly. First saturate yourself in 
the King's wisdom and ways, then ask to be 
filled with His desires. Let His will become yours, 
then pray your heart out. This is how the Kingdom 
comes on earth as it is in heaven, how the 
business of the Kingdom advances against the agenda 
of the enemy. He does His work on earth through 
His people, and He almost always does it in the 
context of genuine conversation. [The One Year 
Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] 

   Since praying is such a common practice 
for believers, over time it's easy to fall into 
habits that result in a lifeless and empty prayer 
life. Instead of a dynamic conversation with 
thoughtful requests and active listening for God's 
response, our prayers can seem more like grocery 
lists. Because communication with the Lord is such 
a vital part of the Christian life, we 
occasionally need to step back and examine how we're 
doing. 
   Begin by asking yourself these questions:
   How effective are my prayers? Is God 
answering my petitions, or does it seem as if they 
never go past the ceiling? 
   Who am I praying for? Are most of my 
requests for myself or others? 
   What am I asking the Lord to do? Have I 
looked in the Word to see what He wants, or am I 
trying to get Him to intervene according to my 
plans and desires? 
   When do I pray? Is it only during 
emergencies or when I need something? 
   If you discovered any selfishness in your 
answers, you're not alone. Most of us struggle to 
enter God's presence with our eyes focused on Him 
instead of our needs. But the only way we'll be able 
to pray with impact is to fill our minds with 
Scripture so we can find out what the Lord wants to 
do. 
   Your prayer life can become effective and 
dynamic if you'll approach the Lord with a clean 
heart (Psalms 66:18), align your requests with His 
will, and believe He will do what He says (Mark 
11:24). Then you'll be able to pray with absolute 
confidence knowing that He will hear and answer your 
petitions. [In Touch Daily Devotional by Charles 
Stanley at www.intouch.org] 

   There is no room for despair. So today, 
seek Him with assurance; seek Him with all your 
heart. As Pastor Timothy Keller writes, "God will 
either give us what we ask or give us what we would 
have asked if we knew everything he knows. 
   Again and again, Lord, I have poured out 
my heart's desires to You and You have answered 
in ways I could have never predicted. Your 
answers have far exceeded my requests. [A Spectacle 
of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry 
Libby] 

ONE LINER

Positive praying is much more powerful than 
positive thinking. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090624-2133.html 

EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF 
JESUS 

1st of 28: Divine Dining: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY 
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ 
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4 
4th of 28: Cared For: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds 
5th of 28: Saved: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI 
6th of 28: You Can Change: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo 
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs FGGibbs@abible.com