Verses 14-15: This is the confidence which we have before 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 which we have asked from Him.
Before closing out his epistle, John provides some principles regarding the believers’ prayers.
Confidence/Boldness
This confidence John refers to can be defined as courage, boldness, fearlessness,1 being the exact opposite of cowardice, timidity, fearfulness.2 John has previously mentioned three other times in this epistle the potential confidence the believer may have: at His coming (2:28); before God (3:21); in the day of judgment (4:17). Confidence is a characteristic of the mature believer, one who acquires the boldness to live and speak their faith, being in fellowship with their Lord and guided by the Holy Spirit. This was demonstrated by the early disciples when they boldly proclaimed God’s truth (Acts 2:29; 4:13; 14:3).
And it is this same confidence we also can have before Him—literally, face-to-face3 with God in prayer, as the writer of Hebrews states:
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 cf. 10:19)
However, it is one thing to have the needed confidence to stand before the Lord in prayer, but it is another thing to know the exact parameters of how we ought to pray. For prayer is not a giveaway for just any self-seeking whim or desire, nor is it intended to resolve spiritual problems as a crutch for the spiritually weak. The true function of prayer results in the consistent learning of God’s truth and understanding His grace provision. Thieme correctly explains:
The more the believer knows and understands God, the more he knows how to communicate with Him (John 15:7). In other words, effectiveness in prayer increases with spiritual growth and reaches its peak in the hands of the spiritually mature.4
John explains the extent of our confidence in prayer is that “if we ask anything...He hears us.” We should be gratified knowing that God indeed hears all of our prayers; it is only when there is sin in our lives that He turns a deaf ear to our prayers (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 15:29; John 9:31). This does not mean that He provides the answer that we might desire, for the answer to prayer is strictly God’s decision. “God alone has absolute power and integrity to hear the believer’s requests and provide the response He knows is best.”5 We should never forget what Our Lord proclaimed: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8; cf. Luke 12:30). This led Paul to remind us that since the Father provided the greatest gift, the sacrifice of His Son, “how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). To which Peter concurred:
Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)
Now it is true that the word anything denotes everything that may involve others, ourselves, our country, etc. But does it mean unconditionally all the desires of our heart? This notion has been disseminated based on a faulty interpretation of Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Within the context of David’s Psalm, he never describes the desires of our heart as self-seeking materialistic cravings, but instead as virtues: righteousness (v. 6); cessation of envy (v.1) and anger (v.8); resting and waiting patiently for the Lord (v.7).
We can now understand the reason that John adds the phrase that what we ask must be according to His will. The desires of our heart must coincide with the divine will of the Father. Thus it is imperative that we endeavor to know His will and pray accordingly, if we are to have the confidence that our prayers are effective (cf. James 5:16).
Result of Correct Prayers
In verse 15 John’s summarizes that since it is true that we know He hears the prayers that we ask according to His will, then we also know with full assurance that the requests we have made and now possess are the results of following the correct procedure of prayer. To obtain what we ask for is not to be considered a miracle; for this is the expression of the Father’s divine will for our life.
Again, the key to this entire passage, as well as the correct principle of the believers’ prayers, is that whatever we ask must be according to His will. The logical question for the believer should be: “How do I know what His will is concerning the request that I make?” The apostle Paul emphasizes how important this is when he commanded: “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).
Throughout the epistles the will of God for the believer is outlined. Note just a few examples: To be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18); Be always thankful (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18); To live and please God separated from sin (1 Thessalonians 4:1, 3); Submit to human authorities (1 Peter 2:13-15).
Paul summarizes the exact method in order to know and exhibit His will in our lives:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
For believers to be transformed requires the daily study of God’s Word, not merely reading the Word, but a comprehensive discovering and absorbing of His truth that renews (literally, renovates) their minds. It is an extensive undertaking that the believer cannot afford to engage casually; but when avidly undertaken the results will enable believers to love God and endeavor to serve Him, so that as the light of the world we will reflect His glory to others (Matthew 5:16; cf. 2 Peter 2:12).
Lest We Forget
Prayer is listed by Paul’s as a part of the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), provided for believers to enable them to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (6:11). Therefore “prayer is a weapon for the spiritually strong.”6 It is for our advantage that we understand and utilize this spiritual armament according to His will.
[1] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 630.
[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). δειλία, In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1167.
[3] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1John 5:14.
[4] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p. 203.
[5] Thieme, p. 202.
[6] Thieme, p. 203.
© 2026 David M. Rossi
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