Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 1 John 5 and Psalm 50

In chapter 5, John writes profoundly about the eternal life that God gives to all those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. He writes that through our faith in Jesus Christ we are empowered to overcome the temptations of this world and to live lives of loving obedience to God our Father. Then in v.14-15 he declares:

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.

Firstly, let’s notice that God invites us to approach Him in prayer with confidence. Prayer is the means by which we approach the Almighty God and King of the Universe. When we approach through faith in Jesus, we are not ejected from the Royal Presence by His angelic guard, the cherubim. Instead, we are welcomed in by the mercifully loving arms of our Heavenly Father. What an incredible privilege! But remember, our confidence in prayer is based not on our worthiness in and of ourselves, but on His mercy and grace as declared and displayed to us by Jesus.

Next, let’s notice the invitation to ask anything at all that aligns with His will. We can talk to God about anything and everything, and He cares about what’s in our hearts. But our ultimate aim in prayer should be to align our wills with His will, and only to ask for those things we believe are in line with His will. We are often only concerned with our will, but God wants us to discern His will by searching His Word, applying it to our lives and situations, and then praying His will into being. In those situations, we can be assured that our prayers will be answered in accordance with His will.

Life application: Bring to the Lord every situation that troubles you today. Ask Him to guide you to know His will. Surrender to His will. Then, ask Him to accomplish His will in those particular situations in your life and sphere of influence, and to use you as His instrument when necessary.