◄ What Does 1 John 5:14 Mean? ►

The lost sinner is saved by grace through faith in Christ, but once that man or woman has been redeemed from the kingdom of Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that believer is expected to continue living his or her life by faith.

All Christians are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight. We are instructed to pray in confident faith, by maintaining an unshakable trust in the Word of God, and by standing on His precious promises, which provide all we need according to His riches in mercy, when we choose to walk in spirit and truth, and maintain unhindered access to the throne of God, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace," we are exhorted, "so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

We are to remain in fellowship with our heavenly Father, by confessing our sin before His heavenly throne, and we are to abide in Christ in humility of heart and in willing obedience to His Word... for without maintaining a day-by-day trust in the Lord, and a solid faith in His unchanging Word, it is impossible for the saved saint to please our heavenly Father.

There are dozens of spiritual blessings that are available to every born-again child of God, for we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, through faith in Christ. Indeed, Peter tells us that we have received EVERYTHING we need for holy living, a godly character, and spiritual growth - which means that we have received everything we need to be able to pray in faith, according to His will.

Not only did the apostle John write his epistle, so that believers may know without a shadow of a doubt, that we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, but in this verse, he wants to establish our assured confidence in the privilege of prayer, the power of prayer, and the preciousness of prayer, "THIS is the confidence we have before Him,"  John writes, "THIS is our confidence, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

The security of our salvation and the assurance of everlasting life, is founded on the unchangeable Word of God and His unchanging character. And the certainty that God hears and answers the prayers of the righteous, which are offered in accordance with His perfect will, is equally guaranteed, for this is a truth that is founded on God's personal pledge, His promised Word, and His changeless character.

Knowledge of our sure salvation and our eternal inheritance should give every Christian the confidence to pray in faith and to pray expectantly, knowing that God hears our cries, and having the confident certainty that He will answer anything and everything that is asked, according to His will. However, we should be careful that when praying, we do not ask for something that is outside His sacred will and holy purposes.

Some may wonder how we can know God's will, and how can we be sure that we are praying in accordance with His plans and purposes? Well, the Word of God is the greatest indicator of the will of God - not only for us individually but also for the wider world.

Christians in this Church dispensation are equipped to discern the Will of God through studying the Word of God. The redemption of humanity is foremost in His will, but He has laid out clear principles and practices for Christian living in Scripture, practices and principles that we would do well to read, know, learn, and apply thoroughly.

All who are born-again are expected to know the Scriptures thoroughly, to rightly divide the Word of truth, and to put into practice the godly principles and instructions, that are specifically written to the body of Christ - which is the Church. And we are to carry out the good work that God has prepared for us to do, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

God is no respecter of persons and all believers have been given the same opportunity to walk in newness of life and allow Christ to be formed in us. The more we live for His praise and glory, align our thoughts to the mind of Christ, and keep our fleshly self nailed to the Cross, the more we find that we pray according to the will of our heavenly Father, and the greater will be our confidence that He will hear and answer our prayers, "for this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

Heavenly Father, I have trusted You for my salvation and desire to walk in spirit and truth, to abide daily in Christ, and to live in unbroken fellowship with You in the days I have left of my life. I know You are a God that hears and answers the prayers of the righteous, and I pray that I would increasingly offer up my prayers and supplications according to Your will, so that You may be honoured in my prayer-life, and glorified through the words that I speak, the meditations of my heart, and the daily activities and actions that I live out, according to Your will. This I pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.