TEXT: 1 John 5:14-17
Second, we can have confidence in prayer because God grants our prayers according to His will. 1 John 5:15 says, “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” Once again, notice the resounding confidence that John has in God’s answering of prayer. John says that “we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” He uses the present tense to indicate that we already have what we prayed for. We may not instantly get it, but the request has already been granted. It is set in stone, because the promises of God never fail. An example of this is Abraham. He prayed for a son and God promised him a son. However, it was 25 years before Isaac was actually born. It is a mistake to think that we can just push the prayer button and out comes our desire. Sometimes, God grants our requests, but we must wait days, weeks, or even years before we receive what is granted. We can have confidence in God’s immeasurable wisdom, that in the fullness of time, according to His will, we will receive what we asked for.