Verses to review today: 1 John 5:1-13
New Verse: 1 John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (ESV)

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (KJV)

Greek: Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησία ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ἀκούει ἡμῶν.

Transliterated Greek: Kai hautē estin hē parrēsia hēn echomen pros auton hoti ean ti aitōmetha kata to thelēma autou akouei hēmōn.

Literal Word for Word Translation: And this is the confidence that we have before him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Vocab: παρρησία, parrēsia, confidence; αἰτώμεθα, aitōmetha, we might ask; θέλημα, thelēma, will; ἀκούει, akouei, he is hearing.

Commentary: Indeed, if we are in God’s will, we will petition Him accorinding to His will, and He hears us. Does this mean He doesn’t hear us if we are not in His will? If we are Christians who live in obedience of loving God and others, as the Spirit encourages us, we are in his will. Of course the asking is to be in accordance with His will. If we know His will, we are able to do that. Only a non-believer does not know God’s will!

Some may say, “I don’t know God’s will in this or that situation.” When they say that, they are referring to knowing God’s choice for a decision they need to make. If there is no sin involved, then there is nothing to discern. If God has asked one to do something specific through a calling, then that person knows God’s will and is expected to do it. But if God has not said anything specific, then the only thing to know about God’s will is whether a decision one is to make involves sin of any sort. We are to discern between choices that involve sin. We might need to pray for God to reveal whether a decision is selfishly motivated or not to know what to do. But, the bottom line is that God’s will is to be known and to make Him know through all the earth. Thus, it is not that hard for a believe to know God’s will.