The Key to Answered Prayer, 1 Jn 3:22

The Root of Answered Prayer
1 John 3:22

Introductory Thoughts

· There are few questions in the Christian life more confusing than the question of “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?”
· Of course, if stated honestly, the question would be “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers in the way I want them answered?”
· There are several roots for this attitude.

* First, deep down, all human beings have a dangerous tendency to want to be God!
* Second, our tendency is also that we want our circumstances to be agreeable to us. We don’t know what is the best for us, but we often decide that what is best for us is what feels the best and hurts the least.
* Third, there is much ignorance of the Bible’s teaching on this, as in most other things, and there is actually a lot of false teaching available on the subject
· The Truth is, of course, that the Bible has a definitive answer for this question, and the passage before us is part of that answer.

1. The Desire of all mankind, saved or lost—answered prayer. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight...”

a. How glibly and frequently we hear the first part of this verse, and how seldom the entire quotation!

(1) The so-called “Name it and claim it” theology loves the sound of the words in the first part of this verse—these words sound like they back up “Name it, claim it.”
(2) Is “whatever we ask” a blank check from God? Yes, but only under the conditions the Bible sets!
(3) The key to understanding answered prayer is to understand the Bible’s conditions for answered prayer! This verse helps establish those conditions.

b. Language—22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him,

(1) “whatever” means just what it says! “In form, no limitations are placed here save that of complete fellowship with God, which means complete surrender of our will to that of God our Father…” A. T. Robertson


(2) “ask” and “receive” are present active verbs—continually asking, continually receiving—there is a continuity, a continuum of asking in accordance with God’s will, and receiving from God’s hand.

(3) The Bible has much to say about this, though it is often misunderstood. When studied in isolation from the rest of the Bible, the following verses can seem like they go along with the NICI doctrine.

Mark 11:24 ""Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask (present tense) when you pray, believe (present imperative) that you receive (aorist—have already received) them, and you will have (future) them."

Luke 11:9 ""So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (present tense verbs)

John 14:12-14 ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

John 16:22-26 ""… whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ..”

d. But, there is more to be said—we must ask in accordance with God’s will, and God is Sovereign, we cannot tell Him what to do (Ps 115:3, 135:6).

(1) This was the attitude of Jesus!

Luke 22:42 "saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.""

(2) In our day, so many believers rebel at the idea that they will have tribulations and sacrifices in their life. “Surely God would not let this happen…:--the problem is that to many professing believers do not have the attitude of Job:

Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

(3) Often, people approach prayer as a kind of cosmic lottery—we want what we want in spite of anything else, and we don’t really care deep down inside what God’s will is—we want our will. We want to please ourselves, not the Lord.
(4) That attitude will never result in answered prayer—what then is the key?

2. The Root of Answered Prayer—Holiness—“22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight...”

a. Language for the second part of the verse— because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight...” similar to the first half of the verse, “keep” and “do” are also in the present, speaking of a life lived in fellowship and follower-ship—it is only a believer with a life like this who is going to possess the key to the blank check.

Phil 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

b. Wait a minute, are we talking about salvation by works? NO, we are not talking about salvation at all—we are talking about the benefits of close fellowship with God!

(1) John 15:7 ""If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."
(2) Context—the parable of the vine and the branches, the quintessential “fellowship with the Father” passage.
(3) Language: third class condition—a true “if, then” statement: The two conditions: if you (plural) abide and you (plural) ask—the result if the conditions are fulfilled, “it shall be done…”.

(4) The conditions are joined by “kai” and are therefore equal in importance

(5) The verbal forms for “abide” are also in the present tense, indicating continuity

(6) “ask” is in the aorist tense—whatever single thing you ask at a point in time…

c. We can tie this all together by looking at Mat 6:5-15.

(1) Mat 6:5-8—the proper attitude of prayer

(a) Key phrases— “you shall not be like the hypocrites…” “…do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words…” “do not be like them…”
(b) They pray for public effect, to satisfy their own egos
(c) They pray for earthly reward—the esteem of other men
(d) The pagans in particular chant phrases over and over, as if to inform their “god,” or impress him
(e) The pagans do not pray with a knowledge that God is omniscient! “…Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him….”
(f) How are we to be—exactly the opposite: We don’t pray for the benefit of the watchers, we pray as an act of faith and obedience.
(g) We don’t pray to inform or to impress God, we pray knowing that He knows already.
(h) We don’t bore God with meaningless repitition, we pray specifically and directly.
(2) Mat 6:9-13—the proper format for prayer

(a) Acknowledge God’s Person, Sovereignty, Holiness, and rule over all realms, including this rebellious earth.
(b) Acknowledge total dependence upon God for everything, and acknowledge the fact that all we really need is our needs met, not our wants.
(c) Ask for God’s forgiveness and commit to forgive others.
(d) Ask for God’s protection in Spiritual Warfare
(e) Again acknowledge and confess God’s Person, glory, power, and sovereignty.

(3) Mat 6:14-15—the lifestyle of the one who is a true pray-er is one of Holiness and of following Christ. John expands on that in the next two verses, and we will look at them next time:

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."