John 5:14-17

The Certainty of Answered Prayer
1 John 5:14-17

Introductory Thoughts

· John likes to give his purpose—John 20:30-31

Ø John’s gospel—to lead you to Christ

Ø This letter—to assure true believers

· Our day—a time that denies the existence of absolutes

· Five certainties—

Ø Certain of Salvation—5:13
Ø Certain of answered prayer—5:14-17
Ø Certain of victory—5:18
Ø Certain of whose we are—5:19
Ø Certain that Jesus is God—5:20

1. We know our prayers are answered because we have confidence in God—5:14a

a. Confidence—openness

(1) The Word can mean openness of speech, plainness of speech

John 16:29 "His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!"

Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."


(2) The word can refer to confidence in God, which results in boldness

2 Cor 3:12 "Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech;"

Eph 3:12 "… we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."

(3) The word is also used of boldness and confidence in prayer, especially the privilege that we have as believers to come boldly to the throne of Grace, and this is the usage here in 1 John 5:14—Heb 4:16, 10:19

b. “…this is the confidence we have…”—present tense—continuous

(1) This is what we know, not what we feel

(2) This is faith, not sight

(3) IF you forget for a minute, you only need remember

c. In Him—

(1) The object of our confidence is Christ

(2) Why do we have this confidence in Him?

(a) His Omniscience—He knows!—

John 1:47-49 John 2:23-25
John 6:64 John 13:1
John 13:11 John 18:4
John 19:28

(b) His Love-He cares
(c) His Person—He has promised to answer, so His integrity is on the line
(d) His Omnipotence—He is able to answer—Mat 28:18!

d. Ask, desire—we must ask!

(1) Mat 7:7-11 !!

(2) James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

2. We know our prayers are answered if our prayer is according to His will—5:14b

a. If we desire—conditional sentence—present tense, continuous

b. According to His will—the condition here listed

(1) The Person Praying

(a) The Right motive—James 4:3, Mk 10:35
(b) Abiding in Christ His Word in Us—John 15:1-7

(2) Prayer must be the right kind of prayer

(a) According to His will—1 John 5:14, Mat 6:8
(b) Asking for a good thing—Mat 7:11,
(c) IN faith—Mat 21:22, James 1:5ff
(d) Not doubting—James 1:7
(e) In His name—jn 14:13, 15:16, 16:24, 26

c. He hears—present tense, continuous—

3. God’s Sovereignty

a. God is Sovereign—He is God, and we are not!

Psa 115:3 "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases."

Psa 135:6 "Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places."

b. God knows the plan, we don’t—Jer 29:1-14!

c. We cannot put God into a wristlock “by faith” and make Him do whatever we want. God is going to go according to His plan, and His plan will always be better.

(1) Abraham wandering
(2) Abraham on the mountain
(3) Jacob running from his brother
(4) Joseph in the pit
(5) Moses exiled into Midian
(6) Israel, carried off into captivity
(7) Paul, barely escaping Damascus with his life
(8) Stephen, stoned to death
(9) The Son of God, dying on a cross
(10) Christians martyred
(11) Missionaries slaughtered
(12) Is this being allowed by God? Yes, and more!

4. We know our prayers are answered and we know God answers in His own way—5:15

a. If (since) –1st class condition

(1) Since we know we are heard

(2) Since we have asked in accordance with His will

(3) We know we have our petitions

b. We know—(perfect tense) absolute and settled knowledge

(1) We know that He hears

(2) We know that He answers
c. We have—present possessions!

(1) But I have prayed for things and did not get what I wanted!

(2) Did you pray, “thy will be done?”

d. This is the Key!—Mat 6:10, Jn 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 8:29

e. The ultimate example—

(1) Luke 22:42-44

(2) Heb 5:7! –He was heard!


5. The example of intercession for a sinning brother—5:16-17

a. The Theological football—the sin unto death—

(1) I will not confuse you by attempting to unravel this ball of string.
(2) But this is either referring to a professing believer sinning in a way that is seems obvious that they must really be lost
(3) Or it refers to a true believer dishonoring God to the point where God kills him.

b. The instruction given—

(1) Pray for the sinning (professing) believer

(2) Pray, “Lord, I don’t know if this person is saved or not, … your will be done…”

(3) How does this illustrate the principle of prayer? Perfectly—we don’t know the secret things that belong only to God, but we pray in accordance with what we do know, and we ask “thy will be done…”

Deu 29:29 ""The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."