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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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1 John 5:15
Comments
John has told us that our prayers are heard by God as long as we ask what is according to his will, but because of his benevolence towards us the knowledge that he has heard us leads directly to the assurance that he will answer us. Of course he hears all words and notes even what is whispered in the ear (Luke 12:3), but the hearing spoken of is that sympathetic hearing which looks favourably upon our requests. The things we ask for fall into various categories. Some things he has already told us he is not willing to do, and we should not ask for these things for we know that we cannot change his mind and it is wrong to try. Other things have already been revealed as his will: the elect must all be gathered in, Christ must return, his people must be sanctified, and yet our prayers play a part in all these. There are also some things which we desire that we cannot be sure are his will. Concerning these we come with confidence but with modesty because we know our wisdom is small, and his wisdom may override our request and either delay the answer, substitute something in its place, or answer it in some quite different way. In such cases we still come with urgency and press the Lord to answer us while maintaining our reverence for him, because his perfect plan is brought about partly through our imperfect prayers.
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There is a foolish practice which follows from a wrong interpretation of this verse. Some teach that we are being exhorted to visualise the answer we are going to receive before we receive it, and that this visualisation is the act of faith that God requires of us. But this cannot be the case, for we resign into God’s hand how he answers us, trusting in his kindness and goodness to us and knowing that, while he will find the best way to answer our prayer, the answer may be entirely different from the one we imagined. We must therefore watch for the answer, and not be like the boy who fell from a tree and cried, ‘Lord save me,’ but when he was caught by the branches said, ‘Never mind Lord, I’m safe.’
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