1 John 5:14-15 - Homiletics

Liberty and prevalence in prayer.

Connecting link: The knowledge that we have eternal life is, in fact, a coming to feel perfectly at home in the redeeming love of God in Christ Jesus. Where this is the case, confidence, freedom of speech, is enjoyed towards God; and this holy freedom will find expression in prayer. The thought uttered here by the apostle is nearly akin to that in 1 John 3:22 (see homily on 1 John 3:19-22 ). There are, however, one or two not uninteresting points of detail peculiar to these verses, which will suggest a very brief homiletic outline. Topic— Liberty and success in prayer.

I. ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES OF KNOWING THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS FREEDOM IN PRAYER . (See closing sentences of preceding homily.) The word παῤῥησία , as remarked in homilies on 1 John 2:24 , 1 John 2:28 ; 1 John 3:19-22 ; 1 John 4:17 , 1 John 4:18 , is equivalent to "freedom of speech." If we know that we have eternal life, we shall have unreserved openness in communing with our God. The relation between the knowledge and that freedom is clear.

1 . Knowing thereby that we are the sons of God, we can speak freely to the Father.

2 . Knowing that we are redeemed and saved, we can be at entire liberty in communing with our Saviour.

3 . Knowing that we are "alive unto God," we can breathe out that life towards its Giver and Sustainer.

II. ONE FORM OF PRAYER WILL BE " MAKING REQUEST UNTO GOD ." £ ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα . "One form," we say, and that advisedly. For the outbreathing of love and desire to God will be the habit of the soul, and will include vastly more than the asking for specific objects. So that we must regard the apostle here as not covering the whole ground of prayer, but as simply indicating one direction that prayer may take (in the next homily a still further limitation is noted). We may freely "make our requests known unto God." Faith, reverence, and love will, however, regulate this boldness in prayer. "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Even so. God's will is infinitely wiser than ours. And our faith in him wilt lead us to offer all our petitions subject to that will. This is not, however, a fetter upon our freedom. It is a safeguard to it. Otherwise the greater the freedom the greater the peril.

III. SUCH REQUESTS WILL CERTAINLY BE GRANTED , There are two issues of such a prayer.

1 . We know that he hears us. The ἐὰν in 1 John 4:15 does not indicate any uncertainty. If we know, as we certainly do, that he hears us, £ our petitions are not wasted breath; they go not forth to empty air ( Psalms 50:15 ). This fellows from the truth in Psalms 103:13 .

2 . We know that we have the petitions we desired of him. τὰ αἰτήματα , if not τὰ αἰτηθέντα , "The substance of the requests, if not necessarily the actual things asked for," says Canon Westcott, beautifully. The mother of Augustine prayed earnestly that he might not go to Rome, fearing it would be his bane. Her son, however, went to Rome; but his going was one of the steps which led to his conversion. As Augustine himself said afterwards, God regarded the hinge of the petition. So it ever is. God hears the prayer, but answers it according to his infinite wisdom rather than according to our limited foresight. Note: Though this at first sight seems a restriction upon prayer, yet it is precisely this which makes us free to pray. Were it otherwise, we could not open our lips to ask aught which we deemed a boon, should the gift asked for be. granted even though it would prove a bane. God, in his love, buries our mistakes in prayer, and gives us just what we should most desire could we see as he sees.