1 John 3:21-24 Conditions to Answering Prayers
1 John 3 21-24 Conditions to Answering Prayers.
I am going to preface this lesson on 1 John 3:21-24 . I want to take away some of the buts before we even get started. This is the type of lesson that people will go, I agree with that. It is what the bible says, however, what about this situation or that. Or I remember when that prayer of mine or so and so’s got answered, and I did not meet these conditions. And they did not meet them either.
So before we get started let me say there are many different reasons that God might answer a prayer.
- He might not answer it ONLY because you prayed for it. He might have answered it because someone else also prayed for the same thing. Someone might have interceded on your behalf.
- He loves to show mercy, and sometimes He can answer a prayer simply for mercies sake.
- Your prayer might happen to fit into His will for someone else. I think we all understand that none is an island unto himself. What happens in our lives does affect others. Sometimes our answer is also for someone else’s benefit. We might not even know the person it will benefit.
- God is infinite. He knows all, and there can be many more reasons He might answer a prayer.
As we go thru this lesson we need to first understand that the conditions of answered prayer that we will see in 1 John 3:21-24 do not have to be 100 percent met to get any prayers answered.
However, God will not bless your prayers in the same way. He will not answer as many of your prayers if you are in rebellion to these conditions.
What we have in these verses is a promise on how to get more of your prayers answered.
Do you have trouble? Do you have worries? Needs?
Are people in your family in need of God’s grace and mercy?
Do you want more answers from God?
I believe that most of us would answer yes to all of those questions.
So let’s take a look at 1 John 3:21-24
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1 John 3:23 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.
1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1 John 3:21 Beloved,
What a wonderful way to start. Beloved. John is writing to people he loves. They meant a lot to him. He wants them to know the wonderful truth he is about to teach. It can really benefit them. He wants them to be reminded of his love for them as they learn this truth so he starts out, “beloved”.
He does not want them to think well I don’t have that, he is just rubbing it in. So he starts with Beloved. I am writing this because I love you, and want to help you.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
These 4 verses are all about the same topic and that is receiving answers to our prayers. The first thing he brings up is having confidence in prayer. If our heart condemn us not.
This is talking about conviction. About our conscience. The Holy Spirit that lives in our heart will speak in a still small voice. We will often know when something is wrong. Have you ever been praying and it just feels like your prayers are getting no higher than the ceiling?
Of course I have to mention it. People can so quench the Spirit that they do not hear Him anymore. People can indeed fool themselves into thinking all is well. But if our heart is still open to listing to God’s conviction then our heart will condemn us when we get off track.
If that is the case then we have no confidence toward God in prayer.
On the other hand if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God in our prayers.
You might be thinking so what is the big deal. Why is how much confidence I have even matter? Look at the next verse. This next verse is based upon having this confidence in verse 21 because it starts with the word and.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
Those are 8 precious words. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him.
How would you like to be able to claim that promise? Whatsoever you ask you receive. As long as you don’t ask upon your lusts, and what you ask is not harmful. But everything else that is within God’s will. You ask and you receive.
I mean how great would that be?
We have needs. We have heartaches. We all have temptations, battles, and problems in this life. Every one of God’s children have needs, trouble, and problems. We live in a sin stained world, and do not fit in here.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Jesus said,
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
We have needs. We live in a world that we are really not a part of. And we have no power of our own to be able to deal with all of our troubles. We need answers to prayer.
We need to be able to pray with faith and confidence. How sad is it to get down on our knees with a serious need and get up with the feeling in our heart, I hope He heard me.
I know He hears all things, but there is a difference between, yes I heard you but…, and I heard you as in being moved to action.
How great is it to be able to have a serious need, get down and pray with faith and confidence and claim the promise of those 8 precious words. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him.
You can. God’s Word tells us that we can. It is possible. And I believe even more than it is just possible. I believe that this is what God wants for all His Children. He clearly sets forth for us the conditions in these verses. And it is not overly complicated.
Some might be thinking, if God wants us to have this, and He does. And if it is not that complicated, and it is not. Then some might ask, so why do so many Christians not have it?
It is because, they do not want to do the things that God connected with those 8 precious words. All Christians want the, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
But God attaches some conditions to it that they do not want to fulfil.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
because we keep his commandments
The main condition is obedience. Before someone starts thinking some false thought like legalism, listen to what Jesus said.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Obedience is an act of Love. Jesus told us that if we really love Him that we should obey Him. We should do it because it is right and because we should honor Him with obedience, and because it is what is best for us. He would not ask us to do things that are not for our best in the long run.
He saved us. He went to the cross for us. He loved us first.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
When we were not loveable.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We should love and obey because of His great love for us. He did not force us to get saved. And He does not force us to obey. You can get saved and then choose to not obey. If you do, you will not lose your salvation.
However, there are consequences in this life. Face it. Not obeying is sin. At the root of all sin is pride. God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments
However, if we choose to obey, then He will give us what we ask.
It says his commandments (Plural)
So you cannot pick and choose like going thru a pot luck line. I will obey in two things and ignore all the others.
There are way too many things that He told us to do for them all to be listed here. John is going to break the keep his commandments into three main groups.
The first one he mentions is:
and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
That can cover quite a bit. From specific things he told us to do, to any little thing that is pleasing in his sight.
One time there was a missionary family visiting a church. And as is often the case they had children with them. Have you ever noticed the faces of the children on deputation?
Not having a lot of fun. I mean that is hard for a kid. Traveling every week for years.
I happened to have a twenty in my wallet that night, after service I quietly slipped it into my hand. Walked up to the missionary and asked him a question he did not expect. I asked do your kids like ice cream. He responded, yes we all do. As I slipped him the twenty a look of understanding came over his face.
And he said with a smile as I walked away, that was a blessing,
Do you think that would qualify in the those things that are pleasing in His sight category?
I believe one of the reasons this category is listed to keep people from getting the idea that to claim that wonderful promise of and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him has low requirements.
Some might think I want that promise and if it only takes doing a few things then I am on board. I mean sign me up, if it only takes a little effort or a few things. It does not work that way. And you will see that more as we go further in these verses.
The second area of obeying that He mentions is Salvation.
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,
You must be saved. You must believe on Jesus Christ. The only way to heaven. We are talking about a know so salvation.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
You need to be saved; born again; redeemed.
The third area of obedience John mentions is:
and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Some will try to find a loop hole here by limiting what the word love means. They want it to mean some kind of warm and fuzzy feeling inside. You might fool yourself with that but you are not going to get very far with God like that.
Look at the definition of Love that is the same chapter. In the near context of the verses we are looking at.
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Biblical love is a love of action. It works, it does deeds. Saying you love with the mouth and doing nothing does not count. The love that God is connecting to the promise of getting all of our prayers answered is a sacrificial type of love. Look at the two verses above verse 18.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Are you getting the clear message from the context of what type of Love we need to have to claim the promise offered of getting prayers answered?
This kind of love is going to cost you something. It will cost you some time. Many don’t have a problem with that. It will often cost you some money. More will have a problem with that. But it is going to cost something else. It is going to cost your heart. I am talking about emotional involvement.
Caring often hurts. Some people will not accept what you do, some will hurt you. I have seen people get hurt and it has a bad effect upon them. They can withdraw and not care anymore. They are just trying to protect themselves.
You can do that. You will still be saved and still go to heaven. You can even still get blessings from God. But He just can’t answer all your prayers the same way as He can if you are sacrificially loving.
We are to love like Jesus loves.
This kind of love in action is what God wants and it will also have an effect upon our hearts. Remember what our first verse said.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
It is talking about a necessary heart condition of assurance and confidence toward God in our prayers. Look at verse 19.
1 John 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
Verse 16-18 is talking about real working biblical love, and verse 19 tells us that exercising that kind of love shall assure our hearts before him. Living out the kind of love God attaches to the promise of answered prayers will give us assurance in our hearts that we are of the truth.
Prayer changes for you at that point. You start praying with confidence.
But this is not just any confidence. It is not something that you manufacture. It comes from an abiding walk with God. It is a work of the Spirit and is the natural result of a close walk with God. Look at how he wraps up this section of scripture.
1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us,
To abide in Christ. Is to be close to Christ. It also means you are staying there continually. You are abiding there. Not wondering around. A person who keeps His commandments (plural) will be dwelling in Christ. And Christ will be dwelling in him.
This is talking about relationship. A close walk and fellowship with God. Abiding, dwelling, continual.
This closeness is a blessing that comes from keeping His commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight.
It is this closeness that is dependent upon obedience that is at the heart of the promise.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
It is important that you see that it is a close dwelling relationship that results from obedience that results in receiving the promise.
Some miss that. What they will do is try to obey where they want, get close at times to God, but not stay there. They then pray and are not having the type of results that are mentioned in 1st John 3:22.
O’ they get some answers. But it is not to the level that God promises it can be.
Why would someone not want to just sell out and stay close to God?
I think the main reason is they like their sin. What sin? It can be different for everyone. It could be selfishness, greed, lust. For a vast number it is sinful entertainment. Almost most of the entertainment of our culture has sin glamorized in some fashion. Somewhere in their hearts they know that if they really sell out to God and stay close to Him all the time that He is not going to let them watch that.
A reason others do not want to get too close to God is they are afraid of what He might ask them to do.
So they sacrifice the wonderful promise of answered prayer because of either sin or fear.
You are not going to have the degree of answered prayer that these verses are talking about without the degree of obedience and closeness to God that these verses are talking about.
The two are tied together.
Look at verse 24 again.
And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
I love those words we know. That is talking about confidence. You know it. There is no doubt. Do you see how the concluding verse in this section ties back to where we started?
The last thing he brings up is that this confidence and assurance is a gift of God.
by the Spirit which he hath given us.
It is not something that we manufacture on our own. It is a work of the Spirit that lives within our hearts. Our job is to be tender to what He wants us to do. We are to out of a free will be obedient to Him and really love others.
The result of that is that God will change our hearts. He will give the confidence and assurance. It is the result of a close abiding continual relationship with Him.
Then He give us confidence and He answers our prayers. All of them.
God wants all of us to have confidence in prayer.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
God also wants to answer all of our prayers.
1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
What we have to decide on an individual level is do we want this level of answered prayers. And are we willing out of a free will to walk that close to God, which is the condition He set.
See more lessons from 1st 2nd 3rd John