1 John 5:13–21

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and many of you have already taken family vacation to a variety of places. A common destination for family fun is the ocean. In fact, the beach is where my family goes at least every couple of years. My least favorite thing about the this trip is all the sand! It’s everywhere, and no matter how hard you try to avoid it sand will follow you home either in your shoes or shorts.

Imagine the last time you were at the beach. How many pieces of sand was there? An uncountable number, billions or trillions of tiny little specs just on that one single beach. When I have that image in my head I am quickly reminded that the Bible on several occasions compares God’s people to being as numerous as the sand on the seashore. In human history I am simply one spec of an uncountable number. Now with that in mind I see more significance in a couple of the verses in our study this week.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

George Mueller, who fed thousands of orphans with food provided in answer to prayer, said,

“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold to God’s willingness.” — Be Real, 175–176

Process 1 John 5:13–21 by thinking through these questions:

Where do we get our confidence in prayer?

Why is it important that we can come to God in prayer for anything?

Why is it important to trust that God hears us when we come to Him in prayer?

How does that confidence influence the kinds of things we bring to Him?