5:14-15 How can we know what to ask that accords with God's will?
5:14-15 How can we know what to ask that accords with God's will?
According to His will here means in effect, according to His word. God's word - the bible - is His revealed will. Believers complying with God's word can be assured that whatever they ask for is "according to His will" (cp Jn 14:12-14; 15:16; 16:23-24).
Here we learn that if we ask anything "in Jesus' Name" it will be done, because asking in Jesus' Name complies with God's word, and therefore is "according to His will" (cp Psa 18:41; 66:18 with Jas 4:2-4). Here we learn that asking from the wrong motives will avail nothing with God because it is not according to His will.
This stresses the importance of believers being thoroughly grounded in God's word. Believers walking in fellowship with the word will never ask for anything outside of God's will, and this ensures that the answer to their prayers will always be "yes" (cp 2Cor 1:19-20).
We learn from this that there is not one promise of God that is no to a believer, in line with His word - God is glorified in His promises being fulfilled in our lives. This is what 1Jn 5:20 teaches (cp Jn 15:7-8).
We learn here that if we abide in Christ and His word abides in us, there are no limitations whatever on what we may ask of God. Because we comply with God's word, whatever we ask therefore, is according to His will.
Throughout scripture God undertakes to answer the prayers of believers and fulfil His promises in their lives. All believers have to do is comply with His word (cp Psa 34:15-17; 145:18-19; Pr 15:8, 29; Mt 7:7-12; 18:19; 21:21-22; Mk 11:22-24; Eph 3:20; He 11:6; Jas 1:5-8; 5:14-15; 1Pe 3:12; 1Jn 3:19-22).
These scriptures all teach that to comply with God's word means being in obedience to His declared will. Believers who know God's will like this can rest assured they will receive whatever they ask of Him, "...and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (KJV).
(See also comments on Mt 21:17-22, Jn 14:12-14, 15:7, 2Cor 1:19-20).