1 John 3:19-23

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

đź’ˇHow to do your quiet time


Yesterday we learned that we should love in deed and truth and not just word or talk. How do we know that we are loving in truth? Christ’s standard of love is extremely high and when we look at the needs around us it can seem overwhelming and we can feel completely inadequate. In those instances, our hearts may condemn us. But we can have confidence before God that He knows our true motives. God is sovereign and will deal with those things our hearts may miss. We see examples of this in action in the story of Mary and Martha where Jesus defended Mary for her heart of love. We also see it in Jesus’ restoration of Peter after his denial three times. When we are able to silence our hearts by resting on God’s sovereignty, then we have confidence before God and can ask Him for things boldly, knowing that we are choosing to live lives subject to His will and doing what pleases Him. Because we are living according to His will, we will be asking things according to His will (1 John 5:14-15) and can know that we will receive what we ask for.
A confident and effective prayer life is based on obedience to God’s commandments which are summed up in a single command of faith and love. Faith in Jesus’ name and love for one another.

How effective is your prayer life? If you feel like your prayers are not being answered then this passage gives you a few areas to examine. Is your love for others lived out in action and truth? Do you have any unresolved conflict with another believer you need to deal with today?


Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Jacob and Rachel: Genesis 29-30