1 John 3:19-24. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
The way we receive the Word of God is inseparably connected to the way we experience answers to prayer. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). When our hearts are aligned with God through His Word, we gain confidence before Him, and our prayers flow according to His will.
Scripture gives us a clear example of this attitude in the Berean believers. After hearing Paul’s message, they did not respond casually or emotionally. Instead, they received the Word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to confirm whether what they heard was truly from God. Because of this reverent and discerning response to the Word, many of them came to genuine faith (Acts 17:11–12). Their example teaches us that prayer becomes powerful and effective when it is rooted in a Word-confirmed faith.
To receive the Word properly, we must go beyond intellectual knowledge. God does not give His Word merely to inform us but to transform us. The psalmist confessed that he hid God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). When the Word is treasured in the deepest part of our heart and soul, it shapes our desires, purifies our motives, and aligns our prayers with God’s purposes.
Since God’s thoughts and ways are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9), we cannot approach His Word with human logic alone. We must receive it by faith, trusting that what God speaks is true even when we do not fully understand it.
Receiving the Word by faith naturally leads to obedience. Jesus made it clear that love for Him is expressed through obedience to His commands. Whoever has His commands and keeps them is the one who truly loves Him, and to that person Jesus promises a deeper revelation of Himself (John 14:21).
God’s commands are not suggestions meant to restrict us; they are expressions of His love designed for our happiness and growth. Remaining in obedience is the way we remain in His love, just as Jesus remained in the Father’s love through obedience (John 15:10).
According to today’s passage, God’s command is clear and simple at its core: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. The name of Jesus is the only name by which humanity can be saved from sin, Satan, and hell (Acts 4:12).
His name is the name above every name, before which every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Philippians 2:9–10). No other name can save, protect, or empower us. This is why believing in the name of Jesus is not optional—it is God’s command and the foundation of all true prayer.
Loving one another is the visible expression of experiencing the reality of the gospel. Our capacity to receive answers to prayer is closely connected to the condition of our relationships. Harboring resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness restricts our spiritual vessel and prevents us from experiencing the fullness of God’s blessing.
God calls us to embrace others as He embraced us in Christ, to yield as Christ yielded His life for us. When we choose forgiveness and humility, Satan loses his foothold, and God’s peace reigns among us. Scripture promises that as we live in this posture, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20).
At the same time, we must be vigilant not to grieve the Holy Spirit through sinful patterns of life. Scripture warns us against attitudes and behaviors such as impurity, greed, deceit, falsehood, bitterness, rage, slander, and unforgiveness, all of which belong to the old way of life apart from Christ (Ephesians 4:17–32).
When these things are cherished, our fellowship with God is disrupted, and prayer loses its power. As the psalmist confessed, cherishing sin in the heart prevents the Lord from listening (Psalm 66:18). God desires uninterrupted fellowship with His children, not ritualistic prayer disconnected from obedience.
Because the Spirit of God lives in us, we are now His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). This reality calls us to a life of worship that involves our entire being. Paul urges believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our true and proper worship (Romans 12:1–2). Rather than conforming to the patterns of this world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Word. As this transformation takes place, we gain spiritual discernment and are able to recognize what is good, pleasing, and perfect according to God’s will.
When the Word is received with faith, obedience, humility, and love, prayer becomes a natural overflow of fellowship with God rather than a desperate effort to obtain answers. Confidence before God grows, not because of our righteousness, but because our hearts are aligned with His will. We will experience the joy of communion with our Father and the assurance that He hears us and answers according to His perfect plan.
Prayer. Father, grant me an obedient heart toward Your Word. Remove self-centeredness, self-reliance, and selfish motives from me by the power of the gospel. Help me keep Your command to believe in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.