John Calvin Commentary 1 John 5:14

"And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:" — 1 John 5:14 (ASV)

And this is the confidence. He commends the faith which He mentioned by its fruit, or He shows what our confidence especially consists in: namely, that the godly dare confidently to call on God. As Paul also says in Ephesians 3:12, we have by faith access to God with confidence, and also in Romans 8:15, the Spirit gives us a mouth to cry Abba, Father.

Undoubtedly, if we were driven away from access to God, nothing could make us more miserable. On the other hand, if this asylum is opened to us, we would be happy even in extreme evils. Indeed, this one thing makes our troubles blessed, because we surely know that God will be our deliverer, and relying on his paternal love towards us, we flee to him.

Let us, then, bear in mind this declaration of the Apostle: that calling on God is the chief trial of our faith, and that God is not rightly called upon, nor called upon in faith, unless we are fully persuaded that our prayers will not be in vain. For the Apostle denies that those who, being doubtful, hesitate, are endowed with faith.

It hence appears that the doctrine of faith is buried and nearly extinct under the Papacy, for all certainty is taken away. They indeed mutter many prayers and prattle much about praying to God, but they pray with doubtful and fluctuating hearts and instruct us to pray; and yet they even condemn this confidence which the Apostle requires as necessary.

According to his will. By this expression, He also meant to remind us of the right way or rule of praying: namely, when people subject their own wishes to God. For though God has promised to do whatever his people may ask, he does not allow them unbridled liberty to ask whatever may come to their minds; but he has, at the same time, prescribed for them a law according to which they are to pray.

And undoubtedly, nothing is better for us than this restriction. For if each of us were allowed to ask whatever we pleased, and if God were to indulge us in our wishes, he would be providing very badly for us. For we do not know what is expedient; indeed, we boil over with corrupt and hurtful desires.

But God supplies a twofold remedy, so that we do not pray otherwise than according to what his own will has prescribed. For he teaches us by his word what he would have us ask, and he has also set his Spirit over us as our guide and ruler, to restrain our feelings and keep them from wandering beyond proper limits.

For what or how to pray, we know not, says Paul, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmity, and excites in us unutterable groans (Romans 8:26). We should also ask the mouth of the Lord to direct and guide our prayers, for God in his promises has fixed for us, as has been said, the right way of praying.