1 John 3:21-22 21Beloved, if our heart does not convict us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do pleasing things before him.
John links obedience to God to answered prayer. Heart is the dwelling place of one’s conscience, the awareness one has of right and wrong. A heart that tells us that we have done nothing wrong and that we have no fear of punishment (4:18) has confidence before God. The way to have such a heart is to confess one’s sins, walk in the light of God’s laws, and love others. Obedience from the heart ensures a clear conscience. A clear conscience begins with recognizing our sin and confessing it to God. Obedience is shown by being channels of God’s love, especially to the brother or sister in need. None of this is possible without the help of the Holy Spirit.
If we struggle with unanswered prayers or with praying with assurance and faith, we should first look into our hearts. God’s relationship with us and response to us are directly related to our relationships with others and our responses to them. Jesus said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go first be reconciled to your brother, and then coming, offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). If we desire to have confidence before God, as Paul wrote, we must have a clear conscience (Romans 9:1, 2 Corinthians 1:12). The present tense of receive (lambanomen) adds the assurance we can have in prayer; we can ask as if God is answering at the moment of our asking. The Holy Spirit will lead us into righteousness (John 16:8, 10), but it is our responsibility to listen and obey.