One of the key ideas in 1 John 5:14–15 is confidence. John says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (v. 14). The Greek word translated “confidence” (parrēsia) is also used in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.”
In other places parrēsia is translated variously as “plainly” (Mark 8:32; John 10:24), “openly” (John 18:20), “publicly” (John 7:13; 11:54), “fearlessly” (Ephesians 6:19), and “courage” (Philippians 1:20). Taken together, the various translations express a sense of being unashamed, unreserved, or audacious. This is the kind of confidence we can have in approaching God in prayer because He’s our Father and wants to hear what those who care about His will have to say.
Intentional Faith 