"This is the boldness that we have toward God, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us, and... whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him" (1Jn 5:14-15).

What a wonderful promise! This boldness is confidence, but not presumption. We cannot presume that God will do anything we ask, just because we want him to. Our prayers have to be "according to his will." But God's answers don't have to be according to our will.

God Will Not Act Against His Revealed Will

God cannot deny himself (2Tm 2:13 Tit 1:2). The scriptures cannot be broken (Jhn 10:35). God's will is immutable (Heb 6:17-19). Prayers must harmonize with the declared counsel (or will) of God (Acts 20:27). God cannot say one thing and do another. He cannot go against his revealed will.

God Will Not Act Against His Unrevealed Will

God has a will in some things which is not revealed to us, so we cannot know it.

God has revealed only as much of his will for us as we need to know for our own good.

For example, the duration of our lives is unknown, and what will happen tomorrow is unknown, and we ought to say, "If the Lord wills we will live and do this or that" (Jas 4:13-15).

We must respect the unrevealed will of God, even though we cannot know it.

For example, Paul sought prayers regarding his life and ministry, but he did not know everything that lay ahead of him (Acts 20:22-25 21:10-14 Rom 15:22-33).

The Lord Jesus showed the right attitude: "Father, if it be possible... nevertheless not my will but Your will be done!" (Lke 22:42).

Is that the attitude in which you pray when you do not have God's will revealed?

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