Hebrews 13:18 reads, “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.” The writer and his fellow-sufferers included himself, Timothy (cf. Heb. 13:23), and “and for all those of us who labour in the ministry of the gospel.”
The request for prayer is in the present imperative verb tense. It looks for continuous activity and implies that they had already been praying for him. He offers two reasons why the brothers should pray for them. First, he trusts they have a good conscience. Many of the Jews had a bad opinion of Paul because he had cast off the law, but he claims to have a good conscience and willing to live honestly in all things. He trusts in this conclusion but he humbling recognizes the possibility of being too confident and uses the word “trust” instead of “know.” Second, he hoped to be restored to them, sooner.
It is either that the writer thought themselves worthy of prayer because they have a good conscience and desire to live honorably or he recognizes that they desire to live honorably and think that they have good consciences. Either way, when the conscience is seared with a hot iron, it can result in teaching error, living in self-righteousness and religious delusion such as is listed in 1 Timothy 4:3 (“Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”). Once deluded, lies precipitate more lies and damnation follows (2 Thess. 2:10-14). If you hold down the truth of God long enough and consistently, you can cauterize your conscience and become so hardened that you will excuse yourself and justify your self-righteousness. The only recourse that will assure God’s approval is a love for the truth. The conscience, as long as it is kept and maintained, will follow the convictions of the heart and mind. Once we see the truth for ourselves, own and claim it as our own, the good conscience will follow it, faithfully. Our guide must be the Word of God alone!—Not our feelings, desires, or the opinions of others.