Does God Answer The Prayers Of Unbelievers?

[Tinky]

I was on the GTY website and came across this:

Does God Answers The Prayers Of Unbelievers?

God is sovereign and can choose to answer any prayer He sees fit. But Scripture clearly indicates that God does not listen to or answer every prayer. In fact, Scripture gives at least fifteen reasons for unanswered prayer. God does not answer the prayer of those:

1) Who have personal and selfish motives.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (

James 4:3

).

2) Who regard iniquity in their hearts.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear (

Psalm 66:18

).

3) Who remain in sin.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear (

Isaiah 59:2

). Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him (

John 9:31

).

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4) Who offer unworthy service to God.

"You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. "But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts.

5) Who forsake God.

Thus says the Lord to this people: "Thus they have loved to wander; They have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, And punish their sins." Then the Lord said to me, "Do not pray for this people, for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence (

Jeremiah 14:10-12

).

6) Who reject God's call.

Because I [Wisdom] have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke.... Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me (

Proverbs 1:24-25

,

28

).

7) Who will not heed God's law.

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination (

Proverbs 28:9

). "But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the Lord of hosts. (

Zechariah 7:11-13

).

8) Who turn a deaf ear to the cry of the poor.

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, Will also cry himself and not be heard. (

Proverbs 21:13

).

9) Who are violent.

When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood (

Isaiah 1:15

; see also 59:2-3).

10) Who worship idols.

Therefore thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble." (

Jeremiah 11:11-14

; see also

Ezekiel 8:15-18

).

11) Who have no faith.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord (

James 1:6-7

).

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12) Who are living in hypocrisy.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (

Luke 12:1

).

13) Who are proud of heart.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (

James 4:6

;

1 Peter 5:5

).

14) Who are self-righteous.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess." And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (

Luke 18:11-14

).

15) Who mistreat God's people.

You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them (

Psalm 18:40-41

).You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones; Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces, Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron. Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds (

Micah 3:2-4

).

So, does God answer the prayers of unbelievers? A strict yes or no answer is difficult without qualifying the answer in various ways. However, it is noteworthy that the above mentioned principles represent some of the key characteristics of an unbeliever. Thus we can safely say that, in general, God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever.

http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA160

I'm pretty convinced God doesn't answer an unbelievers prayer - except a prayer of repentance.

What do you guys think?

[BlessedByTheBest]

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

there can be no communication with the Father if not by and through the Son, Jesus Christ. through Him and only Him, one is enabled and spiritually positioned to boldly approach the Throne of Grace.

God is sovereign, and by His providence He will draw near to those who hear the the Gospel of Christ and are convicted of their sins.

but outside of seeking fellowship with God on His terms, vain prayers of the ungodly seeking deliverance from oppression do not reach the Throne.

this is because they are not seeking the throne, they are only seeking relief. perhaps their afflictions are in place in order to bring them to that cross, but they are blinded by the enemy of our souls.

Job 35:12There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Job 35:13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

but most of the verses shared in the article apply to the vain prayers of Israel and the Church in a state of sin(ignorantly or unrepentant).

[Tinky]

outside of seeking fellowship with God on His terms, vain prayers of the ungodly seeking deliverance from oppression do not reach the Throne. this is because they are not seeking the throne, they are only seeking relief.

Great point. Evidence for that is when relief does come, they quickly forget about God.

[Guest]

I'm pretty convinced God doesn't answer an unbelievers prayer - except a prayer of repentance.

What do you guys think?

Beats

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

Me

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

[Guest shiloh357]

Here is my question. Jesus fulfilled the requests of the Syro-Phonecian woman who asked Him to heal her daughter. He healed the servant of the Centurion when the Centurion asked Him to. In the book of Acts, Cornelius, a partial proselyte to the Jewish religion was praying at the prescribed Minkha (afternoon) prayer time and was visited by an agnel of God and was told that God had heard his prayers. None of these people were "believers" in the way we are using that word, here. None of them except Cornelius are recorded as having ever become believers and they were all Gentiles, to boot.

I don't think God listens to the prayers of those who are lawless who try to use prayer to own their wicked purposes.

But consider the following scenario: A young set of parents have a newborn that is sick and in intensive care. Neither are believers, but cry out to God for help to save their newborn's life. Do you think God turns a deaf ear? I mean if we sinful people could not help but be touched and would do anything we could to save a child's life, why would God not be touched as well? I am not saying that God is under any obligation to heal the baby, but do you think he turns a deaf ear to that request? And, if He were to heal that baby, might not it be possible that such an act of goodness on His part contribute to this young couple coming to repentance? If not, why not?

[Matthitjah]

I think that God responds to the cry's of anyone with a sincere heart despite their position. In fact, He uses their position and His Grace to bring them closer to Himself.

[silviawang]

as a believer,how many prayers GOD has answered you?

and how diffcult you get the answer from GOD?

-----

my experience:

GOD has answered almost all my prayers,but times and times again ,there was the most terrible faith trial,2 times,i even at the edge of death!

[gdemoss]

God began answering my prayers long before I became a believer. Take that for what you will.

[other one]

as a believer,how many prayers GOD has answered you?

and how diffcult you get the answer from GOD?

-----

my experience:

GOD has answered almost all my prayers,but times and times again ,there was the most terrible faith trial,2 times,i even at the edge of death!

I lost count of the answered prayers a long time ago..... I am not sure what you mean by that second question sometimes I get really difficult when the answer is no LoL

but I don't think that's what you meant. early in my life I was not very patient and was troubled by some of the lapses between praying and getting either results or answers.

[silviawang]

I lost count of the answered prayers a long time ago..... I am not sure what you mean by that second question sometimes I get really difficult when the answer is no LoL

but I don't think that's what you meant. early in my life I was not very patient and was troubled by some of the lapses between praying and getting either results or answers.

i have been the Christian for 10 years,GOD almost answered all my prayers,but in my memory,there were only 2 times I got the answer without anytrial and delay,and others ,almost every prayer , GOD gave me reverse answer at the initial time,and after the looooong waiting ,sometimes the most

terrible faith trial,at last GOD gave me the good result and bless,and still some prayers GOD totally rejected me,but also after the most

terrible faith trial,GOD show me that my will is wrong,he has the better and right way

-------i have the BIBLE,i have the experience how to walk and work with GOD,i believe in GOD