Today is the day of our monthly 6:00 a.m. leadership meeting here at the church. Who in their right mind would plan a meeting for six in the morning? What kind of hair brain would try to get people together an hour before the sun comes up? O.K. I did it, but it makes me feel better to blame it on someone else.
I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I would post my study notes on the question, "Does God Hear The Prayers of the Lost?" Here it goes... Let me know if you agree or disagree with my conclusions.
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Does God Hear the Prayers of those Who Aren’t Saved?
9/10/2006
Yes and No...
Let’s see the Bible Facts...
I. God hears everything and is omniscient.
- 1 John 3:20, ... God ... knows all things.
- Acts 10:31, ...and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
- Acts 11:14, ...who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.
- 1 Kings 21:25-29, But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."
III. Children are certainly heard from in the Throne Room of God.
- Matthew 19:14, But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
- Matthew 18:10, Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 21:15-16, But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise'?"
IV. The Bible teaches that God is unlikely to hear the prayers of the wicked and sinful.
- Proverbs 28:9, One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
- Psalm 66:18, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
V. The promises of God hearing and answering prayers are only given to the saved.
- Proverbs 15:29, The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Matthew 7:7-11, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- James 5:16b, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
- 1 John 3:22, And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
- Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- John 14:13, And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Conclusion
- The special relationship with God by which we pray is only available to those who are saved.
- The prayer that God most wants to hear from those who are not saved is a prayer of faith, confession, and repentance (the prayer for salvation).
- While it would be wrong to say that God will not ever respond to a prayer for assistance from an adult who has refused to accept the Lord as Savior, those people should not feel they have the right to come boldly before the throne of Grace nor should they expect to receive the same comfort and relief as a child of God would receive through prayer.
Noel Dear
