WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER?…WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT? PART 2
I briefly discussed the power of prayer yesterday, and because today is the national day of prayer, I would like to continue this topic.
I have already discussed my view on what prayer is and what it isn’t. Many people might not agree with me, but hey… I know that prayer is an effective tool in my life, and God hears me, so therefore I know I am one of Gods Children and can pray with confidence.
Today I wanted to discuss a crucial topic…Does God hear a sinners prayer?
This is a very important question because many people think that they can continue to live in sin and God will hear them. Many people live however they want and assume God hears their prayers.
If we read John 9:31 “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.”
It has also been said that “the only prayer that God hears from a sinner is the prayer for salvation.” As a result, some believe that God does not hear and/or will never answer the prayers of an unbeliever. In context, though, John 9:31 is saying that God does not perform miracles through an unbeliever.First, John 5:14-15 tells us that God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will. This principle, perhaps, applies to unbelievers. If an unbeliever asks a prayer of God that is according to His will, nothing prevents God from answering such a prayer—according to His will.
God does make promises that are applicable to all (saved and unsaved alike) such as Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This was the case for Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6. But there are many promises that, according to the context of the passages, are for Christians alone. Because Christians have received Jesus as the Savior, they are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.(Hebrews 4:14-16).
We are told that when we ask for anything according to God’s will, He hears and gives us what we ask for
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).
There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer
” If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”(Matthew 21:22)
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13, 15:7).
So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers.
These are some of the reasons God may not be answering your prayer:
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).
4) 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).
5) Who are living in hypocrisy.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).
6) Who are proud of heart.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
7) 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).
I think from a general sense, God does not answer the prayer of an unbeliever.
I think that, in my humble opinion, we need to have the Holy Spirit in our life, in order to be able to effectively communicate with God- through prayer. As I discussed the topic of the Holy Spirit last week I mentioned that the Holy Spirit is our channel that allows us to talk directly to God. The sole purpose of the Holy Spirit was to allow us as a creation to be able to communicate with our Father who is in heaven.
The Holy Spirit is the power that God gives us upon our repentance and true acceptance of Him (Christ in our heart). This is the process in which we are born again. When we are born again we become new, and the Holy Spirit fills our heart.
