The Question of Whether God Hears the Prayers of Sinners

Straightaway, I want to say thanks be to God that He does in fact hear the prayers of sinners.

You and I certainly would not be here today if God didn’t hear our prayers when we were deep in the valley of sin. 

For it is one thing to have somebody pray for us, but certainly we need to speak to the Lord for ourselves, after we would have gained an understanding of who God is and how far we are from doing what He asks of us. It is only then that we can benefit from His forgiveness, His grace, and His mercy.

Romans 10:9-10 NIV says “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

So when people suggest that God doesn’t hear a sinner’s prayer, and quote scriptures too, we have to be careful to examine what the Bible says and understand the context in which it is written.

When we study the Word of God, whenever we are looking for answers to questions, it is important that we ask the Holy Spirit for spiritual discernment. Many times people would search the scriptures to find answers to preconceived ideas and forget that they should actually cross reference the scriptures and take into consideration, context. 

In the book of John chapter 9 verse 31, it says “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.”

Should we go away with that verse without searching for other scriptures and examining the context? This wasn’t Jesus speaking. Rather, this was a declaration of the growing faith of a man who was born blind, after he was healed by Jesus. 

It could also reference spiritual blindness, where as sinners, we are out there in the world doing as we please instead of honouring God. 

In that state, one would generally feel that God wouldn’t hear them. Some folk would probably even condemn these “sinners” and call them reprobates that God would disregard.

But is that the nature of our loving God? My Bible tells me that God loves the sinner too. Amen. 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

Romans 5:18 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This speaks to believers and unbelievers. 

Isn’t it good to know that we weren’t left alone to die when we were out there in the world of sin? 

Now, having made that decision to come out of darkness into light, we must now reach back and help others living in sin. God heard our prayers and He stands ready to hear the cries of others as well.

While Jesus walked the earth, He was known to reach out to those for example who the Pharisees looked down on as sinful and unworthy.

Jesus ministered to those marginalised by society and showed them God’s love and mercy. Amen.

Now we do have to be careful not to fall into those categories of repeat offenders, reprobates and stay there. That’s when we run the risk of being cut off.

Isaiah 59:2 warns “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

Thanks be to God for cases in the Bible which give us hope.

Luke 18:13-14 ““But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

In Acts chapter 10, there’s the story of Cornelius, a Roman centurion considered a sinner by Jewish standards. When he prayed, those prayers were acknowledged by God, and this led to his encounter with Peter and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

So God listens to prayers of repentance from sinners. Anyone, regardless of their sinfulness, can call upon God and be heard.

Thank God for this reassurance - Romans 10:13 “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Thank God for grace and mercy. Why? Because God knew that there would come a time when we would look at ourselves, realize the error of our ways and repent.

So if you’re a sinner, know today that sincere repentance and a desire to turn away from sin open the line of communication with God.

In summary, the question of whether God hears the prayers of sinners is not really a question. 

Yes some scriptures suggest that sin can hinder prayers, but others emphasize God's willingness to hear and respond to the sincere prayers of all individuals, including sinners. 

Family we can all take away from this exhortation today that in moments of sincere repentance, God's ears are inclined to our prayers. 

It is not for us to take this for granted and feel we have time to run about and then come to Jesus in our latter years. For again, we just do not know when we would breathe our last breadth.

Indeed Family, we must take advantage of this privilege of prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration, for the sake of our soul salvation.

aub - 29 July 2024

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