Bible Question: Do God hear/answer prayers of unsaved? |
Bible Answer: Hi Joe, Welcome to the forum. While agreeing with all that has been said, I am always a little hesitant about telling God what He must do. The Scripture reveals His usual practise, and that is that God does not hear the prayers of those living complacently in sin, or treating Him lightly. But when unsaved men begin to seek Him I think He may well begin to hear their prayers. Consider the people of Nineveh when Jonah preached to them. God heard their prayers and spared Nineveh. Or consider the people of Israel, who time and again when they were in a period of backsliding prayed in times of need and God delivered them, e.g. when Jerusalem was spared from the Assyrians. In both cases God heard their prayers as part of the proocess of bringing them to Himself. Of course I accept that we do not know at what point such people are 'saved', thus it may come under the heading of responding in salvation. All I am saying is that we should beware of discouraging people from praying,as long as their prayers are genuine, while at the same time warning against glib prayers. Such praying may be part of the process whereby He is wooing them to Himself. Best wishes |