As born-again believers, we know that God hears their prayers. We also know that God doesn’t always answer our prayers because we are not praying in His will. However, does God hear the prayers of those who are not born-again? We should let the Bible answer this question.
We must first ask, “What is prayer”? Jesus taught us how to pray using the Lord’s Prayer as an example:
Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Before we cover this model prayer, notice that Jesus prefaced the Lord’s prayer with verse 6:
Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Many religions today teach their members to pray repetitious prayers as a way to get more “religious” and closer to God. But God says differently in the above verse!
How would you like it if your children came to you and only spoke the exact same things every single time they talked to you? That’s not a relationship nor is it fellowship. It is merely a recital.
Jesus went as far to say that these types of prayers were “vain repetitions,” meaning that there would not be any response from God – trying to communicate with Him is in vain. The end result would produce nothing! Furthermore, Jesus said, “…as the heathen do”! Ouch!
Therefore, Jesus didn’t teach us the Lord’s prayer so we could repeat it word-for-word. When the Pharisees prayed in public, they repeated “canned prayers” and recited them out loud so people would “see how holy they were”! But they were far from holy; they were hypocrites. They followed the “letter of the law” but did not follow the “Spirit of the law,” in Christ Jesus.
We do know God hears their prayers when they come to Him for salvation.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But if they do not get saved, He does not hear their prayers because of their sin.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Also, one can say they were “saved,” but if that person remains in sin proves that they did not repent of their sin. Repeating a prayer for salvation with an insincere heart doesn’t make one born-again any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. But a sincere prayer asking God for forgiveness of your sins and accepting His son Jesus as Saviour will save! (Romans 6:23)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This is why the Bible says you must be born-again! You must separate yourself from sin after you are saved! THAT, my friend, is repentance. A person who steals will repent and steal no more after salvation; one who consistently lies will lie no more after salvation. The born-again Christian is not sinless but that Christian will desire to sin LESS because he wants to please the Lord. A person’s focus changes after salvation; his focus is on the things of God. If Christianity is a chore or labor for a person who has claimed salvation, then that person should check his heart. Loving God is never a chore or labor. It is a by-product of a grateful heart for the one who has obtained salvation through Jesus Christ.
John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Some reject God’s call to be saved but have put it off thinking they have plenty of time. Others just flat out refuse to be saved because they don’t want to be called religious fanatics.
Proverbs 1:24-26, 28 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; (25) But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: (28) Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Do you know what God thinks of their prayers?
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Zechariah 7:11-13 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. (12) Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. (13) Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
The Lord’s prayer is to be used as an example. We pray to the Father in Heaven and recognize how holy He is. This denotes a relationship and a recognition that He is not only our Parent (our Father) but He is a holy and righteous Judge (who art in Heaven)! Just as you knew that you were in deep trouble when your mother said, “Wait till your father comes home,” so we know that our Abba Father in Heaven will mete out righteous judgment on His children if we do not walk in His will. But to the unsaved, God does not hear their prayers or answer them at all!
Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
When prayers are not heard, and the individual is not saved, that person will fall into the hands of God at the great Judgment and will suffer death twice! (The first death is when their body dies and their soul goes to Hell; the second death is when they appear before God and their name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. This is where the second death occurs, and their soul is cast into the lake of fire for all eternity!)
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Your rejection of God and the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ, will result not only in your punishment but will pass down to your children and grandchildren because they have watched your “testimony” and have seen that you are not saved. They will follow in the same footsteps as you and will end up in that Lake of Fire as well unless you repent of your sins and live for God. This should be motivation to get saved and live for the Lord so your family will have an example to follow! (2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.)