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Bible Study Does God hear prayers from people who living in sin?

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Best Evidence

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A friend of mine came to me recently and ask this question and what I thought. I was pulled in all directions to try and give an answer that would be correct but also hopeful. Can ya'll help me on this and let's get some kind of discussion going so I can have some really good verses and thoughts on this. :o
 
To be found in sin will not necessarily prevent God from answering a person's prayer.

The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" speaks of this truth.
 
Re: Prayers of those living in sin...

Best Evidence said:
A friend of mine came to me recently and ask this question and what I thought. I was pulled in all directions to try and give an answer that would be correct but also hopeful. Can ya'll help me on this and let's get some kind of discussion going so I can have some really good verses and thoughts on this. :o
The fact that one has a conviction of 'living in sin' is a start. The parables/stories of Jesus are a good place from there. Read those, get your friend to read them and then discuss what they mean.

God Bless.....
 
The sinners prayer is definitely a place to start. The way to come back to God and turn from your sin is to ask forgiveness. I think its another great thing that your friend is seeking a way back. Psalm 51 shows a great picture of david repenting of his sin to God. He asked for God to renew his spirit. God will accept you back. He loves us to much to cast us aside.
 
"Does God hear prayers of people living in sin?

Hi Best Evidence,

Good question? Just a little info about the situation. Is that possible or what. To me we all live in sin? I have ask Jesus to forgive me and accepted him as my savior. I try very hard to be Christ-like but I do sin and I have to continue growing in the Lord.
Has this person actually felt the pull of the Holy Spirit about something or what. I know you don't want to say to much????\

Yours in Christ
Catpaw
 
Hello Catpaw,
About the only thing I can say is these are two of my friends who are currently living together but are not married. The Holy Spirit has convicted them of this, and they were wondering would God hear them if they prayed about this. They are both saved by the blood of Jesus. They both believe in the bible and that it is true. They have also both been lead astray in the last few years due to drug addiction and other things of this world but I feel that because they are "Children of God" the Holy Spirit is still convicting them when they do wrong. I also believe as some has already said that if they pray and ask for forgiveness, and direction, and God's will for their lives, that God will show them the correct thing to do. I don't think they will much like what they find and what God will show them but I do believe God will show them the right thing to do. Whether they do this is of course up to them.
But if what they have told me is true then they will bow or bend to his will and not their's. They may have to do some arranging in there relationship but I believe that if they truly love one another and God is at the center of their life then they can still have a great relationship that could last and last. The more so because they do what is good in God's eyes.
I will show them this thread and the verses all has shown me. Please if you have anymore advice, or verses or just a word from the Lord please let me know.
 
I think that God hears all prayers, even those of an Islamic terrorist, but He doesn't answer them.

I also don't think that God answers the prayers of a "sinner" who is not a Christian.

I don't think that God answers the prayers of many Christians due to specific reasons:



James 1
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

(edited to change misspelling)
 
DIME Ministries said:
I think that God hears all prayers, even those of an Islamic terrorist, but He doesn't answer them.

I also don't think that God answers the prayers of a "sinner" who is not a Christian.

I don't think that God answers the prayers of many Christians due to specific reasons:



James 1
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

(edited to change misspelling)

That's what I said, just in different words. 8-) God is omniscient, knowing all, meaning He hears all. However, if you havenot acknowledge His power and His Son's salvation, he won't help. 8-)
 
God hears the repentant sinner.

DIME Ministries said:
I think that God hears all prayers, even those of an Islamic terrorist, but He doesn't answer them.

I also don't think that God answers the prayers of a "sinner" who is not a Christian.

I don't think that God answers the prayers of many Christians due to specific reasons:
  • Luke 18:13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'
    14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

    Psalms 51:17
    17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

    Isaiah 57:15 "I dwell on a high and holy place,
    And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
    In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
    And to revive the heart of the contrite.

    NASU w/emphasis supplied
Being a 'christian' is not a condition -- before God will hear a prayer.
Repentance for 'sin', and humility of heart, God hears and answers.

.....Restin
 
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. (KJV)


He does hear, obviously a prayer of repentance. If you want God to answer your prayers, you must first get saved.
 
Eve777 said:
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. (KJV)


He does hear, obviously a prayer of repentance. If you want God to answer your prayers, you must first get saved.

I think that this can be generally agreed. Of course God hears what the unrepentent sinner says, but usually he won't respond. I say usually because The book of Judges paints a different picture.
 
I think God hears every human being's prayers if it comes right from the bottom of his/her heart and is really appealing to God. Coz all are sinners and no one is found righteous in the sight of God.

He may not grant those prayer requests which clash with His Divine Will.
 
will God hear

Hello,
I love to find verses as answers, and I praise and thank God every moment for giving us the book with ALL the answers. AMEN?
His word is so simple, but it takes time.
Read along with me in Psalm 67:18 KJV: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, tha Lord will not hear me." Isn't the Word of God plain for us today?
ALL praise honor and glory to our Kind Loving Heavenly Father and His Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. :biggrin
 
Eve777 said:
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. (KJV)


He does hear, obviously a prayer of repentance. If you want God to answer your prayers, you must first get saved.

This particular verse is quoting the Jews, it is not "Thus saith the Lord"

The Scribes and Pharisees also stated that Jesus cast out devils by the power of the Devil--does that make this doctrine also?
 
Sin is breaking the 10 Commandment Covenant. 1 John 3:4!! [/b]The Sabbath of the Forth Commandent is one of the ten. James 2:8-12 points us to the ten. And say's to break one finds 'the sinner' guilty of breaking them all. (like Ex. 16:4-5 & verse 27 & 28) This is also called by James as the Royal Law, and that this will be our Standard of Judgement!

OK: Now for [your thread] question? Does God hear ones prayers after this is understood by them??

Another verse comes to the mind of the Born Again Gentile Jew of Rom. 2:28-29! Then there is Isa. 59:1-2.
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have seperated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."

Now, who is it that say's that God is a 'respecter' of persons? Christ or satan? Christ had just healed this blind man, and notice his first sermon? John 9:31!
"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God and doeth His will, him God heareth."
Now what about the Lord's Sabbath Commandment!

---Elijah
 
Best Evidence.

I trust that you are looking out for the spiritual well-being of your friends, and not just to comfort them.

Your friends have had quite a hard time so far in life, and no doubt the time ahead of them will be difficult for them too and for you also. They'll need your support if they are to get through this coming period of time. Pray for them earnestly.

You seem relatively certain that your friends are saved, and that is good, but keep in mind the possibility they are not. It would be a terrible tragedy for them to be deceived into living in a false hope of Salvation.

Sadly, in many Christian circles today, there is the tendancy to think that as long as we say sorry to God, we can live pretty much how we like and that's ok. But that is not the case. We are warned in 1 John 2:3-6

"3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

John here was talking about those who know the truth, who know what is right, but willfully give in to, and live in a particular sin out of the lust of their own flesh.

We are given a list of such sins in Galatians 5:19-21

"19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Your first step, whether your friends are saved or not, is to show them that they are sinning against God. It is important that you don't just say that they are, but that you show them the relevant texts, showing them also God's warnings. Encourage them to only consider what God's says and not to consider other peoples opinions, or even what other people think of them (they may be experiencing some dissaproval from others - this will put pressure on them to do the right thing, but it is pressure of the wrong type, because they'll do it for the wrong reasons).

They should not being sorry just because of any earthly consequences, be that in friendships, or status as Esau, but sorry because they have sinned against God and offended Him, I cannot emphasise this enough.

We read in Heb 12:16-17

"16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

When we read Genesis 25 through to the end of 27 and beyond, we find that Esau was only sorry because he had lost out, he depised Jacob and was bitter against him, but he was never sorry because he had offended God. This is why Esau found no place of repentance. His heart was focused upon the things of this world and not God. In order to find a place of repentance, we first must have a broken and a contrite heart realising we have sinned against God, and secondly we must turn away from our realised sin.

True repentance does not mean just saying sorry, but it also means turning away from that sin. Saying sorry to God but willingly continuing to live in sin is not repentance. It is a terrible offence to God, because that sin is being idolised and put higher on that persons agenda than God.

We must mean what we say. There is a hymn that says:

I often say my prayers,
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?

It is the heart that God listens to, not the words that come out of our mouths. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says

"9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

God searches heart, and rewards us according to our ways and our doings. Someone who repents will not only say they are sorry, but they will show they are sorry. It is this repentance that God listens to, not our seeming concern, or the words that come out of our mouths.

Once you have pointed your friends to scripture passages that show them without doubt that they are sinning against God. Point them to the remedy, Christ, through verses such as

John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

When you have carefully done this, give them a few days and pray for them earnestly. If your friends are saved, they will seek not to live in sin (encourage them in this also). In practical terms, this means that they will either seek marriage counselling and get married (but live apart until the time they do), or they will in spite of their own natural desire, live apart. Until they are married any sexual relationship they may be having must come to an end, because it is fornication. They'll struggle with all this and will need every bit of help they can get.

If they are not saved, then that sin will be too strong for them to break, and they will be unwilling to part with eachother. Even in this situation though, all is not lost, you have a wonderful opportunity to bring the Gospel, the message of salvation to these dear friends that you have.

It is not the words of a prayer that God hears, but the heart. If your friends want God to hear them, they must truly repent, and not just say sorry.
 
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