Bible Study Does God hear a Sinner when they pray?

[Eve777]

Sin does seperate us from God but not God's love for us, but he cannot hear us if we continue in our sins. Whenever anyone ask me if God hears a sinner when they pray, I always show them this scripture.

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)

But there is hope because he does hear a prayer unto repentance.

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 separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (KJV)

This is the way I read it. Anyone else have an opinion on this.

 

[cubedbee]

I think you are taking this verse out of context. This verse is the recorded statement of a blind man who had been healed. THe Pharisees called the blind man to themselves, and the following happened

13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."
16Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. 17Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened."
The man replied, "He is a prophet."
18The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. 19"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"
20"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. 21But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."
25 He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
26 Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"
27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?"
28 Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."
30 The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."
34They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

The Pharisees are questioning whether or not Jesus actually healed the man. They believe that Jesus is a sinner for breaking the Sabbath, but they do not believe that a sinner can do miraculous signs from God. So, first they doubt the man was really blind, then they try to get him to admit that it was God, not Jesus, who healed him. The Pharisees claim that they are discples of Moses, but have no idea where Jesus comes from.

At this point, the blind man argues that he was healed, such a miracle has never been performed, and only a man of God could have done it. It is within this blind man's argument that the verse you quoted occurs. In this context, being heard by God does not refer to prayer, but to the power to perform miracles. Yes, some miracles occur from prayer, but not all prayer is of the miraculous nature.

Furthermore, this blind man is not an inspired apostle of Christ. He is simply a man who was healed, and this is the recording of what he said afterwards. The man has no authority to lay theological foundations. Moreover, his statement isn't even theologically accurate. We are all sinners, so if God didn't hear sinners' prayers, he would hear none of our prayers. It does not say unrepentant sinners. And we are sinners, in the present tense, as both Paul and John affirm in their epistles.

 

[Blazin Bones]

Eve, we already have this same thread in this forum already.

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=11452