GOD TELLS US
About Whose Prayer God Hears
WHOSE PRAYER IS NOT HEARD?
1. Those that love sinning or who are not sorry for their sins.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 he heareth.
PSALM 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
The prayer of a non-Christian who is looking for Christ can be heard by God. The prayer is actually heard by Christ and taken by Him to God. God will help one who is diligently seeking to find Christ. (See more on this below.)
2. Those that refuse to show mercy and compassion.
ZECHARIAH 7:9-13
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 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. 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:
WHOSE PRAYER DOES GOD HEAR?
1. Those that keep His commandments1 JOHN 3:22-33
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
2. Those that abide in Christ
JOHN 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
3. * Those that ask according to His will
1 JOHN 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
4. * Those that ask in faith
MARK 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
MATTHEW 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
5. * Those who ask for the right things for the right reasons
JAMES 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
6. Those that give honor to their spouse
1 PETER 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
7. * Those that are humble
LUKE 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
8. Those that are righteous
JAMES 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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.
WE MUST PRAY THROUGH CHRIST
JOHN 14:13-14And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
JOHN 16:23-24
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
JOHN 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
HEBREWS 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
* These leave an opening for the prayers of a non-Christian to reach God - but they still need to go through Christ.
Those that ask according to His will, believing that they will receive an answer, who ask for the right things for the right reasons, and are humble: those seeking salvation from God with humility and faith will be heard by Christ, who will take it to God. Seeking salvation would qualify as being according to His will, and as asking God for the right things.
God did hear the prayer of Cornelius before he was saved because he was looking for salvation.
ACTS 10:2
A devout man [Cornelius], and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.
ACTS 10:4
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
ACTS 10:30-31
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
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