I have asked this before... but maybe I will get better answers this time?

Question

I have just seen someone say it again and I have seen it in the past many times
" God only hears the prayers of those who are saved "

then how on earth can a non believer become a believer ?
how can God/Jesus come into the hearts of those who are seeking if their prayers are not answered ?
I do not understand this

does this mean that God doesnt know everything ?

so you dont have to be saved for God to hear your prayers ?

Answer 1

i have been told that by christians and by muslims and i say this

if this god does exist it is one petty creature to play favorites

Answer 2

That's called a lack of wisdom concerning the nature of Yahweh.

Yahweh hears everybody. He has no favorites. He answers what he wishes to answer and ignores the rest. That's just way it is with Yahweh.

Jesus doesn't answer prayers. He is not a god. He is a king, a messiah. He himself said in scripture you pray to Yahweh. Perhaps he can influence prayers but I'll leave that one up to the theologians. I think there is a verse where it implies that he can add weight to a request.

Actually:

John 14:13
You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father.

I think that implication here is that this is true while his disciples were with him and he was alive.

In John 16:25-28

25"I have spoken of these matters in parables, but the time will come when this will not be necessary, and I will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26Then you will ask in my name. I'm not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 28Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and I will leave the world and return to the Father."

He's saying you will ask of the Father in his name but it is not Jesus who needs to act on your behalf, your prayer goes directly to Yahweh. Since the believer loves also the son I guess this means Yahweh is more likely to answer these prayers.

However, there is nothing that says he won't hear you if you don't believe in Jesus. He may decide to answer nonetheless.

That's from a Yahweh perspective anyways.

Answer 3

I think people are confused by the verse that says God does not hear the prayers of "sinners." They presume it is a black/white thing - sinner/saved.

But what it means is that God doesn't hear the prayer of the unrepentant. Not quite the same thing. You might have heard that Yeshua (There's no "j" in Hebrew) said to everyone "Repent and be saved." Repentance comes first, salvation is the next step.

So if you genuinely repent of your sins and are truly determined to start learning and obeying, that is repentance. (And sin, BTW, is the transgression of the Law - that is, the Torah [I John chapter 3]. We don't get to make up our own definition of sin.)

If you begin that process, God will hear your prayers. At the point you decide to stop sinning, you are no longer a "sinner" even if you aren't quite "saved." Repenting is only half the process. When you believe in the Messiah and his resurrection, along with your repentance from sin, then you are "saved."

You may have already figured out that there are many people out there who either obey (sects of Judaism) but don't believe in the Messiah, or who believe in the Messiah but don't stop sinning according to God's definition of sin (most christians). Neither of these groups is "saved." They are still in the process, just like you will be when you repent.

So God answers their prayers (either yes, no, or wait) - just as he will answer yours (according to what's in your best interest, not necessarily according to what you want). And another thing about prayer you need to understand - God doesn't usually wave a magic miracle and get you out of the consequences of your past sins. You have to go forward from where you are right now.

But they - the ones who snidely say God won't listen to you - are no better than you, and I'm sorry that some have given you that impression. Usually the arrogant ones are the farthest from real salvation.

Answer 4

Well, lots of answers, some long, some short, some interesting and some very confusing! If you say a prayer, even if it is to question the existance of God, He will hear. Anyone can become a believer. It is not near the exclusive club that some would have us believe. Hey, He let me in!

Answer 5

The premise is not according to the holy scriptures. Of course the lost who call on the Lord are always heard. Cornelius' prayers were heard in Acts 10 and God sent him Peter to share the gospel. Cornelius believed (and his house) and were saved. God hears any honest prayer out of any heart. Whoever told you that God only hears the prayers of the saved is mistaken in several ways. It is God's will that all be saved. His ears are open to the cry of all who call upon him for salvation. If God only listened to saved people, then nobody would be saved, because we are all lost before we believed in Jesus Christ. Another way that is mistaken is the arrogance of that statement. God forbid. Jesus came to save the lost, not to declare their prayers could not be heard.

Answer 6

I am sure God hears every prayer no matter the religion the person comes from. I am sure He is with us and within us all. I am sure He is even where He has not been invited. He is in me, in you, and you... and you... He is in Nature and in Space, in other planets and under the sea... He is in the air, in the fire, in the water and in the earth... God is not a privilege of a few... He is the Creator, the Father and I know He loves us all as a father does, and a father loves the disobedient child even more than the well-behaving children, because a father knows that that one needs extra attention.

Peace!

Answer 7

Not true. The scripturers call God the hearer of prayer. The example you give is exactly right. If a non-believer is seeking why would God not hear him? It's the same thing Jesus said when he declared he'd come NOT for the righteous, but for the sinners (or words to that effect)

Answer 8

God indeed hears all prayers for he is every where, knows everything and can hear everything.

The real question is which prayer does God answer.

The Fact that you pray to God doesn't mean you will get an answer for God only answers prayer when it comes from the heart and when their is Faith (real faith).

A lot of times people don't know the principles of prayer and that is why they don't get any answers for they don't know how and for what to ask.

Answer 9

That statement is 100% untrue! God hears EVERYONE's prayers.

Sometimes those prayers go unanswered, but He doesn't judge a prayer based on the person asking it.

Answer 10

To tell you the truth I do not believe in that saying AT ALL.
You may hear it a lot, but it is a stupid thing to say.

God listens to everyone and everything. Whatever you say. You could just ramble on about your day. No Lie! And he will listen to you. Maybe even help you. And you do not have to be a believer for him to help you either.

So please don't believe that stupid saying. I'm not sure why someone or anyone would say somethign like that, especially if they believe in Him.

And if you want to be saved all you have to do is ask Him. But don't jsut randomly ask him if you do not believe in Him. Some people say that it is wrong to do that too [if yu do not believe in Him and then ask Him to save you] Some people just aren't sure at first. Try. And then realize later that thye were not 100% in Him yet. So they are not saved until they ask again.

But its not a very scary thing to do either. And you will not be punished for anything. I just thought you may want to know that too. Because many people have different beliefs.

I go to church and read the bible. I take classes in this sort of thing. You just have to believe in him. And he will listen no matter if yuo do or don't know.

Answer 11

I would say that's not true. God did answer gentiles and all kinds of people - including those who didn't believe. He answers prayers out of his goodness and grace.

However when a person has continuous communion with God, has a genuine relationshop, someone who does not seek personal gain, but seeks to understand God. That person has somewhat of a light switch effect (like switching on a light bulb, and causing current to flow, by pressing a switch). That person is more likely to get a response sooner than later.