Watch the video below to see Steve McVey talk about Christian Religion Lie #91 “God Doesn’t Answer The Prayer of Non-Christians” and my comments follow…
Does this really make sense?
Does God REALLY not answer the prayers of non-believers?
Does He really only hear the prayers of those people who have “prayed the sinners prayer”… asked for forgiveness… and accepted salvation?
Nope!
God hears everyone 
Paul says in Romans 2:4 (NASB, emphasis mine):
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
God’s goodness leads people to Him…
I’m sure you’ve heard a salvation story like this: Non-believers are in some dire straight, in some horrible situation, and they call out to God, begging Him to do something for them…
God answers and helps that person… and this action is so amazing it causes that person to follow God from that point on.
Seek and Find
God is gracious, loving and if someone is “seeking” God they will find Him. (Matthew 7:7)
Can this seeking also include a non-believer who doesn’t yet know they need to “get saved”… but knows their is a God… and just wants to talk to Him?
They will pray to God without knowing first to “pray the prayer of salvation”… and God will definitely not hide himself in this situation, wouldn’t you agree?
Why this lie is dangerous
It puts God back in the box of “do this and you’ll get God’s approval and goodness” because the thing to do in this situation is “be a believer and THEN God will be pleased with you”.
It puts God back in the “If… Then…” box so many years of religion, human traditions, and faulty understandings have tried to put Him in.
If you were an unbeliever and you heard “God only answers believers”, would you want anything to do with a God who doesn’t care about you until you commit to Him?
Hell (Fire and Brimstone Included) NO!
But what about a God who is so loving, so gracious, so full of goodness, mercy and overall awesomness, that He not only answers the prayers of everyone… but loves them unconditionally no matter who they are, what they’ve done in the past, present or are going to do in the future.
You think that might be a God that you’d want to get to know? Yeah, me too.
With Love
Caleb
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Irene Penny 12.12.08 at 10:30 pm
I have a niegbor that supports your ministry. He said he got a letter where he could . copy some of your sermons but could not find it. I trird finding it for him but could’nt. He dosen’t have a computor. so I said I would do it for him. Thank you
Amy 02.20.09 at 3:49 pm
God is awesome and I have been saved by God!! Spread the word of Gods love! God loves each and everyone of us and wants the best for his children!
Pastor Dr Cj Nichols 08.03.09 at 4:21 pm
Of course God hears Prayer, but answering people’s prayers are an entirely different story … it is abundantly obvious God heard the prayers of non-believers in many areas of the Bible and of course Jesus as well … but again, God answers prayer to those who are not hindered by sin … and since a non-believer is obviously hindered with sin, it is likely the only way their prayers be answered as by the Will of God for His reasons.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
James 06.02.10 at 3:41 am
Consider the following passages in answer to the question “Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers?”
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:1)
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” (Psalm 34:15-16)
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Psalm 66:18)
The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)
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. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
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. (1 Peter 3:12)
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (1 John 3:22)
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. (John 9:31)
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)
I believe the answer to the question is plainly stated in these passages. God does not hear (respond to) the prayer of the wicked (unbeliever).
Natalie 12.16.10 at 6:04 am
You know what Caleb? I’m so refreshed to hear a Christian who focuses on Gods love, i am a young Christian who is so religious and practises false humility and try to make every effort to do what is right. I end up feeling bad,guilty and keeping Gods standards is so impossible. I said a pray 3 years ago that God should find me, a few days later i met a young girl(17) who taught me to start reading the bible, Yes i do believe God hears the prayers of the unbelievers. I fact the new testament mentions time and time again parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son. Did you see the response of the sheperd,the Father and teh Woman respectively? That is Gods response to sinners, Sorry James but you are so wrong, i wouldnt be too surprised if you like me have been struggling with guilt and pharisism!
Amen Caleb
Ntinda from Africa
James 07.21.11 at 6:21 pm
Natalie,
According to Scripture, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son would only be heard if they repented of their sins and returned to the Lord, i.e., to a walk of obedience to His will. These are all representative of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 15:24) which God said he would destroy if they did not return to Him (Jer. 4:1-4). The only prayer that God hears from the lost is the prayer of repentance resulting in a return to a right relationship with God (Luke 18:13) which is by grace (Acts 3:26). Was God merciful, compassionate, and loving to all those you mentioned? Absolutely! However, if they remained in their sins God would ultimately destroy them, which He did in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70a.d. Jesus’ encounter with the women at the well is a good example of this (John 8:10-12). He was wonderfully compassionate and forgiving, however He also said “go, and sin no more.” Love is never separated from obedience in Scripture. Love is obedience. It says in Exodus 20:5,
“For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments”
And in Deut. 30:6,
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul that you may live…and you will again obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today”
Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He who loves Me” (John 14:21)
John says, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2).
In other words, love’s focus is obedience from the heart. A child that loves his or her parents is obedient to them. A parent who loves his or her child disciplines them with the intent of protecting them from their disobedience. According to Scripture love and obedience always goes hand in hand.
No Natalie, I do not struggle with guilt because Christ has taken my guilt upon Himself on the Cross. Nor do I struggle with Phariseeism, because unlike the Pharisees, I love Christ, as well as my brethren, and therefore seek to please Him and obey Him in all things. My struggle is with a professing Church that “turns the grace of God into licentiousness” (Jude 3-4) making Christ a minister of sin (Gal. 2:17) pouring salt on the wounds of our precious and glorious Lord. “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16).