God does not hear or regard the prayer of the wicked.
Prov 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Prov 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness. NKJV
Prov 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. NKJV
Prov 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with wicked intent! NKJV
Prov 1:24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, NKJV
Mic 3:4 Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds. NKJV
John 9:31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. NKJV
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. NKJV
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. NKJV
1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. NKJV
Ps 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. NKJV
Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? NKJV
Dec 02, 2010 @ 10:51:34
God does “hear” the prayers of the unconverted/wicked. “He will not hear them” – He will not take head and listen.
He “hears” the prayers of the “wicked” in the same way as He knows all things (even before we speak them). After all, the rescued/saved believers (“converted” as you say) were all wicked, lost, and unrighteous, in need of a Savior – He heard and listened to our/my prayer, but it was when my heart called on His Name in repentance, forsook my sin, and confessed the exceeding sinfulness of it in the light of His Law. It’s in those moments that God, knowing the heart, hears the prayers of the wicked/unconverted…AND LISTENS and acts on it – He changes a person’s life for eternity.
God cares about how we live. There ARE categories of the “wicked” and the “righteous.” Jesus taught us it is a heart issue (Matthew 5 – 7); God isn’t fooled by outward “righteousness” when the heart despises the law. But righteousness does exist – in fact, it is righteousness that gets us into heaven. Just not OUR righteousness. Thank God for this unspeakable gift.
May 16, 2011 @ 10:12:06
Caleb, glad you are reading. You can try to twist it and confuse people if you want, yes of course God knows all, but scripture tells us God does not hear the prayers of the wicked. If God Himself can say this, why should anyone feel the need to soften it. He does not regard or answer their cries. Why, because they are separated from God because of sin and their sin nature. There is no way for man to come to God. God must 1st give man a new birth a new nature that is holy and then only will man be willing to seek God in a right way. Rom says no one seeks God. Do you reject this and think some people do? No one comes to me unless the Father draw him is what Jesus taught. This is why salvation is from God. He chooses, He calls, and He gives the new birth and makes man willing to love have faith and obey, else no one would and all would go to hell as they deserve. It is not in man that salvation comes. It is not from man to determine who will be saved. Check out Rom 9 not of the will of man, but of God.
You have been taught the false modern version of christianity and need to read and believe only the word of God. Keep reading and studying especially our forefathers in the faith.
May 16, 2011 @ 17:13:55
Hi Don – I must of written that incorrectly. I am in full agreement with what is being said (I never should have posted in that sense). I just thought I would add to the above that God hears the cries of broken and contrite heart (usually those who were/are coming from death into life). All of us are wicked – even still we bear nothing of our own (man) – it’s the righteousness of Christ. In our wickedness, God heard each of us as we initially cried out to Him. There is no disagreement, I’m just not a writer.
Here I am thinking I’m saying something one way and it comes across another. I love many of the forefathers of our faith. Salvation is of God – no question.
I don’t even know, I guess if even now, this is or would/will be coming through clearly. I probably started the sentence of my first post a little too abrubtly, making it seem like I was disagreeing or challenging. I knew that might happen but didn’t know how to otherwise alter it at the time with the time I had. It will come through one of these days.