Bible Questions and Answers

A visitor writes,

"Where does it say God Will not hear our prayers anymore"

The principle is that God will not hear the prayers of those who do evil in their lives. But he will hear the prayers of those who repent of their sins.

God warned Israel when they insisted upon having a king.

1 Samuel 8:18  "And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day."

The psalmist writes:

Psalms 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

Solomon writes:

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.

Proverbs 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

This was true of the Law given through Moses under the Old Covenant God made with Israel at Sinai. It is also true of the Law of Christ i.e. the commandments of Christ which form the Law of the New Covenant in Christ

God warned Israel because of their evil ways:

Isaiah 1:15  When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Micah 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.

He tells Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 7:16 "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.

Jeremiah 11:14  "So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.

God will not hear those who live sinful lives.

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.

God will not hear the proud.

Luke 18:9 Also He (Jesus) spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11  "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12  ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13  "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14  "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

God will not hear us if we have the wrong motives.

James 4:3  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Jesus tells us that we should pray frequently and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1 Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

And gives us a model prayer.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11  Give us this day our daily bread. 12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,

Glenn