Is an unbeliever able to pray to God? (Apart from repenting...)

This was a thought I had today.

Is an unbeliever able to have their prayers received by God (apart from a prayer of repentance).

Because...if Jesus as our Saviour has come to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father and bridge the gap - through repentance...then before the gap is bridged is an unbeliever just wasting their time praying for needs?

Through Him only,

The Carter

This was a thought I had today. Is an unbeliever able to have their prayers received by God (apart from a prayer of repentance). Because...if Jesus as our Saviour has come to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father and bridge the gap - through repentance...then before the gap is bridged is an unbeliever just wasting their time praying for needs? Through Him only, The Carter

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I was thinking about your question and to be honest I do not know to many unbelievers that pray at all. Most that I know believe that you must work hard for yourself and get or take what you want in life. There is one man that we know and I have prayed for him and his wife to come to know Jesus but even after the loss of a child they still have no desire or need of Jesus. There were no requests for prayers and to the best of my knowledge none spoken at the time their daughter died.

So I guess to answer your question it might be good to consider how many "unbelievers" truly come before the Lord in prayer with a heart that is seeking in earnest any kind of answer? There maybe others out there but for me I do not know of any examples to give.

God Bless
maryjane

Maybe God is bridging that gap by hearing and answering them. Isn’t it the kindness of God that leads us to repentance? (Romans 2.4)

I can only speak from my experience, not from theology. I talked to God (approx a year) before I was converted and God answered me. AND I had a conversation with Him (in my mind) sitting there at church while the preacher preached before I was converted. A conversation requires two people!! He initiated the conversation! and indeed spoke back when I asked questions and I was converted in my seat.

Anyway, as mere human beings, who are we to tell someone that they CAN’T pray to God? To me, that is so arrogant, unloving and prideful that I don’t even know where to begin.

To those who believe sinners can’t pray to God, answer me this.... when we tell someone that they can’t receive an answer from God, aren’t we really telling God who He can answer and who He can’t??? Just asking... (I, personally, wouldn’t want to tread on that ground.)

Just my two cents! God bless you,
Lisa

It's important to emphasize that earthly provision is no sign of being right with God (Matthew 5:45) as many who don't pray at all get God's blessings and apart from repentance and true faith in Christ one is God's enemy who is storing up wrath for judgment day (Romans 2:4-5, Isaiah 55:6-7).

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That is a really good point. There are many who are not saved or walking with God and yet they do very well in the terms of earthly needs.
God Bless
Mj

Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciated the responses. Wouldn't it be great if we could all sit around a table drinking tea/juice having these chats .
Bless you guys :)

a double minded man is unstable in all his ways let him not think he will recieve antyhing from the lord ,james also said let him ask in faith ,the contex was asking in faith , if we define the unbeliever as one who has not recieved the gift of faith ,for the bible says jesus is the author and also the finisher of this faith

then the unbeliever is not being herd by god and wont accoring to the bible receve anthing from the lord

i think we need to define what the unbeliever is

are we talking about an an athest

or a believer of other religones

or some one who is not yet saved but is being drawen by the holy spirit ,to recieve saving faith and grace

all three examples can be classed as unbelievers

some might also say that those who have never recieved the gift of the baptism of the holy spirit are still not saved so for them these would be technicly unbelievers , tho i dont agree

the answer would be a different accoring to the defenition and cotex that one is speaking in

and one would need to talk about doctrine regaring the contex , would probale led to a confession of ones belief in either calvinisim ,or arminian to determin ,weather or not the unbeleievr is able to literay call on the lord to be saved , or weather the lord deals first to him or her a measure of faith making him able to call upon the lord in faith ,as evdence that he that he is saved and is acualy calling upon some one he can scence and see with the ineer man

that question could open up a great decsusion on some deeper truthes

good question

bless you all brother gary

How should we consider these people?_and a lot more in the bible.

1. Cornelius

Act 10:1 Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.

Act 10:2 He was a devout man who feared God, as did everyone in his home. He gave many gifts to the poor among the people and always prayed to God.

Act 10:3 One day about three in the afternoon he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

Act 10:4 He stared at the angel in terror and asked, "What is it, Lord?" The angel answered him, "Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have arisen as a reminder to God.

Act 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: "Now I understand that God shows no partiality.

Act 10:35 Indeed, whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation.

2. Psalms 107

Psa 107:10 Some sat in deepest darkness, shackled with cruel iron,

Psa 107:11 because they had rebelled against the command of God, despising the advice of the Most High.

Psa 107:12 He humbled them through suffering, as they stumbled without a helper.

Psa 107:13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; he delivered them from their distress.

Psa 107:14 And he brought them out from darkness and the shadow of death, shattering their chains.

Psa 107:15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love, and for his awesome deeds to mankind.

3. These crowds.

Mat 4:23 Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people.

Mat 4:24 His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them.

i believe people are saved before baptisim of the holy spirit
i think the bible teaches that we are saved by faith ,and those who truly have faith will be undeniably sealed with the holy spirit baptisim at some stage

connelius had faith in god and feared god comuned with angles he was saved

2

backsliding believers ,like peter was when he sliped in to darkness dening the lord who bought him ,,,,

3 some where defenitly believers ,some were not

the question must also arise ,,can a person be a believer and not yet be a saved believer
maby predestine or pending

if the answer is yes ,then in this contex ,god might hear there prayers

good topic ,

it seems to induce thought

but if he is a double minded man and he would be more then likely not have saving supanatural faith ,,then james seems to think he wont recieve anything from the lord

sisters im not try to push my beliefs , im just asking questions ,to provoke thought

im under the im pression ,,that faith is like a musturd seed ,,it grows in to saving faith ,by the washing of the water of the word ,,,

that no man cane come to christ unless the father by his spirit draws them

and when a person is drawn near to christ his faith grows to a point wher he will pray and talk to god ,, tho at this time i dont believe he realy believes in is heart that god will answer all his prayers , he has a type if wishfull hoping that god will hear ,,,,but is he is one of the elect from the foundation of the world ,god will hear him

he who comes to god must believe he is
and that he is a rewarded of those who seek him

i man comes to a point where the spirit finaly indwels the believer , this is regeneration ,and from there he finaly truly seeks god

belfore that a dont believe a men seeks ,god ,,

but more so acknowlages that god and christ are real

i think man needs arevalation form god of who he is ,and then through knowlage of god and his son,,,he seeks god through unknowably or knowable through the baptisim of the holy spirit

true prayer is comunion with god in a type of relation ship

brother do you realy believe you had true communion in the presesnce of god

iv even herd of athiasts say they have prayed to god

but that was not true prayer

they were talking to the air in the presesnce of the prince of the power of the air ,which the bible say is the spirit that now worketh in thw sons of disobedance

by gazzer:
true prayer is comunion with god in a type of relation ship

brother do you realy believe you had true communion in the presesnce of god

Brother (or Sister?),

The original question in this thread is **Is an unbeliever able to have their prayers received by God (apart from a prayer of repentance)** and I'm thinking it has nothing to do with what you deem 'true prayer.'

I have to ask you rather bluntly (if you don't mind), 'How can you have the chutspah to tell anyone they can't talk to God before repentance?' Brother or sister, I have not meant to offend you in my response but we all need to be careful what we tell God what He can and cannot do and also be careful offending a little one in the Lord (Matt 18.6).

God bless you brother or sister,
Lisa

maby we are defining prayer as two differt things

i dont believe you can pray apart from the presence of god

and that is what the unbelievr lacks or the athaist lacks

repentance is defined as a turning toward god

how can one one prayer apart from turning toward god

its not about chuppsta ,,,,what does the bible say

it was a great question from our brother ,,,but a question like that has implications and is not just a simple yes or know

how can some one pray to god ,whom he does not believe in

that initself ,, pull said you must firts believe that he is
and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him

that involvs some sort of belief ,and some repentance

bless you brothers and sisters

Is an unbeliever able to have their prayers received by God

Good question...but one that defies an answer - I think - because we are not God and and do not always know how he will do things.

Yet...

I have a relative who declares she is a Christian because God answers her prayers - or so she says. In the meantime, she lives in sin. It may be her prayers are being answered but not from God. Or, maybe God is answering her prayers. Who knows? In any case, I am not to judge, but for this person to believe that all is well with her and God based on answered prayers is a very dangerous place to be in.

Answered prayers do not indicate all is well between you and God.

by gazzer:
it was a great question from our brother ,,,but a question like that has implications and is not just a simple yes or know

how can some one pray to god ,whom he does not believe in

by gazzer:
connelius had faith in god and feared god comuned with angles he was saved

Luke 7.1-10 The centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. It doesn’t say he was saved, it just said he understood AUTHORITY. Christ answered his heart’s desire and healed his servant.

And Ahab, who was wicked humbled himself and tore his clothes, fasted, and wept softly when he heard of the judgment coming to his house (1 Kings 21.27). God heard his cry and didn’t visit evil in Ahab’s days, only in his son’s days.

God bless you,
Lisa

"Acts 10.31 – Cornelius, thy prayer is heard.
Acts 11.14 – (Peter) Who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house SHALL BE SAVED"

Really hard to argue with Scripture.

I enjoyed this thread to some extent and would enjoy putting forth my two cents to spend :).

What is the connection between those who were nonbelievers and God answered their prayers?

Look for me at their Attitude towards God. Repentance really is simply a Change of Attitude or Change of Mind toward God. When we turn towards God no matter how big or small it results in turning from sin. In order to communicate with God or pray to God we must come to God with the correct attitude towards God in with an attitude that 1. God exsist and 2. God is our only hope. Though circumstance may cause this to happen temporarily at time Ie the Sinner in crisis they can still communicate with God because Christ made a way, only Faith is required. They would hardly be praying if they thought God didn't exist.

So I guess in a round about way I am saying "All ye who are heavy laden Come unto me. Christ is now our bridge and He calls the heavy laden. Imagine an individual pridefully praying to God it wouldn't work because God opposes the proud, this is why God ignored the prayers of Saul when He repented yet heeded the words of David when He repented.

All in all it takes all shapes and sizes to make this world go round and God knows how to deal and communicate with us all whether we acknowledge His existance or not. Don't forget God can speak in many different ways including Nature, He can speak through you, me, or even a donkey. Ultimately my point is this we are all desperately dependant on Christ and His work on the Cross and whether Jew, Gentile, Sinner, or Saint we all come to Him the same way one way or another with our face to the ground in desparation.

conelius obviously had faith in god ,,because the bible says he feared god even fasted for days ,,would have undoubtedbly had a repented heart toward god ,,
so why would god not hear in prayers ,just becase he never herd of jesus ,didnt make him faithless

i agree with muguldner,,,repentences beginnins with a simple change of heart towards god , in order to comunacate with god ,we must come to hi wth the correct attitude,,,,,the seeds of faith begin at this time ,, to to turn to god we also must believe in god ,,that is exactly what paull said ,he who comes to god must beleiev he IS and that he is a rewarded of those who seek him

but many muslims beleieve in a god so do those of hiduisim
they pray but are not heard by the living god of abrham isaac and jacob ,,,,so some knowlage of the true god must be needed in most then most cases , not saying god hasnt done miraculs conversions , with some from other religones, but as the bible goes he seems to use the gosple as a way of preparing the heart, and the way of conversion ,and that be with repentance and faith

when our brother asked the question

that was why a mentioned we need to define what the un believer is , because there are a few examples of different unbelievers

there milliones of hindus praying for forgivness no thousands of different god ,it blatent idolarty ,and they are not being herd because they have no repentance nor faith towards the living truine god ,,

we know jesus is the ways the truth and the life

and we all know no man of womman can come to the true god but through him ,,, if men could we would not need to evagelise the world in jesus name through his spirit

most men and woman would find there own way to god through the worship of idols and through the prince and the power of the air , which is the spirit the now worketh in these children of disobedence

please dont be offended , i believe the bible and all i iwas doing was provocking thought of the subject question

which i think is a good question

hi julius12

i think we acualy get the word comuning ,from the idea or word comunacate,sorry for the bad spelling

and that is what cornilous was actual doing when the angle of the lord apeared to him
praying is comunacating , that was what i ment by communing ,

bless you brother

sorry lisa ,,i should not have said cornilous was allready saved

i should have quoted what peter said ,,that all those who fear god and work righeousness ,are aceptable to god ,cornilious was one of those who was accepted by god

it is hard to seprate being exceptable to god and being saved

you might say he was predestined and was elected , and chosen,,, i see those who are predestine by god as allready saved in the eyes of god ,

i beleieve in gods soveren election so idont believe connelious was saved by a prayer ,but by gods word through grace and throuhg the gift of faith ,and that being not of cornilious but being the gift of god

i rember jesus once said to hid deciples ,,your are allready clean by the word i have spoken to you
paul said ,being santified and cleansed by the washing of the water by the word

bless you sis