I received a question about prayer and the non-Christian. It asks whether God will or can hear the prayer of a non-Christian. I believe it is a question worth exploring. Here are a few of my thoughts on this blessing.

Prayer

In the Hebrew Bible, a common word translated “prayer” is tephillah (76x). It is found in various contexts of prayer, whether it be the act of prayer, a house of prayer, a prayer on behalf of someone else.[1] It is even used in several of the introductory superscriptions of the Psalms, identifying them specifically as the “prayer of…” David (17, 86, 142), Moses (90), of a certain afflicted (102), and of Habakkuk (3:1).

Prayer is certainly a form of communication lifted up to God, and if the psalms are any indication then prayer may be expressed a wide range of emotions and types. There may be laments expressing frustration and faith, the need for help in the middle of confusion and so forth. There is praise for God faithfulness employing God’s previous saving acts, or his creative powers seen in nature, and extol his wisdom and sovereignty. Prayer even channels our anger and sense of injustice, requesting God to avenge his people by bringing judgment upon their enemies.

That is a wide spectrum of human emotions and desires that may be offered to God. It seems to clear to me that prayer can express to God every part of the human experience —and for the Christian, the Holy Spirit communicates those “groanings” which are “too deep for words” (Romans 8:26, 27).

The question at hand, however, is not the extent of things which humans may pray about but whether God hears the prayer of a non-Christian.

What do We Mean by “Hear”?

I am of the opinion that we need to think of what we mean by God “hearing” our prayers. Hearing is a function of the ear, and an ear hears everything but may choose to focus on a specific sound; thus, some sounds are listened to while others are still heard. This limited analogy simply raises the point that “hearing” is a complex matter.

In Isaiah 59:1–2, the Lord’s distance from his rebellious people is made quite clear:

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. (English Standard Version)

This clearly suggests that there may be contexts in which “hearing” is not about ability, but about choice. God can elect to forego answering his people’s requests of intervention when facing the consequences of their sins.

One’s lifestyle can affect whether God takes into consideration their prayer. For example, Christian husbands are warned that their behavior toward their wife may in fact “hinder” their prayers (1 Peter 3:7). The warning is significant: “live with your wives in an understanding way.” The sexual overtones are often unnoticed in English translations, but Scot McKnight highlights this:

The order for Christian husbands is one of being considerate—literally, of “living with one’s wife knowledgeably.” The verb synoikeo (“living together”) was especially used for sexual relations between husband and wife (Deut. 22:13; 24:1; 25:5), and that is no doubt the intended meaning here, though obviously not limited to that. The Christian man, Peter says, is neither demanding nor selfish in his sexual and marital relations; he is instead considerate, sensitive, and serving.

Scot McKnight, 1 Peter NIVAC (Zondervan, 1996)[2]

Many Christian husbands ought to pay attention to this verse, not merely because of its impact on “answered prayers.” It reinforces a biblical truth that how we treat others impacts our relationship with God. Here, Peter tells husbands that an authentic and healthy marital sex life (and more) affects our relationship with God.

Furthermore, it seems that God’s people are warned that mistreatment of the “sojourner” (Heb., gēr) will not go unnoticed. Mistreatment of “the pilgrim” will likewise affect their prayers. These were non-Israelites that were not members of the Mosaic covenant but lived in the land among the Israelites semi-assimilated. In Exodus 22:23–24, when the sojourner, widow, fatherless cries out to God due to their mistreatment by Israel, God will “surely hear their cry” and bring wrath upon his people. This suggests the non-Israelite’s prayers will be heard in response to injustice among God’s people.

This small sample seems to underscore that the behavior of God’s people does and will hinder His willingness to give attention to our prayers; and, it seems that God is concerned about the injustice perpetrated by his people and will hear the cries of those who suffer at their hands. The words of James are quite poignant:

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (Jas 4:2–3)

What about the Non-Christian?

It was the opinion of E. G. Sewell (1830–1924) that the

Bible teaches very plainly that neither alien prays nor prayers of members will be heard while the one that prays is willingly violating or refusing God’s requirements.[3]

Questions Answered by Lipscomb and Sewell

By “alien” Sewell means the non-Christian.

Sewell argues that God’s people cannot “expect” to be heard when they “turn” from “hearing” God’s word, but his “eyes” and “ears” are attentive to “the righteous” calls of prayer (Proverbs 28:9; cf. 1 Peter 3:12, Psalm 34:15).

The fundamental principle of prayer is found in 1 John 3:22, “whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” The argument appears rather strong. After all, the lordship of Jesus, to whom we approach in prayer must be accompanied by “doing” the will of his father (Matthew 7:21).

Thus, Sewell concludes,

No man, in the church or out of it, need expect God to hear and answer his prayer unless he is devoting his heart and life to doing the will of God as revealed in the New Testament.[4]

Questions Answered by Lipscomb and Sewell

When the healed blind man says, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him” (John 9:31), he is affirming a general truth about those rebellious souls who are in covenant with God. This is not a statement about all non-Christians.

This perspective is quite sensible, but it does not exclude the non-Christian who is seeking the Lord.

The Case of Cornelius (Acts 10–11)

We need to be very careful to assume what the Bible teaches on prayer. God’s knowledge is infinite, he preemptively knows what we are going to ask of him (Matthew 6:8). But, the quality of our request along with the quality of our relationship with God seems to play into the reception of our prayer (James 4:3).

The case of Cornelius demonstrates that prayer by a devout person may be heard, however.

Luke portrays Cornelius as a “devout” person who “feared God” (Acts 10:2), who developed various expressions of his spiritual development (alms, prayer). On paper, we might say his character alone made his relationship with God impeachable. In fact, God took his prayers into consideration, for the angel said, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God” (10:4b).

David Lipscomb (1831–1917) once said,

When a man believes in God and realizes that he is lost, he cannot help praying. God hears such prayers. There is no sin in such prayers. The danger is in the man relying on such prayers and failing to obey God’s commands in other things. This is the point to be guarded against.[5]

Queries and Answers

I think he is right on point when it comes to evaluating the case of Cornelius. Prayer and devotion only brought Cornelius so far. What is telling from Luke’s account is that he portrays Cornelius as a Gentile who is as close to a Jew as possible, and his character is directly related to his prayers have been acknowledge by God.[6]

What is will no doubt be controversial for many followers of Jesus is the caution against reliance on prayers for conversion experiences as is common in many “Christian” circles. It goes by many names, such as “the Sinner’s prayer. But, as David Platt raises during a discussion on disciple making,

“Should it not concern us that there is no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament?”

David Platt, “Why ‘Accepting Jesus in Your Heart’ is Superstitious & Unbiblical,” VergeNetwork[7]

I believe it should concern us. Luke clearly points out Peter was summoned to Cornelius to tell him things he needed “to hear” (10:22), a “message” through which he would be saved (11:14). In response to the preaching of the gospel, Cornelius and his household were baptized (10:42–48; 11:18). It was this same Peter that affirmed the importance of repentance and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

For our purpose, to answer if God hears the prayer of a non-Christian, it seems that there is precedent to see that a non-Christian drawing near to God may have his or her prayers heard. So God heard the prayer of Cornelius before his conversion to Christ, and I believe we should be mindful of the many “Corneliuses” that exist today.

Concluding Thoughts

It would seem then that the answer to the question above depends on what we mean by “hear.” In one sense, God hears everything; however, in another sense, God does appear to be selective. We cannot draw up a formula that “a + b = answered prayers,” but it does appear that a person’s character and covenantal relationship with God are major components to prayer.

Scripture more often than not speaks in terms of those who are in covenant with God, and the implications of whether or not God will hear their prayers. Yet, as demonstrated in the case of Cornelius, being an outsider of the covenant does not mean God will ignore the prayers of the “alien sinner” seeking God’s glory and his salvation. The God of the sparrow is faithful to his creation, and for this, we should be thankful (Matt 10:29-31; Luke 12:6-7).

Endnotes

1. Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 813.
2. Scot McKnight, 1 Peter, NIVAC (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 186.
3. David Lipscomb and E. G. Sewell, Questions Answered by Lipscomb and Sewell, ed. M. C. Kurfees (Nashville, TN: McQuiddy, 1921), 494.
4. Lipscomb and Sewell, Questions Answered, 495.
5. David Lipscomb, Queries and Answers, ed. J. W. Shepherd (Nashville, TN: McQuiddy, 1910), 341.
6. C. K. Barrett, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, ICC (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2004), 1:493.
7. David Platt, “Why ‘Accepting Jesus In Your Heart’ Is Superstitious & Unbiblical,” VergeNetwork (April 11, 2012).

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