It is a common misconception that God will listen to everyone's prayers and answer them. This is actually not true. Scripture doesn't support this at all. The bible says God only answers the prayers of His children. Some might say we are all God's children and that would be false as well. God's children are those that serve Him, that have surrendered their life to Jesus Christ and are born again Christians. He refers to sinners as the children of the devil. (1 John 3:10, John 8:44) Those that have not had their sins washed away and do not walk the walk are not His children and He will turn a deaf ear to all their prayers unless they are praying to surrender to Him and repent. Let's look at some scripture.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Psalm 66:18The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall also cry himself, but shall not be heard. Proverbs 21:13 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Isaiah 1:15But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. Isaiah 59:2-3But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of host hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it came to pass, that as he cried and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: Zechariah 7:11-13Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. James 1:6-7
So we have it laid out for us. In order for our prayers to be answered, we must be a born again Christian that worships God, have unwavering faith that it will be answered, listen and obey God and his prophets, and listen to the cries of the poor. It also tells us in the Lord's prayer in Matthew chapter 6 that if we are praying for forgiveness, God will not grant it, if we refuse to forgive others.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15
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