“DISTORTED”

1 “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 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.”

Isaiah 59:1-2

The Bible shows us passages telling us that God won’t hear the prayers of the wicked, e.g., Jeremiah 14:11-12; Proverbs 28:9; and John 9:31. If we take these verses on their own, it’s not hard to make such a conclusion because they seem to convey that God is not interested in the prayers of those who don’t believe in Him. But if God doesn’t listen when unbelievers cry out to Him, does it mean that He is the indifferent Deity skeptics are accusing Him of?

Doesn't God Hear Unbelievers’ Prayers?

To have a better grasp of what the Bible means, let’s delve into what Isaiah wrote. The last 11 chapters of the Book of Isaiah contain prophecies addressed to the exiles who returned from Babylon before the temple was rebuilt in about 520 B.C. Even after a 70-year exile in a foreign land, the Israelite survivors still wouldn’t trust in the Lord.

Injustice was rampant throughout the land, with the rich exploiting the poor and the rulers misusing their authority to benefit themselves. Though the people “worshiped” God, their hearts were far from Him, as evidenced by their continuing acts of wickedness.

Isaiah clarifies that God’s hand is not shortened so that it cannot save, nor is His ear dull so that it cannot hear. In other words, God does save and hear. But something blocks people’s prayers: their sins and iniquities.

God knows what the people are going through, and He hears the prayers of unbelievers. The problem has nothing to do with God’s omniscience or concern; it’s about the sins of the ones praying. Sin distorts our line of communication with God.

Why would God listen to our prayers if we willfully disregard His holiness and laws? If we maintain a life of sinfulness, why should we expect God to hear our demands, let alone grant our requests? As such, sin makes our prayers empty prattle.

So, if we feel that God is uninterested in our prayers, could it be that we are not being faithful to Him? Maybe we have unrepentant sins that need to be brought into the light. May we ask God to search our hearts and take away anything impure in His sight.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash