In John 9:31, it says “God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.” But in Luke 18:13, Jesus says that God heard the tax collector who prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” Is there a problem? Does God hear the prayers of sinners?
– Alfred, Canada
DR. GEORGY’S RESPONSE:
God hears the cries of sinners when they confess they are sinners and accept His forgiveness. Rom. 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And Jesus also assured, “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
At the same time, God does not promise that He will answer the prayers of sinners who are not serving the true God. In John 9:31, it is clear when it says, “if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He [God] hears him.” It is good to keep in mind that God is a gracious God and He occasionally responds to the prayer of an unsaved person as part of His sovereignty and divine plan to bring them to Himself (Jonah 1:14-15). God’s response to the prayer of the sinner is part of the grace and goodness of God that leads that person to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
