God is Not Listening

by Cynthia Cummings Walker

Do you ever wonder why prayer is such an integral part of Christianity, yet seems powerless to remedy societal ills? Covid19 viruses continue to mutate and spread, bringing so much suffering and death. Drug addiction and overdose deaths are in epidemic proportions. People who commit murder are younger and younger. Mass shootings are no longer rare. Alcoholism, antidepressant use, and suicides continue to increase. 

And while all of these things are happening, individuals, churches and all kinds of groups are fasting and praying about the state of the nation. None of this has gotten better.  In fact they have gotten worse. What in the world is going on?  Does God answer prayer or not? With the way things are now, it certainly doesn’t seem like it.

Just like Jesus did, Christians are exhorted to “pray without ceasing;” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB).  God also says: “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you,’ ”Jeremiah 33:3a (NASB). Is God not being true to His Word?   NO! God IS being true to His Word, and that is why He is not hearing nor answering prayer.

Psalm 66:18 (NASB) : “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;”.   Isaiah 59:2 (NASB) : “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.”  The problem is sin. Prayers that are not heard are not answered.

When a Christian ignores what the Lord says through His Word, the Bible, there are consequences.  Proverbs 1:28–30 (NASB) : “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord.  They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.”   

Christians may pray, read the Bible, tithe, worship, attend Bible studies and do all kinds of spiritual activities and good works, yet the Lord rejects it all when Christians don’t make God’s priority, their priority. 

In Matthew 22:37–40 (NASB) when a lawyer asked Jesus what the most important commandment was, “And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  “This is the great and foremost commandment.  “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.””  Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments. ” John 14:15 (NASB)  

A Christian’s actions must be motivated by love for God, and people who are created in His image. The Lord rebukes hypocrisy.  “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” I John 4:20 (NASB). In this, personal reflection may be necessary.

Love is an action word, not a feeling. The Lord places loving people above Christian disciplines. When Christians concentrate on church activities and “good works” without obedience to God’s Word, the Lord refuses to accept any of it, and is angered by it. 

In Isaiah 1:11–17 (NKJV) God says: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings…..Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me… and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity…. Your appointed feasts My soul hates;.. I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. ….“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes…. Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.”.

There is a remedy for those who want to be forgiven. I John 1:9 (NASB): “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Confession restores our fellowship with the Lord.  Repentance and obedience enables the Christian to have victory over sin and an effective prayer life.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) God says: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

“If,” and “then” describes the conditions under which God will hear and answer prayer. “If” recognizes that people may or may not comply with this requirement to turn from their wicked ways.  Therefore, prayer without repentance and obedience is worthless.

John 15:7 (NASB) reads:  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” When Christians take the time to know God through the Bible where He reveals Himself, and live obediently to those truths, they can live the abundant life God has planned for His children. Answered prayer is wonderful.  Eternal life is even better.  

On the other hand, for those ‘Christians’ who refuse to live an obedient life dedicated to the Lord, and want to hate, judge, oppress, malign, abuse, ignore, deny justice to, and withhold when they should help, you are wasting your time praying because God is not listening!

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