does God hear the prayer of an unbeliever. i think the only prayer God can hear from an unbeliever is the prayer of salvation.

naijacutee:

It depends on what the unbeliever does not believe in. If he/she does not believe in God, but tries to pray to God, then they are not really an unbeliever. If they do not believe in Jesus' death and resurrection on the cross, but are praying to God to help them believe, then I don't see any reason why God won't answer that prayer.

so what does it mean to be a believer or an unbeliever

A believer is a part of any group that share the same religious ideologies. The unbeliever is the opposite. Meaning that it is actually not the belief or unbelief in "God" that is central to who is a believer or non-believer per se, but the belief/unbelief in the diverse ideological/conceptual structures built around God. That is why there are so many religious denominations in Christianity, for example.

inedi:

so what does it mean to be a believer or an unbeliever

Question: Who qualifies to be addressed as an unbeliever and in what?
Because the man you may consider to be an unbeliever relative to what you believe may be a believer in something else that you yourself don't believe in thus qualifying you as an unbeliever to him.

Exactamente, newmi! One man's believer is another man's unbeliever.

newmi:

Question: Who qualifies to be addressed as an unbeliever and in what?
Because the man you may consider to be an unbeliever relative to what you believe may be a believer in something else that you yourself don't believe in thus qualifying you as an unbeliever to him.

I think inedi is referring to one one who has confessed christ as his lord and saviour as a believer and the opposite for an unbeliever.

inedi:

does God hear the prayer of an unbeliever. i think the only prayer God can hear from an unbeliever is the prayer of salvation.

The real question here I think is - who are we to know or assume what kinds of prayers, and from which kinds of people ('believer' or 'unbeliever'), that God can/can't or will/won't hear?

i think he can. How much of the prayer's GOd answers is another question.

Jenwitemi:

Exactamente, newmi! One man's believer is another man's unbeliever.

the truth can never be two sided, the truth is the truth, when a lie stays in an office for 100 years it does not make it truth. when i talk about a believer and an unbeliever, i take my stand from the bible which is tha absolute truth, and from the bible you should know this two class of persons. thank you

inedi:

the truth can never be two sided, the truth is the truth, when a lie stays in an office for 100 years it does not make it truth. when i talk about a believer and an unbeliever, i take my stand from the bible which is tha absolute truth, and from the bible you should know this two class of persons. thank you

You don't say! Which or whose truth is it, then? Is it the catholic truth, or the jehovah witness truth, or the mormon truth, or the anglican truth, or the methodist truth, or the oyakhilome truth, or is it the oyedepo truth. . .  which truth are you talking about exactly, mr. bible inedi?

@Poster
Yes an unbeliever can pray to God. The thing is God does not hear him, not that He does not want to but because it's not possible
The unbeliever has to give his heart to Christ first, that is the only prayer God can listen to
After that, any other prayer can follow

Jenwitemi:

You don't say! Which or whose truth is it, then? Is it the catholic truth, or the jehovah witness truth, or the mormon truth, or the anglican truth, or the methodist truth, or the oyakhilome truth, or is it the oyedepo truth. . . which truth are you talking about exactly, mr. bible inedi?

i declare the truth that Jesus talked about, in the book of john 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man come to the Father, but by me.
the absolut truth(reality)

@ Jenwitemi

Quote from: inedi on February 04, 2011, 08:03 PM
the truth can never be two sided, the truth is the truth, when a lie stays in an office for 100 years it does not make it truth. when i talk about a believer and an unbeliever, i take my stand from the bible which is tha absolute truth, and from the bible you should know this two class of persons. thank you

You don't say! Which or whose truth is it, then? Is it the catholic truth, or the jehovah witness truth, or the mormon truth, or the anglican truth, or the methodist truth, or the oyakhilome truth, or is it the oyedepo truth. . .  which truth are you talking about exactly, mr. bible inedi?

nice contribution. whose truth indeed.

but of course i do not expect them to understand. so far as one  has bottled himself up in a book he will not be able to see the truth standing right in front of him.

the  paradox to the whole christian unbeliever nonsense is that why is it then that i who do not believe in the christian doctrine am enjoying a much closer relationship with God than i ever did as a christian believer.

when i pray to God i ask for God's will to be done in my life and i ask God to manifest what i need in my life if it is for the good of all life. i do not command God to do this or do that for me because i know that Its wisdom surpasses our puny little human understanding.

the point i want to make in effect is this. God listens to everyone's prayer be you a christian, a moslem, a hinduist or an atheist etc. it does not matter to God. and It also answers all prayers from all souls. though the answer may come in a form that you are not expecting. why? because It loves all life equally.
it is us humans who create religions and go ahead to classify people into believers and unbelievers and create imaginary favorites for God.
the closer you come to God the more your heart opens to Its divine love and gradually the narrow minded judgmental attitudes that we carry which are products of the mind drops and we become like little children who lives in the moment and accept people the way they are. without judging them or classifying them.

Empty talk. Since Jesus did not officially found a church before his departure, that quote is null and void. Totally meaningless in respect of today's world. Except that Jesus meant something totally different with that quote. So, whatever you "declare" is only relevant to you and to you alone.

inedi:

i declare the truth that Jesus talked about, in the book of john 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man come to the Father, but by me.
the absolut truth(reality)

Anybody can pray to god. Is it not just to kneel down bow your head clasp your,hands and prayer? The real question should be dose god answer the prayers of unbelievers

The bible already declared that those who are not born again has no acess into the covenant.

Ephesians 2:12
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

And what did the bible say is the definition of "born again"?

Patjoe:

The bible already declared that those who are not born again has no acess into the covenant.

Ephesians 2:12
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

i think an unbeliever can pray to God.

He lets it rain on both the just and unjust.

anyway, will think about it.

Jenwitemi:

And what did the bible say is the definition of "born again"?

To be born again is an operation of God through the spirit. when a man receives Jesus Christ as lord. he becomes a Christian.

benodic:

@ Jenwitemi
nice contribution. whose truth indeed.

but of course i do not expect them to understand. so far as one has bottled himself up in a book he will not be able to see the truth standing right in front of him.

the paradox to the whole christian unbeliever nonsense is that why is it then that i who do not believe in the christian doctrine am enjoying a much closer relationship with God than i ever did as a christian believer.

when i pray to God i ask for God's will to be done in my life and i ask God to manifest what i need in my life if it is for the good of all life. i do not command God to do this or do that for me because i know that Its wisdom surpasses our puny little human understanding.

the point i want to make in effect is this. God listens to everyone's prayer be you a christian, a moslem, a hinduist or an atheist etc. it does not matter to God. and It also answers all prayers from all souls. though the answer may come in a form that you are not expecting. why? because It loves all life equally.
it is us humans who create religions and go ahead to classify people into believers and unbelievers and create imaginary favorites for God.
the closer you come to God the more your heart opens to Its divine love and gradually the narrow minded judgmental attitudes that we carry which are products of the mind drops and we become like little children who lives in the moment and accept people the way they are. without judging them or classifying them.

well the ony thing i have to tell is that one of the best thing God has given to mankind is the will power to make choices. the bible in Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day agaist you, that i have set before you life and death, blessings and cursind:therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

@ inedi

Quote from: benodic on February 07, 2011, 12:34 PM
@ Jenwitemi
nice contribution. whose truth indeed.

but of course i do not expect them to understand. so far as one  has bottled himself up in a book he will not be able to see the truth standing right in front of him.

the  paradox to the whole christian unbeliever nonsense is that why is it then that i who do not believe in the christian doctrine am enjoying a much closer relationship with God than i ever did as a christian believer.

when i pray to God i ask for God's will to be done in my life and i ask God to manifest what i need in my life if it is for the good of all life. i do not command God to do this or do that for me because i know that Its wisdom surpasses our puny little human understanding.

the point i want to make in effect is this. God listens to everyone's prayer be you a christian, a moslem, a hinduist or an atheist etc. it does not matter to God. and It also answers all prayers from all souls. though the answer may come in a form that you are not expecting. why? because It loves all life equally.
it is us humans who create religions and go ahead to classify people into believers and unbelievers and create imaginary favorites for God.
the closer you come to God the more your heart opens to Its divine love and gradually the narrow minded judgmental attitudes that we carry which are products of the mind drops and we become like little children who lives in the moment and accept people the way they are. without judging them or classifying them.

well the ony thing i have to tell is that one of the best thing God has given to mankind is the will power to make choices. the bible in Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day agaist you, that i have set before you life and death, blessings and cursind:therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

when you are ready to stop quoting scriptures and start making serious spiritual inquiries within yourself. we can then talk.

for now enjoy your holy book.

i dont think anywhere in the bible says an unbeliever cant pray to God.

in the old testament, people did pray without necessarily being believers.

however, think of it as a process, not a static condition.

then we have 1 cor 13 which says now i will show you a more excellent way.


if you insist an unbeliever cant pray to God, then you open yourself to a myriad of questions about unbelievers who did and continue to do just that.

tpiah!:

i dont think anywhere in the bible says an unbeliever cant pray to God.

in the old testament, people did pray without necessarily being believers.

however, think of it as a process, not a static condition.

then we have 1 cor 13 which says now i will show you a more excellent way.


if you insist an unbeliever cant pray to God, then you open yourself to a myriad of questions about unbelievers who did and continue to do just that.

what kind of prayer can he pray?, and to who?, to a God he does not know?, because to know God is to know Jesus

let me think about it.

Yes, he/she can, if he/she has faith. That's quite an irony se?

inedi:

what kind of prayer can he pray?, and to who?, to a God he does not know?, because to know God is to know Jesus

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.

23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you

acts 17

God is not boxed into our theology. He hears every prayer, it's another matter to answer every prayer in the 'yes' mode. He's another a merciful God and we've seen Him deliver even the vilest of sinners when they cried out to Him. Of course, the most important prayer an unbeliever(i.e a sinner) should pray is for forgiveness and repentance. That's what gives him/her the ultimate,eternal life.
As an asides, let me add that the Jo's quote from John9 are not the words of Jesus as may be assumed seeing it in red.

Image123:

God is not boxed into our theology. He hears every prayer, it's another matter to answer every prayer in the 'yes' mode. He's another a merciful God and we've seen Him deliver even the vilest of sinners when they cried out to Him. Of course, the most important prayer an unbeliever(i.e a sinner) should pray is for forgiveness and repentance. That's what gives him/her the ultimate,eternal life.
As an asides, let me add that the Jo's quote from John9 are not the words of Jesus as may be assumed seeing it in red.

what scripture will you use to back these, and what makes you feel he or she got saved from chsllsnges even when they have not yet given their live to christ, dont you think could be someones prayer, that could help him.

@inedi
i don't just 'feel' what i said, i know what i said. i don't exactly want to say this but not everything is in the Bible. Like the law of gravity, or Newton's law, or Charles' law, they are not in the Bible. but they are true to experience,'common sense' and do not contradict the Bible. People give testimonies all the time. You see a sinner(i'll call it more specifically as 'unbeliever' is more general) shout the name of Jesus at night when evil spirits are 'pressing him' and they depart. You see sinners close to death, like a car accident and they pray and God saves them. You see sinners give testimony of favour after they prayed before going for an interview or a proposal. You see sinners getting healed, experience supernatural breakthrough and financial provisions because they prayed. I think it should be more emphasised now that people shouldn't mistake answers to prayers for righteousness. Righteousness gets one to Heaven, which is the ultimate. But faith is what is required to receive from God, not exactly righteousness. And God has given to EVERY man a measure of faith. It depends on you what you do with your own measure.
If you still insist on Bible passages sha, i'll give them later