Why does God Only Listen to the Prayers of the Righteous?

Many passages of scripture speak of God hearing the prayers of righteous people. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working,” James 5:16. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,” 1 Peter 3:12. “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous,” Proverbs 15:29.

Does that mean that the prayers of a wicked, unrighteous person are not heard? To help us think about that, consider the words of Isaiah 59:2. “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.” Does this mean God is prejudice towards sinners and only listens to the righteous?

When discussing this topic, it is important to remember the character of God. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God desires everyone to repent and be in a right relationship with Him. But, as Isaiah 59:2 says, our iniquities [sins] separate us from God.

What happened when Adam and Eve first sinned according to Genesis 3:7-8? “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” When sin entered their lives, they cowered and hid from God. This is not the type of relationship God wants with us.

Sin isolates us from God; but, He loves us and wants to restore our relationship with Him! Read Romans 5:8. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” For God not to hear the prayer of unrighteous and wicked people is not something He chooses out of spite or hatred. It is a consequence of their sin, just like the consequences Adam and Eve experienced after they sinned. The beauty of God’s Good News message [the Gospel] is that even though we have sinned, God is willing to forgive us when we turn back to Him. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we can have hope and know that God will start listening to us again.

Consider these passages from the Old Testament. As King Solomon dedicated the Temple he said, “If they [Israel] sin against you [God]—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near, yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place”, 2 Chronicles 6:36-40.

After a while Israel does sin against God and, as a result, they were taken into captivity. During this time, God sends a message to Israel from HIs prophet Ezekiel that mirrors Solomon’s request. “Therefore  I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so, turn, and live,” Ezekiel 18:30-32.

God calls everyone to repent of their sins and turn back to Him (Acts 17:30). Jesus, who was named Immanuel, which mean “God with us,” came in the flesh to take on the punishment of death for our sins. He calls us to repent and follow Him and His teachings so that we can be cleansed of our sins, restore our relationship with God and spend eternal life in heaven with Him. This is why Peter’s first sermon after Jesus’ resurrection included these words: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Acts 2:38.

God is not prejudice towards sinners. He loves everyone and sent Jesus to die for everyone so that anyone can return to Him and restore a relationship broken by sin. God loves you, despite your mistakes. He doesn’t want to be separated from you or to reject your prayers, but He calls you to repent and turn back to Him in order to restore His relationship with you. He requires of you what He requires of us all.