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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

PRAYER IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD

PROV. 15:29

We believe that prayer is exclusively for the children of God. We reject the contention that any unbeliever can pray a prayer which God would hear. (Note that in this study we use the word hear in the sense of honor or respect. We recognize full well that God knows of the prayers of all men: even the prayers of unbelievers are audible unto Him. Consider Ps. 139:1-12 and Heb. 4:13. So, in this sense God hears (or knows) all prayers; but He only honors or respects the prayers of believers, who are His children). We believe the idea that an unbeliever, even a sinner desiring to be saved from the penalty of sin, can pray and God will hear him is without scriptural foundation. Thus, we do not believe in the so called "sinner's prayer", which some claim is an exception to God's teaching that He hears not sinners.

I. The Bible clearly declares that God does not hear sinners' prayers:

A. Several scriptures are unmistakable on this point:

1. Every unbeliever has turned away from or been disobedient to the truth (II Thes. 1:8); and Prov. 28:9 says, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Does not every unbeliever fall into this category?

2. The text declares, "The Lord is far from the wicked:" and it is evident that this is particularly so with regard to prayer, for the remainder of the verse says, "but He heareth the prayer of the righteous." Prov. 15:29.

3. In speaking of the wicked, unconverted man (Job 27:7) Job said, "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?" Job 27:8-9. David indicated that God wouldn't hear his cry. in Ps. 109:7 he said, "When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. "

4. Of a group of unconverted men, the Scriptures testify, "They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but He answered them not." Ps. 18:41.

5. In Jesus' day, even Jews who did not recognize who Jesus was (Jn. 9:25), as well as those who rejected Jesus to be the Christ (John 9:29), realized the truth that God does not honor sinners' prayers. They all recognized it as a valid scriptural argument when one man said, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth." John 9:31.

B. It is, therefore, that the Bible declares that God heareth the prayers of righteous men:

1. Remember that the latter half of Prov. 15:29 says, "He heareth the prayer of the righteous."

2. The only way any man becomes righteous is by believing on Christ, for it is stated in Rom. 10:10, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." When one believes, God's righteousness is given or imputed to that man. Rom. 4:5-6.

3. No unbeliever is righteous, and if God hears only the prayers of the righteous, then He does not hear the prayers of unbelievers.

4. It is in view of this truth that Jam. 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

II. Prayer is the means by which God's children talk to Him, and none except believers are God's children:

A. We are taught in prayer to address God as "Our Father":

1. In teaching us how to pray, Jesus said, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father. . ." Matt. 6:9.

2. In speaking of our asking in prayer, Jesus considers only those who are children, for He says to them, "your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things," Lk. 12:30. So, He does not include those of whom He is not the Father.

B. It is easily established from the Scriptures that only believers are God's children:

1. Jesus said unbelievers are children of the devil. Jn. 8:44.

2. Only those who are born spiritually into God's family are His children (John 3:3-7) and this new birth occurs only at belief. I John 5:1.

3. Thus, the statement is made, "For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:26.

C. It is not difficult to see how a person who rejects all that God has done for him and who by his disbelief stands in continuous rebellion and disobedience to the truth has no right to approach the throne of grace and ask God for anything.

III. The one thing God calls on unbelievers to do is believe on Christ:

A. Everywhere in God's Word where a sinner is being told what to do that he might have life, the one thing required of him is that he believe:

1. Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. . . "

2. Belief is a matter of turning by faith unto the Lord. Isa. 55:7.

B . Nowhere is an alien sinner told to do anything else in order to be saved from sin's penalty:

1. Some have attempted to use some of the scriptures directed to the children of God as if they were directed to lost sinners:

a. Such passages as Rom. 10:13 and Acts 22:16 discussed elsewhere in this book are examples.

b. One can readily see dangers involved in applying scriptures, directed to the saved, to those who are yet in unbelief and unsaved.

c. Luke 18:9-14 is another passage which is often misused to support the contention that alien sinners must pray in order to be saved:

(1) Notice here that two circumcised Jews went up to the house of God. Had they not been circumcised, thus Jews, they could not have entered the temple. Ezek. 44:7.
(2) They went to pray, (vs. 10) which is to worship; and the publican prayed, "God be merciful tome a sinner," (vs. 13).
(3) Why should anyone suppose this man was lost in the first place, for saved men need mercy from God just as lost men do; and one thing the child of God gets in prayer is "mercy," Heb. 4:16. Which one of the saved of God has not sinned (I John 1:8, 10), thus making him a sinner even as this publican was? He is a saved sinner nonetheless.
(4) Furthermore, why should anyone suppose this publican was asking God to save him from the penalty of sin, for he never once asked for salvation; rather he asked for mercy?
(5) Yet, some add into this that he is an alien sinner praying the sinner's prayer.
(6) The truth is that this publican had to have been previously identified with the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in order to be heard in his request that God look toward him in the same way He looks toward the atoning blood of the mercy seat.

2. Why should a sinner be told to do a second thing until he has done the first thing God told him to do?

a. Why should he be told to pray until he first believes?

b. Is it that true salvation from sin's penalty really comes by belief plus prayer? And, if it does,why doesn't the Bible say so, somewhere, at least one time?

c. And if prayer is essential to salvation from the penalty of sin, then why did Paul mislead that Philippian jailor (Acts 16:30-31) and Christ all of us (Jn. 3:15-16)?

d. And, if the sinner's prayer has saving merits, then why is it that so many who have prayed it dozens of times testified later that they were still lost? Not one who has believed, though he never uttered a prayer, has failed to be saved. Jn. 3:36.

3. Telling an alien sinner to pray for salvation is a dangerous practice:

a. If he really depends on that prayer to save him, thus not wholly believing on Christ; then the person remains lost.

b. Telling a person to pray makes it appear there's more to being saved than believing.

C. Many a worker and preacher has delivered a wonderful presentation of the Gospel to an individual, or a congregation, setting forth clearly the truth of salvation by grace through faith, then undercut it all in the invitation by telling him to pray for the salvation which he just got through telling him he could have it simply and only through faith.

d. Is it any wonder that so many earnest sinners go away lost and that there are so many unconverted church members?

4. The truth is that a man may says what he wants to, but if he does not believe, he will remain lost; or he may say nothing; but if he believes, he will be saved. Thus. it becomes clear that God saves a man because he believes not because of what he says or doesn't say. Consider Rom. 10:9-10. Man receives salvation by believing in the heart. With his mouth he simply confesses (acknowledges) before men that salvation he has in his heart.

5. We contend that a man is saved from sin's penalty by grace, through faith, apart from any work he might perform (Eph. 2:8-9), be it baptism, prayer, pilgrimages, reformation, tithing, or whatever he choses.

C. Prayer is for a child of God:

1. It is the means by which he takes care of sin's defilement that he might have fellowship with his Fleavenly Father. I John 1:9.

2. It is also his means of receiving help or salvation from sin's dominion. Rom. 10:13, Acts 22:16.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"