We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.
John 9:31 LSB

We all like to think God listens to everything we say. I want to clarify something, God knows everything we say, the good, the bad and the ugly. But knowing what is said and actually listening to it are two very different things.

God doesn’t listen to everything we say. You may be shocked to discover that God doesn’t listen to your prayers if you are a sinner. Aren’t we all sinners (Romans 3:23)? Yes, we are. But there’s a difference between those who don’t want to sin and sometimes slip up and those who deliberately sin because they choose to do things their way and not God’s way (Hebrews 10:26).

This is why we need to surrender to Christ. This is why we need to acknowledge Him in all we do (Proverbs 3:5-6) and continually ask Him to strengthen us against the devil’s temptation. We need to be sober and alert (1 Peter 5:8). We need to take our thoughts captive to be obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We need to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). We need to focus on the pure and positive things (Philippians 4:8). We need to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15). We need to study our Bibles to be sure we are doing God’s will.

You don’t want to reach a point where God is not listening. That’s like getting yourself in a situation where you can’t call for emergency services.

There are numerous Scripture passages telling us God will not listen to us if we are deliberately sinning. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” In Isaiah 59:2 Isaiah told the Israelites that God was able to save and hear them, but their sin had created a separation between them and God.”

In James 4:3, James said we ask and do not receive because we ask with the wrong motives or for the wrong reason. We ask to fulfill our selfish desires and not to fulfill God’s will. 1 Peter 3:12 tells us the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, but he turns his face against those who do evil.

Micah 3:4 says they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer because he will hide his face from them because of their evil deeds.

In Zechariah the people were not listening to God. They had become rebellious and stubborn. In 7:13 it says, “And it happened that just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says Yahweh of hosts. It goes on to say that our not listening to God also results in suffering God’s wrath and His judgment.

God is not into our one-sided conversations. Prayer is to be accompanied by Bible study. God speaks to us through His Holy Word. He teaches us how to live our lives. He gives us commands that we must obey.

If you aren’t listening to Him, He’s probably not listening to you. He knows what’s in our hearts. If you are sending up a 911 call because you have gotten yourself in a jam once again, He may not be listening.

If you are holding on to your sinful ways hoping God will overlook your sin, you are lying to yourself. If you are wondering why your prayers aren’t being answered, you may want to do a self-check. Are you praying God’s will be done? Or are you praying for your own selfish reasons?

We also need to be careful what we wish for because Romans 1:20-25 tells us we can actually go so far as to anger God to the point where He will give us up to our own evil desires.

I don’t know about you, but I rely on God for mercy when I fail, protection in times of trouble, and strength in order to endure. I can’t afford to have Him not listening to me. If he’s not listening to you, maybe you need to examine what you are doing or not doing.

Have you surrendered to Him? Do you want His will to be done in your life? Are you studying your Bible and doing your best to live in obedience to His commands?

Never mistake His kindness for weakness. God will not tolerate our sinful ways. If we don’t listen to Him, He won’t listen to us.

Please listen to Him today before it’s too late.

Have a great day!