Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following questions which I have reprinted below, followed by my response.

QUESTION 1

Does the Lord hear and answer the prayers of sinners other than acknowledging Him as Savior and asking for salvation?

MY ANSWER
I am confident an omniscient God hears the prayers of every person regardless of belief or behavior. Jesus said our Heavenly Father notices when a sparrow falls, and we are much more valuable than they.

However, the assurance of answered prayer is promised to those who are walking with God. Proverbs 15:29 says, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he knows the prayers of the righteous.”  I understand that to mean the shoplifter has no right to pray, “Lord, don’t let the security guard see me.” The sexually promiscuous can’t reasonably pray for exemption from disease. The lazy man who refuses to look for work cannot expect God to answer his prayer, “Lord, supply my financial needs.” Psalm 66:18 warns, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

The one prayer God promises to answer for those who are living in spiritual defiance is the prayer of the repentant thief on the cross: “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”  Psalm 34:18 promises, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”   On the other hand, James 5: 16 assures us, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  I hope this is helpful.

QUESTION 2

In our small group, the question of whether or not God “could be a woman” came up recently.  Would you address this issue?  It would be greatly appreciated.

MY ANSWER
The primary way we come to know God is through the Bible, which points us to Jesus Christ. The Bible says God is a Spirit and is far beyond our capacity to understand, just as the heavens are higher than the earth. (Isaiah 55:9).  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “God is neither man nor woman: He is God.” However, when the Bible refers to God, it uses the term “He” to identify Him. It never uses “she.”  Jesus, the Son of God, said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  Therefore, it is Biblically accurate to refer to God as “He” and “Father.”

-Bob

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