Prayers of Sinners Unheard?

[CatholicSpirit]

Ok so I payed attention to Pope Francis this morning when he told us to read John 9 a few times. Something kept sticking out… God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners?

So is that why Jesus came to die and hear from sinners because that is who he came for? I’m just lost on this and if I am a sinner does that effect my prayers for the intercessions of saints because I have dozens if not more active right now or so I believed…

I know I’m a sinner so does that put me on auto reject?

 

[tagtotaloffice]

It is misinterpreted, God years the prayers of sinners or else none could be converted. Also all fall short of the glory of God, and all are sinners. This alone shows that there is another keaning.

Here are some comments explaining:

Now we know that God heareth not sinners.—What they should have known, but asserted that they did not, he proceeds to declare. The argument of this and the two following verses may be stated in syllogistic form, thus:—(1) God heareth not sinners, but only those who worship Him and do His will. (2) That God heareth this Man is certain, for such a miracle could be performed only by divine power. (3) This Man, therefore, is not a sinner, but is from God.

God heareth not sinners] i.e. wilful, impenitent sinners. Of course it cannot mean ‘God heareth no one who hath sinned,’ which would imply that God never answers the prayers of men. But the man’s dictum, reasonably understood, is the plain teaching of the O.T., whence he no doubt derived it. ‘The Lord is far from the wicked; but He heareth the prayer of the righteous’ (Proverbs 15:29). Comp. Psalm 66:18-19; Job 27:8-9; Isaiah 1:11-15.

Or, that God hears not sinners, means, that God does not enable sinners to work miracles. When sinners however implore pardon for their offenses, they are translated from the rank of sinners to that of penitents

 

[po18guy]

Read James 4. I believe it addresses this issue.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

James 4 just looks like a scolding to me he sounds angry

 

[po18guy]

The worst that it is…is admonishing the sinner. Aren’t we all sinners? He admonished them as they were praying, not for God’s will, but their own will to be done. Of course God will not answer that!

God always grants the grace to a seeking heart.

Seeking.

That means that the ultimate truth has not been arrived at.

OK, if that was no good, then perhaps have a look at probably the best Catholic commentary on John 9: JOHN 9

 

[CatholicSpirit]

Dude that’s way long let me just put it together for you a little. I have a variety of prayers, people that I’ve known are broken down to patron saints ex:

I have many friends who are or have been athletes throughout my life and prayed to saint Sebastian for them

And I have other prayers like praying for old enemies that are no longer in my life anymore.

I also sometimes pray to Jesus directly and just tell him about all sorts of things on my heart.

Now, invested tons of hours into contemplating people to pray for and even to categorize them with saints to help them in their lives does all this effort I put in fall on deaf ears because I commit a sexual sin?

 

[po18guy]

I have been taught that no prayer is ever wasted.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

I’ve been told by a priest that also there is no such thing as a bad prayer. I just don’t believe that I will be denied deliverance from the saints and almighty god for taking that period of my life on and praying hard for everyone I could think of. In my personal faith I don’t believe my prayers are unheard I just don’t think it’s easy to prove that with catholic sources and this has me thinking.

 

[DaveBj]

God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners?

Bear in mind that this statement in John 9 is an inerrant record of a mistaken belief. The formerly blind man believed this, but that doesn’t make it true. Those words did not come from the mouth of Jesus.

D

 

[CatholicSpirit]

Good point if Jesus said it that would be a whole different story my story on Jesus is that he came for sinners ie: me

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We’re all sinners. The only sinless human was Mother Mary. If God did not listen to the prayers of sinners, then nobody but Mother Mary and Jesus himself could have ever prayed.

Your priest is right that there is no such thing as a “bad prayer”, unless you were asking God for something really evil, like praying for someone to meet a horrible death or something like that.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Dude that’s way long let me just put it together for you a little.

There are very few questions in Catholicism that can be answered with a short answer. We’re a 2000 year old religion with centuries of thought put into the big questions, the nature of prayer being a pretty major one. We can give short tidbits of answers, but any truly in-depth understanding is going to come with the cost of time and commitment.

Now, invested tons of hours into contemplating people to pray for and even to categorize them with saints to help them in their lives does all this effort I put in fall on deaf ears because I commit a sexual sin?

No, it does not fall on deaf ears. God hears you, period. It would be impossible for Him not to hear you due to His omniscience. However, we do believe that He is more apt to answer the prayers of the faithful than the prayers of sinners. However, any prayer said on behalf of another is a good thing, as praying for others is a major way we move closer to God. Now, it is true that being in a state of mortal sin does cut of off from salvific grace, but it does not cut us off from all graces, otherwise we could never be moved to repent. By that same reasoning, it is reasonable to conclude that our prayers while in a state of mortal sin would be beneficial to others, though likely less so than if you were in a state of grace.

 

[Stephen_says]

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”