Since a sinner’s prayer is an abomination to God, what prayer then does God hear from a sinner? Does it mean that God does not listen to any prayer of a person who is unrepentant? The way God treat the prayer of His children who falls into sin will show you the seriousness of the matter.

David said, if I regard sin in my heart, God will not hear me (Psalms 66:18). What does that mean? If a child of God falls into sin, until such repents, God will listen to none of his prayers. No wonder the Bible says that if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

How then does God treat the prayer of those who continually live in sins? He will close his ears and push all their requests away, but for one prayer. That sinner’s prayer that will be answered is the one we read about in our text of the day. The humble repentant prayer of a sinner asking for mercy.

It is not a mere lips service or utterance that many people make today when they go to the altar. It is a prayer said from a broken and contrite heart that the Lord will not reject (Psalms 51:17). This requires godly sorrow, a sorrow for sin leading to repentance. When a sinner cries to God for mercy, He will answer and receive him as His child.