“CORNELIUS”

30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.”

Acts 10:30-31

Some people are innately kind and gentle and believe in the existence of God. They do a lot of good, and God sees every such act. But are their lifestyle and beliefs enough to say that God listens to their prayers?

In our previous blog, we said that God delays his judgment or relents when people humble themselves before Him. Let me give you another biblical proof that God listens to those who are not yet in a relationship with Him.

Cornelius

A Roman centurion named Cornelius, despite not yet hearing the Gospel, was considered a righteous man and God heard his prayers.

Until now, the Gospel had only been preached to the Jews. That said, Cornelius feared God and was known for his good works. We know that his acts of goodness and knowledge of God aren’t enough to call him a believer, but we can see that that didn’t stop God from answering Cornelius’ prayers. A few verses later, the Gospel was finally proclaimed to Gentiles, and Cornelius and his household were the first to hear it and placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

There are countless people today who are like Cornelius—prayerful, and compassionate, and they have an understanding of God. The Lord does not discount their good works, especially if they’re done in humility and faith. However, such people still need to turn from their sins and put their saving faith in Christ to receive forgiveness and God’s offer of eternal life.

Conclusion

God listens to unbelievers' prayers, especially if they humble themselves to Him. The only thing that nullifies their prayers is sin. Thankfully, Jesus already dealt with sin by dying on the Cross to save you and me. Do you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God who gave His life for you?

Pursue the Savior today!