Proverbs 15:29 - The God Who Hears His People

Proverbs 15:29 -
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Message: Far from the wicked, Hears the righteous

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Far from the Wicked
I often wonder why some people are so far from God. And here in this verse it says, "The Lord is far from the wicked." I have been alarmed or illuminated regarding the seriousness of sin and how it causes a complete darkness in people. Why am I so alarmed that the world does not mirror Christ and His commandments? I should not be for the Lord is far from the wicked. I really must remember this.

In this verse, Solomon is speaking of prayer specifically contrasting what the Lord hears from the righteous and unrighteous.

John 9:31 says, "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him." This is a very similar verse as we can see. We know here from this verse that Jesus is saying that God does not hear from sinners who ask for things, but have no inward change. 

Hears the Righteous
In contrast, it is the righteous that he hears. He hears my prayer. And yet often I do not speak and yet he will hear my prayer. He pays attention to my prayer, but those offered by the wicked he does not pay attention to.

Obviously, the prayer from a sinner for salvation will be heard because the person is experiencing a life change. And what we are speaking of here is the answered prayer. This is what we are intending to happen when we pray, is that the Lord will answer our prayer. If God draws people to himself, then God in essence initiates prayer from people and the people he will work with are those he has called, his chosen, those that are in right covenant relationship with him. They are not perfect, though being called righteous they are seen by God as perfect because righteousness has been imputed to them.

Promise: The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.