Ask a Pastor Column

Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions

Q: I’m not a Christian, can I still pray?

A: When most people today speak about prayer they usually mean “to talk to God.” But there is another meaning for prayer that is more common in the Bible, and it is the idea of bringing a petition or request to Him. Understanding this, I think the best answer to the above question is that unbelievers can both talk to God and bring petitions to Him, but only Christians can engage in these activities most fully and effectively.

There are many examples of people addressing God before committing themselves to Him in faith. Some of the more notable examples are Saul-Paul in Acts 9:10-11, as well as Cornelius in Acts 10:1-2. Also, since prayer is the easiest and most common means of expressing faith in Christ, any unbeliever can pray to become a Christian at any time (Romans 10:9)!

However, we are all born with problems in our nature which make prayer difficult for those who haven’t been born again. Before we are saved, the Bible describes us as spiritually dead or unresponsive toward God, stained with sin, and having various wrong perspectives of God that makes it nearly impossible to understand His ways or even perceive Him at all (Ephesians 2:1-3; II Corinthians 4:3-4)! The blood of Christ is the only thing that can correct these problems and enable us to interact with God freely and fully (Romans 5:1; etc.). The right to bring petitions to God is a privilege that the Bible reserves primarily for priests. In the Old Testament God established two different priesthoods (the order of Melchizedek and the Levitical priesthood) whose members had the responsibility of bringing the needs of the people before God. In the New Testament, that privilege and responsibility is extended to all Christians, who are called “priests of God,” and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

       The Bible tells us clearly that God invites all of us to “draw near to Him in faith.” God desires all of us to approach Him and interact with Him; He desires relationship with His beloved creation, and that includes both believers and unbelievers. Of course, the most important step that we can take towards God is to pray the prayer of faith and acceptance that causes our sins to be forgiven and us to be born again.

The questions and answers compiled over the last year are now available in hard-copy and digital format. To request a copy send an email to askapastor [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kansas 66942.