Is there a prayer that God cannot hear or answer?

There is a prayer that God will not hear or answer, and that is a prayer that’s inconsistent with His will or His purpose or His plan.

The prayers that are going to be answered are the prayers that are prayed consistent with the name of Christ, as John 14 says, “If you ask anything in My name, the Father hears and the Father responds.” That is why we encourage everybody to pray according to the will of God. You don’t really want to pray against the will of God. Rather, you want to find yourself lined up with the purposes of God.

So, God will not answer prayers inconsistent with His will, because He is going to accomplish His purposes.

This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with John MacArthur and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.