The unbaptised and prayer

By David Bailey. Supporting article for the book Talking with God.

We know from first principles that salvation is predicated upon baptism into Christ (Mark 16:16), which brings us into covenant relationship with God and with very special privileges (Eph. 2:11–12). We belong to the Father and become His special care (Pss. 25:9–10; 32:7,10). We have immediate access to Him in prayer (Heb. 9:24), His careful attention and assurance of involvement in our lives to prepare us for eternity (Matt. 6:13). In Christ, we also have forgiveness of our sins (Col. 1:14; Matt. 6:12).

A person not baptised is not “in Christ”, and therefore is not in a covenant relationship with the Father, and cannot expect the same privileges. An unbaptised person cannot ask anything in the name of Christ, because asking in his name is the same as him mediating on our behalf as the mediator of the covenant (see the exposition in Chapter 15). Those not baptised cannot ask for forgiveness of their sins. This highlights, therefore, the need for those who are baptised to fulfil the role as an intermediary or intercessor on behalf of any outside of the covenant (Gen. 20:7, 17; Ex. 9:28,33; 10:16–17, 18; Matt. 19:13; 1 Tim.2:1–5). See Chapter 22 concerning Prayer on behalf of others.

Does God hear the prayers of the unbaptised?

Does this mean that God doesn’t hear prayers of those not baptised (or not in a covenant relationship with Him)? It depends.

There is a widely held belief that religious people all worship the same God, but from different points of view and approaches. The Bible is very clear that this is not so. Christ said to the Samaritan woman, “You do not know what you worship. We know what we worship, because salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22, dbt). Those who don’t know the true God are praying to another god. Christianity at large worships a triune god, and most other religions have their god after their own likeness—all of which are abhorrent to the Creator (Ex. 20:3; Isa. 44:8; 45:21). To be heard of God, one must be at least seeking the true God sincerely (John 4:23–24).

Cornelius

Cornelius was such a man. He was a Gentile officer in the Roman army, who the Bible describes as a “devout” or “religious” man who “feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway” (Acts 10: 2). Cornelius was not a proselyte because Acts 11:13 says he was not circumcised. Yet, the Bible describes him as devoted to Israel’s God and His people. One thing that stands out is that he prayed “about everything” (v. 2, dbt). This and his alms-giving showed that Cornelius sought the true God. Therefore, an angel appeared before him and said to him, “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God” (v.4). God noted his prayers and alms and did something about this man’s devotion: He made the way open for Cornelius to receive salvation, which he took.

Notice, Cornelius may have prayed often about everything, but what God responded to was his devotion to seeking and serving Him. God noted or remembered his prayers and alms because they showed an acceptable attitude. God wouldn’t respond to all those prayers because Cornelius was not yet in a covenant relationship, but God gave the man what he was seeking: salvation, which brought about covenant relationship in Christ (Acts 10:48).

The Ethiopian Eunuch

The Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26–29 is another who showed the same principle. Being a eunuch, the Law prohibited him from entering the congregation and, therefore, a covenant relationship under that Law (Deut. 23:1). Yet, this Gentile eunuch came to worship the true God in Jerusalem. He could not enter the temple, but he went as close as he could to worship: at Jerusalem. What could he do for worship? The only thing left for him was to pray. The Spirit told Philip to join himself to the Ethiopian eunuch, the result of which was that Philip preached Christ to him, who then requested baptism (Acts 8:29–39). God responded to an earnest desire of the eunuch to understand Truth.

Lydia

Lydia is another Gentile who “worshipped God” (Acts 16:14), whose practice was when residing in her house in Philippi¹ to frequent a place of prayer by the river outside the city.² Her attendance at such prayer meetings showed her desire to serve the true God. It is no coincidence, then, that Paul and his entourage came to this place of prayer, and having expounded the Gospel to those gathered there, Lydia responded to that good news (v. 14), and she and her household requested baptism (v. 15).

Gentiles in the Old Testament

God heard prayers from Gentiles in the Old Testament as well.

When Solomon prayed at the inauguration of the temple, he included Gentiles in his list of those who could prayer towards God’s house. Solomon’s words are most instructive. “Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name” (1 Kings 8:41–43). Again, it is the devotion to the true God that is the basis of God hearing them. Interestingly, whereas in every other example of a person praying towards God’s house, Solomon asks that God forgive them, but there is no such request for the stranger.

It is significant that in Isaiah 56: 4–7 it is the eunuch and the stranger who serve Yahweh, who love the name of Yahweh, who keep the sabbath, and who take hold of the covenant—all used synonymously as terms of devotion—that God will reward by welcoming them into His “house of prayer for all nations”.

Our children and prayer

Should we teach our children to pray if they are unbaptised? As we’ve seen above, God is looking for those that seek Him earnestly and in sincerity. All those mentioned above were earnest and prayed. If we want our children to develop such a spirit, to take on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in baptism, to lead faithful and dedicated lives in Christ, and to be acceptable at the judgement seat, then it is a good thing to teach them to pray. It teaches them that God exists, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

The Law taught the Israelites to involve their children in acts of worship, especially in hearing the Word of God (Ex. 12:26; Deut. 6:6–7). At feast times, it was important that they included their children and strangers (foreigners or Gentiles) who dwelt among them on such occasions so that they could also receive instruction and understand God’s Word. The emphasis is on their instruction from the Word, but those occasions were also times of worship, which was part of their education, too.

When Ezra read the Word of God before the water gate in Nehemiah 8, it says that he did so “before the congregation both of all men and women, and all who could hear with understanding” (Neh. 8:2). As if to reiterate who this audience was, the record repeats the list of hearers in verse 3. “All those who could hear with understanding” must include children of the men and women, as well as strangers. We see from verse 6 that the occasion wasn’t solely about listening to the Word, they also prayed (vv. 5–6).

When Ezra prayed because of the failures of the people, the record says in Ezra 10:1 that “there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children…”which indicates that Israel saw that any important occasion that affected them should include their children for their education. This is clear when the Moab and Ammon confederacy attacked Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 20:13 says, “And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” The record seems to emphasise the children, probably to stress the dire circumstances of the entire nation. They are there and included in the ecclesial prayer led by Jehoshaphat (vv. 3–12).
The benefit of teaching our children to be involved in ecclesial activities is obvious, as it involves them in the things God is involved in. Teaching them to pray teaches them the reality of a living God. Whereas Israel’s children, although not responsible until they were mature, males were circumcised when they were eight-days old. They were, therefore, part of the covenant people. Today, baptism and entrance into covenant relationship can only occur when a person can both understand, believe, and take responsibility for their own actions. In the meantime, children can pray as the created to the Creator, and as those who wish to know God and His purpose. They cannot ask for forgiveness for their sins, but they can be sorry for them and confess them.

Primarily, though, the role of praying for our children is the role of parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles and so on. This is as important as it is to instruct our children to know God. This intercessory role is the privilege and responsibility of those in Christ.