Psalm 10:1
—Is God approachable or unapproachable?
Problem:
Throughout the Bible God is depicted as eminently approachable, for “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (
Ps. 46:1
; cf.
73:28
;
James 4:8
). On the other hand, in this psalm God is portrayed as inaccessible. For example, “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” (
Psa. 10:1
; cf.
Isa. 14:15
;
Ezek. 20:3
).
Solution:
The psalmist is speaking figuratively here. Just as “drawing near” to God (
James 4:8
) is figurative, not literal, likewise, neither does God literally “hide” from us. It may seem to us as though He does simply because He does not respond as fast as we would like or in the way we would like. Nonetheless, the Scriptures assure us that God is both listening and acting in our best interest (cf.
Heb. 4:14–16
;
12:11
). There is no text of Scripture that says God does not respond to the earnest and penitent prayers of believers

Expanded from
John 9:31
:
John 9:31—Does God hear the prayers of sinners?

Problem: John said here, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners.” Yet Jesus said God heard the publican who prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Does He hear sinners when they pray?

Solution: God hears sinners when they confess they are sinners and accept His forgiveness. For “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Jesus promised, “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).

However, God does not promise to answer the prayers of sinners who are not serving the true God. Jesus said, “if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He [God] hears him” (John 9:31). Even so, God’s grace exceeds His promise, and He apparently does on occasion respond to the prayer of an unsaved person as part of His overall providential plan to bring them to Himself (cf. Jonah 1:14–15). In this sense, God’s response to the prayer of the unsaved is part of the “goodness of God [that] leads you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4).

.