The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1358, titled "How to Pray." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2001 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.
Question
On the same line as fleeces, if you're not praying in God's will, can Satan answer your prayer? I mean, like if you're outside of His will. Could he make something happen that where you'd think you were being answered?
Answer
Oh, I suppose he could.
Question (continued)
What I'm referring to is like petitions to the Blessed Mother and these type of things where actual miracles was supposed to happen.
Answer (continued)
Yes, that's why I say it possibly could. Because in the case of an unbeliever, you know, they could be saying, "God, do this, God, do this," and Satan will come in and do it and he'll do it through a non-Christian medium which will cause that person to attach to that. For example, a pagan man prays to the moon for a certain thing to happen. Satan makes it happen and that holds the man to worshiping the moon and Satan's got a convert. And that's one of the things that we say about unbelievers: God has no obligation to answer their prayer but very often Satan will just to convince them that everything is all right. In the case of this maybe a non-Christian mother prays for her kids so Satan makes sure her kids don't get too wiped out, too far into the situation, the Satanic system, and that convinces the mother that she's already connected to God so she never seeks any further and so she never comes to Christ.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986