The Bible tells us, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29). Why is this? God is holy and His Spirit ultimate in goodness. He will have nothing to do with evil or wicked men. He only deals with and delights in His children — those who are His because they are trusting their souls to Jesus Christ, His Son.

An old saying tells us, “There are no atheists in the foxholes.” This of course refers to trenches dug during battles in war. Under fire, a man realizes his probability of dying, and he is more fearful. He then realizes his need for Someone to protect him. So he will usually call out to God. But he has waited too late in most cases. J. Vernon McGee said, “God’s ears are closed to the prayer of the wicked” (1 Peter 3:12). 

He has put off doing the most important of all things on earth. He has refused to come to Christ and, in humility, acknowledged his sorry state and great need for salvation. God will have nothing to do with evil, and He will not hear an evil man’s prayers. Fortunately, as Peter tells us, “God is not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). 

So, even in the 11th hour of life, a person can be saved and become a child of God. But he must be sincere. He must truly believe in Christ and acknowledge his sinful, rebellious state. Above all, he must realize his great need of a Savior. God will always hear a prayer of genuine repentance that calls on the Lord for salvation. 

Unfortunately, Satan has deceived most people on earth today. The devil has most people disbelieving in God, heaven, and even hell. We are all sinners, every one. Fortunately, along with lost ones, there are saved sinners. Jesus tells us in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” 

But the devil, the Father of lies, has also propagated, among those who do know that God exists, that they must be good to go to heaven. What a lie! Goodness has nothing to do with going to heaven. To the very simple, Satan has even suggested that there are many roads to heaven and that what you believe or what religion you adhere to matters not. All lies!

Why are most people deceived today? They don’t read God’s Word (the Bible) and they refuse to hear it preached. They want nothing to do with church, though Scripture makes it clear that we are to attend church for worship of God and fellowship with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 tells us clearly, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves as the manner of some is.” 

So, those who prayed for God’s protection in the foxholes were too late unless they were fortunate enough to believe the witness of a Christian buddy, who told him how to be saved. I am sure that this happened many times. Praise God for His witnesses for Christ.