Many thanks to Bible or Not reader Angela for today’s quote about the connection between prayer and faith.  This modern-day anecdote almost sounds like a Bible proverb, but it comes from a song written by Samuel T. Scott and Robert L. Sande nearly 60 years ago. Since this song and quote has been a blessing to others, my hope is to simply pass that blessing along.

“Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.” – Samuel T. Scott and Robert L. Sande

Here are the complete lyrics to Faith Unlocks the Door by Samuel T. Scott, including the extra words that have been added by recording artists such as Carroll Roberson, Jake Hess, The Cathedrals, and other old time gospel musicians. Also included below is a more recent video recording of the song, a beautiful a capella version, by a young choir from the Fountainview Academy.

Prayer is the Key to Heaven, Faith Unlocks the Door
Complete Lyrics

Prayer is the key to Heaven,
But faith unlocks the door;
Words are so easily spoken,
But prayer without faith
Is like a boat without an oar.

Have faith when you speak to the Master,
That’s all he asks you for;
Prayer is the key to Heaven,
But faith unlocks the door.

(Instrumental and optional extra words)
How many times have you prayed,
For something big or small?
How long did you have to wait,
Or did the answer ever come at all?
Words are mere expressions of thought,
And nothing more.
Believing is what really counts my friend,
And faith is what unlocks the door.

Have faith when you speak to the Master,
That’s all he asks you for;
Prayer is the key to Heaven,
But faith unlocks the door.

A Capella Version of Faith Unlocks the Door

The original copyright for “Faith Unlocks the Door” was registered by Samuel T. Scott in January of 1955 and later in that year a new registration added Robert L. Sande to the credits of authorship as “(Prayer is the key to heaven) faith unlocks the door”.

You have likely heard things like “God loves the sinner but hates the sin“, and that in order to be saved all one needs to do is say “the sinner’s prayer”. So then, we can conclude that God loves the sinner and if  a sinful person was to pray to God, then God would answer. Today’s Bible or Not quote is a Bible verse from the book of Psalms.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear”. – Psalm 66:18 NKJV

We have a dilemma now, don’t we? According to the psalmist, a person with a sinful heart – i.e. a sinner – will not be heard by God. So which is it? Does God hear the prayer of a sinner or not?

I’ll leave the answer to our readers today – please add your opinion to Comments.

Yesterday I asked our readers to think about the “all who call on God in true faith” quote, and see if it was in the Bible or Not. Here is the full quote, and while it sounds very Biblical, it is a quote from Martin Luther and not in the Bible.

“All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.” – Martin Luther

However, Martin Luther was the father of the Reformation movement, an outspoken and faithful man dedicated to the truth of the written Word of the Bible. Read more about Martin Luther here.

Jesus and the Scriptures do teach us that those who approach God in true faith, with sincere petition from the heart, will be heard by God. And their petition will not be in vain, but God will hear their prayers and provide them with the desires of their heart. There are way too many Bible verses to quote here, but here are a couple.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” – Psalm 37:3-4 KJV

“So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” – Matthew 21:21-22

Pray without ceasing…GBU.