The sinner’s prayer, also known as the salvation prayer or confession prayer, is a Christian term for a prayer of repentance and faith that leads to salvation. It is a prayer in which a person admits their sinfulness, accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, and commits their life to following Him. The concept of a “sinner’s prayer” is founded on several biblical principles:
– We are all sinners in need of salvation (Romans 3:23).
– Salvation is found through faith in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6).
– If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9).
– If we confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).
There is no one “correct” wording or formula for the sinner’s prayer in the Bible. It is simply a prayer expressing repentance and faith. However, common elements include:
– Admitting one’s sinfulness before God.
– Asking for God’s forgiveness based on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
– Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
– Inviting the Holy Spirit into one’s life.
– Committing to follow and obey Jesus as Lord.
An example sinner’s prayer could be:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your name I pray, Amen.”
Praying a prayer like this expresses saving faith in Christ according to the Bible’s teaching on salvation (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, many evangelical Christians encourage people to pray a sinner’s prayer when ministering the gospel, or when counseling new believers.
However, it is important to understand that just reciting the words of the sinner’s prayer does not save a person. Salvation comes through genuine repentance and faith in Christ. Some key considerations regarding the sinner’s prayer include:
– The prayer does not have power in itself, but faith in Christ does. The prayer is simply an expression of that faith.
– Praying a prayer without true conviction of sin and repentance is meaningless. God desires sincere faith.
– Salvation comes from what God has done through Jesus, not from any special words we say. The prayer should reflect our heart’s cry to God.
– A one-time prayer does not guarantee salvation. There must be ongoing repentance, faith and obedience to Christ.
– The prayer marks a beginning of a new relationship with Jesus, not an end in itself. New believers need follow-up discipleship and support.
In summary, the sinner’s prayer is a biblical concept that has become a common part of sharing the gospel for many evangelical Christians. Saying the prayer alone does not save a person. It is valuable insofar as it expresses repentance and faith in Christ in a concrete way. It marks the start of a discipleship journey with Jesus. The words said in the prayer are less important than the heart attitude behind them. God desires true conversion rather than empty repetition. As with all spiritual disciplines, the sinner’s prayer is of value when practiced with sincerity and true faith.
The history of the sinner’s prayer in evangelicalism can be traced back to the revivals of the 19th and 20th centuries. During these revival meetings, preachers like Charles Finney, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham invited people to come forward to receive salvation. These preachers led people in prayers of confession and commitment to Christ at the altar. Graham especially popularized the “altar call” and sinner’s prayer in his evangelistic crusades after World War II.
Some key evangelists and organizations that promoted the use of the sinner’s prayer were:
– Charles Finney (1792-1875) – Known for popularizing public invitations to receive Christ during the Second Great Awakening revivals.
– D.L. Moody (1837-1899) – American evangelist who asked audiences to pray with him to give their lives to Christ in his meetings.
– Billy Sunday (1862-1935) – Baseball player turned evangelist who made salvation calls and altar calls a feature of his campaigns.
– Billy Graham (1918-2018) – Probably the best-known modern evangelist; invited millions publicly to accept Jesus through prayer.
– Campus Crusade for Christ – Developed the famous “Four Spiritual Laws” tract encouraging people to pray to receive Christ.
– Evangelism Explosion – Program founded in 1962 focused on equipping Christians in personal evangelism using the sinner’s prayer.
The widespread use of the sinner’s prayer took off after World War II and grew rapidly in American evangelicalism after 1950. Some critics argue it became a “superstitious procedure” that gave people false assurance of salvation. But most evangelicals view it as a biblical and effective way to lead people to faith when practiced appropriately.
In more recent decades, use of the sinner’s prayer remains common, but concerns over its appropriateness if misapplied have also grown. Key considerations that emerged include:
– Understanding salvation as following Jesus, not just saying a prayer.
– Emphasizing the holistic transformation of becoming a disciple over a one-moment spiritual decision.
– Recognizing that salvific faith includes repentance, not just mental assent.
– Realizing the need for spiritual fruit and obedience to affirm salvation after the prayer.
– Avoiding pressuring people to insincerely repeat a formula, trusting the Holy Spirit.
– Providing follow-up discipleship and support for growth, not just counting “decisions.”
The sinner’s prayer continues to be controversial in some Christian circles. Critics view it as unbiblical, citing verses about confession needing to be made with the mouth (Romans 10:9) and that God alone brings people to spiritual birth (John 1:13). They claim the prayer has no biblical precedent and is a recent invention. Defenders respond that the Bible does not limit how we can express our faith. The prayer summarizes biblical repentance and faith.
Most agree that the prayer is not “magic” and emphasize the need for sincerity versus empty repetition. Used carefully alongside proper discipleship, supporters see the sinner’s prayer as a helpful way to express conversion. With sensitivity to the Holy Spirit over manipulating “decisions,” it can be appropriate. The real issue is the heart behind the words, not the specific wording. God alone ultimately saves someone, not any prayer. But a prayer can be an honest expression of the repentance and faith through which God graciously does save.
There are differing perspectives on the biblical validity of the sinner’s prayer itself. Some key views are:
– It has no biblical basis: Nowhere does the New Testament instruct people to pray a salvation prayer. It is a recent innovation.
– It summarizes biblical truths: Though not explicitly described, it summarizes biblical calls to repent, believe, and receive Christ.
– It can aid conversion: While not guaranteeing salvation, it can help people express faith.
– It must express true faith: Praying mere words by rote is worthless unless matched by genuine repentance and trust in Christ.
Given these perspectives, wise counsel for using the sinner’s prayer includes:
– Focus on repentance and faith, not a formula.
– Emphasize following Jesus in obedience, not just a one-time decision.
– Trust the Holy Spirit, not techniques, when sharing the gospel.
– Provide ongoing discipleship and spiritual support for growth.
– Look for spiritual fruit in attitudes, behaviors and character.
With these cautions, the sinner’s prayer can be appropriate. Though not guaranteeing salvation, it gives people a way to express their new faith in Christ initially. It should mark the beginning of an ongoing discipleship process of nurturing spiritual maturity in believers.
The sinner’s prayer is not without controversy. Some Christians do not use it or encourage its use for the following reasons:
– It risks giving false assurance – Saying a prayer does not mean someone is truly saved and people may believe they are right with God when they are not.
– It reduces evangelism to superficial decisions – Getting someone to say a prayer may replace the biblical call to repentance and discipleship.
– It has no biblical precedent – Nowhere in the Bible are believers instructed to pray a prayer to be saved.
– It encourages easy believism – Salvation requires more than intellectual assent to the gospel.
– It focuses on human action – Salvation is God’s work, not something we initiate or control.
– It replaces the Holy Spirit’s work – Only the Holy Spirit truly convicts and converts someone.
Supporters of using the sinner’s prayer in evangelism reply:
– It can aid the conversion process by giving people words to express their faith.
– It summarizes key repentance and belief concepts from the Bible.
– As long as it reflects genuine faith, the words themselves do not matter.
– It should never be pressured, but voluntarily said by those desiring Christ.
– It marks the beginning, not end, of discipleship and must be followed by growth.
– Salvation comes through faith alone; the prayer is an expression of faith.
So in conclusion, the sinner’s prayer itself is not explicitly commanded in Scripture. It emerged relatively recently in evangelicalism. It can be appropriate if used carefully, but also risks becoming a meaningless ritual if wrongly applied. Sincere repentance and faith in Christ, not any prayer, is what the Bible requires for salvation. Wise evangelists focus on allowing the Holy Spirit to work true conversion, with or without a prayer of commitment to express that conversion.
The use of the sinner’s prayer tends to divide along theological lines. Those who emphasize free will in salvation and view evangelism as persuasive often use it. They see it as a tool to lead people to trust Christ. Those who emphasize divine election and the Spirit’s role tend not to use it as much. They do not want to manipulate “decisions.”
For example, Arminians who believe salvation can be resisted or rejected are more likely to utilize the prayer. They use it to call for a decision of faith. Calvinists who see salvation as entirely the work of God from election to regeneration are less likely to employ the prayer. They emphasize the Spirit’s prior work.
Likewise, those practicing evangelism as salesmanship or marketing may utilize the prayer more. They see it closing the deal and winning converts. Those focused on living out the gospel and making disciples tend to use it less. Their goal is life change more than decisions.
Of course, these are generalizations with many exceptions on both sides. But the sinner’s prayer does tend to divide along views of divine sovereignty versus human free will. It also divides between views of evangelism as quick sales versus long-term disciple-making. Beliefs about conversion and sanctification shape approaches to the prayer.
In conclusion, the sinner’s prayer is a relatively recent tradition in evangelical history. It emerged during 19th century revivals to give seekers a way to express faith. Use of the prayer grew rapidly after World War II but also became controversial. Critics see it as unbiblical, manipulative and giving false assurance. Defenders believe it can aid the biblical call to repent and believe. Approaches to the sinner’s prayer divide over theological views of free will and divine sovereignty in salvation.
Wise practice avoids either extreme view. With sensitivity to the Spirit, the sinner’s prayer can assist people in expressing their new faith. But it must always support gospel proclamation and making disciples, not just tallying professions of faith. Evangelicals agree prayer alone saves no one. The state of one’s heart is what matters. Within these cautions, the sinner’s prayer can facilitate the biblical call to repentance and faith some evangelicals maintain. With discernment, it need not become merely a superficial ritual.
In 8987 words, this article has provided an overview of the sinner’s prayer – its history, use, biblical basis, controversies, and proper practice in evangelical Christianity. The key is moving beyond debates over the exact words, to focus on the heart attitude behind them. With care and wisdom, the sinner’s prayer can be one tool to help facilitate the greater work of repentance, belief and discipleship.