The whole problem with the *sinner’s prayer* thing is that I fear many people have been led in a prayer that they don’t really mean and think that simply because they recited some words, they are saved.
It’s almost the same in my book as what baptism has become for many, that if you’re baptized, you’re saved and because osmeone told them that if they prayed it, they were saved.
But when I see many people led in a sinner’s prayer and you can tell they feel coerced into it and there’s never any change in their lives, then they weren’t saved.
I suppose the best sinner’s prayer is the one in the gospel’s by the publican, *Be merciful to me, a sinner.* because Jesus Himself said that was the man who went away justified.
I think of my brother who was involved in a supposedly Christian pyramid scheme many years ago and this scheme presented itself as having many converts.
Well, my brother was at one of their Rah, Rah rallies and at the end they asked everyone who wanted to accept Christ to stand and pray. He stood and *accepted* Christ. I asked him about it and he told me that he did it because that was what you did as part of the group if you wanted to get ahead in the organization.
That was almost 40 years ago and he has NEVER shown the least inclination or interest in God. NOTHING changed. At all. Not in that entire time.
So he prayed a sinner’s pray. So what? He’s not saved.
placemarker
Kind of like “going forward” at an invitation in church. Hopefully, at least in the churches I attended, those that walked forward were met by a believer and they spoke to them one-on-one making sure the gospel was understood and the person was truly desiring to hear more and believe. I’ve also seen some church services end with the presentation of the gospel and everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes and those who wanted to receive Christ were asked to raise their hand. In some tangible way, a person can think back to a point in time where he/she made a decision to receive Christ as Savior. Of course, this is an ongoing relationship and those who are diligently seeking to know God WILL find Him. It certainly doesn’t begin AND end with that one act of faith.