I don’t like the “Sinner’s Prayer.” I should clarify that I don’t mean the prayer itself. I mean the way Christians try to encourage or pressure people into saying it.
It is as if Christians in their desire to measure their progress in “saving souls” came up with this as a means to keep score. When someone says the prayer they can mark down another soul saved.
This is crap pure and simple. I have seen it myself. Some Christians are aggressive about pressuring people to say this prayer as if once they do the sinner will be saved.
Over and over again in scripture references Jesus taught that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. The Amplified Bible translates believes as “who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him.” We also know that “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)
Paul also teaches in Romans that only God can give faith. It is a gift from God and not a decision we can make.
My point is that when a person is convicted of sin and ready to reach out to Jesus their heart will cry out for him whether they say those words we commonly call the Sinner Prayer or not. They will reach out for Jesus and God will fill their heart with faith, love and hope and salvation will take place. This is not to say that we should not preach the Word of God. By all means we should. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God but there is no sense in trying to talk someone into converting and saying a prayer their hear does not believe. It is a waste of time and a lie.
Anyone reading this who was searching for a sinner’s prayer because you are desperate for help from God then know this. He is right there where you are. Call out to Jesus and He will reach down from heaven and love you right now. There is nothing more to it than that.