The phrase “sinner’s prayer” is used by Christians to refer to a prayer in which the speaker wants to confess their wrongdoing, seek God’s pardon, and affirm their trust in the life, death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you confess with your lips, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, according to Romans 10:9–10.
Because you confess your faith with your tongue and are saved, you must believe in your heart in order to be justified.
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Prayer for Salvation – Our First Real Conversation With God
The most significant prayer we will ever pray is the “prayer of salvation.”
These are the elements of the first meaningful conversation we will have with God when we are prepared to become Christians:
- We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God, that He lived a spotless life on earth that we are unable to live, and that He died in our place to save us from the punishment we deserve.
- We repent of our previous sinful behavior, including living for ourselves rather than for God.
- We acknowledge that we are prepared to put our faith in Jesus Christ to save us and to be our Lord.
- We invite Jesus to move in with us, live there, and start living through us.
Confessing Faith in Christ
Through church services, friends, and family leading them in a salvation prayer, millions of people have found a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. However, the words of prayer do not actually save us. Jesus Christ alone has the power to save through faith. J.D Greerer explains it well – “It’s not the prayer that saves; it’s the repentance and faith behind the prayer that lays hold of salvation. My concern is that over-emphasizing the prayer has often (though unintentionally) obscured the primary instruments for laying hold of salvation: repentance and faith.”
You can confess to God that you are sorry for your sin, accept His forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior by using the four instances of the sinner’s prayer that are provided below.
The Sinner’s Prayer (by Dr. Ray Pritchard)
Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith, I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.
The Sinners Prayer (by John Barnett)
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for Salvation
Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I ask for and need Your pardon. I acknowledge that Your mercy and grace are gifts You give to me out of Your tremendous love, not because of anything I have done, and that I must accept Your death as the price for my sin. Make me Your kid by purifying me. I welcome You into my heart by faith as the Son of God, my Savior, and my life’s Lord. Help me to live from now on with You in charge and for You. In your steadfast name, Amen
After Praying for Salvation, What Next?
If you recently became a Christian and are unsure about what to do next, have a look at these helpful recommendations:
- By the grace and by way of faith, one is saved. Nothing you’ve ever done or will ever do has earned it. God offers salvation as a free gift. You simply need to accept it.
- Inform someone of your choice. Telling someone to make anything public, secure, and solid is crucial. Find a Christian sibling or friend and introduce yourself by saying, “Hey, I decided to follow Jesus.” If you can, tell someone today. It’s a fantastic method to make win a soul for Christ.
- Pray to God each day. It’s not necessary to use complex language. No words are inherently right or incorrect. Just be who you are. Every day, give thanks to the Lord for saving you. Pray for those who are in need. Seek his guidance. Ask the Lord to pour out his Holy Spirit on you every day in prayer. Prayer has no boundaries. You can pray anywhere, at any time, with your eyes open or closed, while seated or standing, on your knees, or lying on your back.
- Join a church and find a place to fit in.
Bible Verses about Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit
Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 16:30-33
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.