The “sinner’s prayer” is the basic prayer where we admit our sin and our need for a Savior, ask for forgiveness, and confess Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. It is generally considered by evangelicals to be the moment when someone is “saved”, when a spiritual conversion and rebirth takes place, and that person becomes a “new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
However…out of the approximate two thousand year history since the church was born…the “sinner’s prayer” has been part of our practice for less than 150 years.
The question is: how has a practice so recent in church history become such an important part of our doctrine and theology that we now feel it is essential to someone’s salvation, and that we determine someone’s standing in the faith by whether that prayer has been prayed?
And is this right?
Think it over, and discuss. I’ll put in my two cents’ worth later in the comments or in an upcoming post.
Wayward Son
Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo.
I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
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It probably started with some famous evangelist, who used it at camp meetings or something and then it stuck. This is exactly how the altar call started, as well.
Another teaching which has become an almost universal doctrine among evangelicals, is the rapture. I understand it started around the year 1900.
I think these new ideas begin with famous evangelists and no one bothers to check out the validity in scripture. If a famous preacher said it, it must be true. Well known translates into all knowing in todays “Chrisian” culture. Because if someone is famous, they must know what they’re talking about. Right???
Blessings,
Gary
I don’t believe that it is the prayer that saves.. anyone can moth the words.. the response of the heart to Jesus is (IMO) where eternal life begins.. prayer is just the result of that new heart.
When I zero in on the crux of what I believe or even what I need to do to be saved I find this. (say it with me now because we’ve all memorized it at some point)….if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead then you will be saved.
I know there is more too it than that like a real heart connection and desire to find out how to make Jesus Lord and to follow through. But it really is a simple one sentence answer.
I think the sinners prayer encompasses some processes and spiritual principals that we find in the bible but it’s become a bit of a pat formula.
I’ve always wondered where the heck they got the phrase “asking Jesus into your heart”. Recently I found what might be the essence of it. It makes a lot more sense here and I wish I had found it earlier in my life. Ephesians 3:17
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
It puts a different spin on it. In this case our part is trusting and Jesus part is making his home in our heart.
Jeff,
I have been following your blog for awhile and now I am taking the bait sort of speaking.
Just from the standpoint of history as you probably know this is a problem started byCharles J. Finney. And as with other traditions that seem to get results this one stuck. I really don’t think it is right. As it has singlehandedly helped make many thousands of false converts. Which most are the reason why the church is in the state it is in and why people say the church is full of hypocrites.
It’s a wonder how John the baptist and Jesus just used the words “repent”. Now it seems to have become a prideful issue as to say I accepted Jesus on such and such date etc.. Not everyone can recall when they were saved because we didn’t say a “prayer”. I took many kids to youth rallys and they got saved every year. Then came back unchanged.
I’m on a soapbox and apologize.
Thank you,
Steven O.
Much of this stems from the philosophy and theology of the 1800’s and popularized, but not invented, by Charles Finney.
As I say in the intro to my book, “The Church in America is in crisis. Far too many have abandoned God’s design for church in favor of a faith that is just as self-centered as the consumerist systems they left. Before we can deal with trends such as Mega-Churches, Video Venues, Emerging Theology, House Churches, etc.. we need to understand our past. This book examines Charles G. Finney’s methods of evangelism and their detriment to today’s Church and for the spiritual formation of each Christian.”
My book, entitled “The Church in Crisis is an easy read and is an excellent primer for understanding these, and other similar, issues.
My two cents is that I think it is a heart cry that he hears. It’s not so much the prayer or words, but yes they are a part . But primarily the question is (only God knows ) is the heart engaged in the words? Because out of the mouth come the things that are in the heart. The heart is what causes the words to be spoken.
I think man over the 150 years has tried to bring it down to a formula, or a tool, he can use to evaluate and prosper God’s Kingdom. I know personally before I truly engaged my heart, i called up a prayer line one time and didn’t know why or what for. (funny eh) but the woman on the phone led me in the sinners prayer (I didn’t know what was going on, it was weird). My heart wasn’t in it, yet God was working and God saw and was there all through that. It was a while after that before I really connected with God via the heart. I think the key is always to probably just be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, trust Him and let Him lead and guide. Only He can do it !
God Bless
You mean Jesus didn’t speak to Peter and the others and say, “Say a prayer and ask me to live in your heart”? Gosh, my whole religious system is crumbling.
I believe anyone can say that ‘prayer’. However, I don’t believe it makes someone an instant Christian saved by Christ. To me, it takes a committment to fully accept Christ and his teachings and integrate them into your life. Anyone can recite words but the challenge is living them, especially when being a Christian, in today’s society, is not one of the easiest ways to be.
You are right, the Sinner’s Prayer is an invention of modern evangelicalism, and is found nowhere in scripture. The Bible says to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” and we will be saved. I believe that we have filled our churches with empty “professors” of faith in Christ by using such tactics as this one and altar calls. Certainly, God has used these things as vehicles to an “expression” of faith, but He is the one Who acts first, by opening our hearts to the truth and convicting us of sin. Only a regenerated heart will choose Christ.
Thanks to all for your remarks; you all touched on some important points. My general reply to these comments is in my next post, "Follow Me", and I think you'll find that post resonates with a lot of the things you've brought up here.
Since I followed this up with another post, I'll forego responding to all of these comments directly this time…but I would like to touch on a couple of highlights here…
Lightbearer,
I think this tendency repeats itself throughout human history as well as church history…if something is said long enough, people start to accept it as common knowledge, regardless of how valid it is. It's amazing when you look back how many things the church takes for granted and repeats for generations on end, that actually traces back to some individual and not the Bible.
Stephen,
No apology needed; the comments are for you to share your opinion. And it just so happens I agree with you. 🙂 Thanks for chiming in.
Hope42day,
The word you used–"commitment"–is a key here, and something that has been largely lost in our presentation of the gospel in modern times.
J.R.,
Dude, you wrote a book about this stuff? Cool. 🙂 Thanks for the input.
Maureen,
I agree…the vehicles do work when the heart is already inclined toward Christ, and for that I can't renounce the "sinner's prayer" concept completely. But I do think we lose perspective on it when we lean on it to determine who is saved. As you and Stephen have indicated, it has generated a lot of "false conversions" because we've focused on the prayer and not the fruit of repentance. Thanks for your comment.
KB, Ruth, Ruth, & Co-heir,
Amen. Read the next post, as your remarks have informed the response. 🙂 Thanks!
According to Frank Viola & George Barna the basic model of the sinner's prayer was taught by D.L. Moody when training his evangelistic co-workers. "But it did not reach popular usage until the 1950's with Billy Graham's Peace With God tract and later with Campus Crusade for Christ’s Four Spiritual Laws” (Pagan Christianity, pg. 190)
They also offer a reference for Paul H. Chitwood’s PhD dissertation “The Sinner’s Prayer: an historical and theological analysis.” Dr. Chitwood is still an Assistant Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and can be reached for a copy via their website.
I am with you on this. For me, the validity of salvation is a transformed life – not some Christian mantra. According to several evangelistic stats, entire populations of some countries have been saved multiple times! I imagine it’s because they counted “every head bowed and every eye closed – pray after me.”