Praying to receive Christ, evangelism questions

Hey I don't want to start an argument, but I want to start an honest study biblically about praying to receive Christ and I want to begin by explaining why..

When I was 11 years old I remember going to Southern Baptist church on sundays and hearing the gospel. I heard and was explained and understood to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and beleived. So I prayed to receive Christ with all of my heart honestly and was Baptized. I beleived I was saved. After that my life to begin a downward fall, I never really cared for church, bible study, or reading the bible at all. I really never changed although I thought I was a Christian (and still am confused if I was) I became a hypocrite more and more with horrible language, and later drinking, sex, drugs, and all of that stuff. I never really new anything about God other than He cared and Jesus loved me. On the inside my whole life I knew I was wrong and was doing wrong but eventually got to a point where I loved to be in bad situations.

Anyway 9 months ago after being absent from church for 6 years and literally for 2years not even praying I was asked by my grandma to go to church with her (frequently but always had excuses). at that time I just got my dream car and been through about 15 different cars by the way. So I went and for the first time the message felt like it singled me out in the crowd and like it was meant for me divinely. I felt that it was now or never that I give my life to Jesus becasue I had never really lived for Him. Now I wasnt told this by anyone but it was on my heart and I wanted to truly, so I made a decision that I was going to live for Him and not run anymore. My prayer, life, actions, language, interests and everything have been transformed and are continuing to change. I am free of all my addictions now for the first time. As I have said I am now 22 and have been like I am for 9 months and crave Jesus all the time. Everyone has noticed and asks questions and for once I have real answers. I began to love to study and learn the bible and can answer a rediculous amount of questions, in fact its my major in college now (after 3 previous to my change) and I never dreamed it would be. my last nine months seems like 10 years and is a new life.

Now here is my questions and concerns for my topic..

I never understood praying to receive Christ. For me it seems like Christ changed my heart that day in church and I couldnt help to pray like a maniac confessing and asking for help. I know everything starts with prayer and it is the key in Christian life.

For me I am still unsure if I was a Christian at age 11 or 22 and honestly biblically it seems like when I was 22 I was born again, but I know the Lord has mercy and grace, loving us beyond our understanding. My whole family and the pastors I have spoken to all said I was saved at 11, but I study the bible a lot and I did not show any signs of a follower of Christ, but now naturally I do.

The last reason I brought this up was because I dont want to mislead anyone and get my testimony straight and true. I dont just want to tell someone to pray earnestly to Christ and they'll be saved b/c it doesnt seem like enough according to the gospel, but I am confused. I want to tell them to give it all to Jesus as I did, but I also know that only Jesus can make that possible for someones heart to turn to Him. I have been trying to teach my friends about Jesus and the truth for a few months now and slowly they have started to open up and listen. I got them all, oddly enough, to come to a revival at my church with an evangelist. All 5 of them went forward... What He spoke was 100% right on with the gospel, but at his closing he did this-

1- had everyone bow their heads
2- asked based on his message who knew they were going to heaven for sure
3- asked who didnt to raise their hands
4- asked those who werent sure and wanted to be saved to say a prayer for Jesus to turn their heart and lead them to repentance and save them
5- asked them to stand up, and to come forward in front of the church b/c if they couldnt do it then then they wouldnt be able to in the world. more than I ever have seen went forward daily.

He preached for 4 nights in my church each time about 200-300 people and 150 total came forward and said they were saved throughout all 4 nights added up..

I want so bad in my heart for those to be saved but something bothered me about it, because of what I had gone through in my life and what I knew biblically.

I know this happened in the Acts of the apostles, but I just hope it wasnt an emotional fest for all of us... I know it is all in Gods hands and I have been praying for it all day everyday, but I just wanted to get some honest opinions and help because 5 of my friends and many others went up.

I am not saying I dont beleive in praying to receive Christ isnt biblical because it is to ask Him into your life, but I think its much more personal and serious based on what I went through. I would never dream of saying this to one of those who went forward, but I personally would just like some opinions and explanations as to leading everyone to Christ in the same way..

 

Yea thank you all for the great encouragment of truth. I feel the same way but I have people all around me and in my family that I want to help but I realize it is solely a work of God as it was for me. I have a hard time telling people to just beleive, or to just have faith because I have found in my life that it simply was a gift from God to truly choose to Love Him over everything.

Anyway, thank you all again, and I would like to ask that if anyone can remember to pray for me, Zach, my friends, family, and neighbors I'd greatly appreciate it becasue I need it so very very much.

 

Yes that has been on my heart for some time now, but it has been so hard to follow my heart with those close to me giving much different advice, but as time has gone on it is more clear that baptism is something I need to do truly. I have been praying for that for some time now.

 

thank you for the explanation and the scriptures, that is helpful in backing up prayer for salvation scripturally. I like when evangelists change things up and make things more real, it seems like the sinners prayer has become something its not to me, which scares me. You said it in your first statement. Salvation has already begun before you confess it to the Lord. It begins in your heart then flows from the mouth, and if it never was a turning of your heart and your mouth spoke then it wasn't real.

John I understand that the Spirit guides you as you witness and to seek God for speaking to others, but What would you say to a 25 year old if they came to you and said, " I want to be saved". I ask because I want to be honest with my friends, but not be to harsh. It seems as if I always have words when I am talking to them, but I always seem to tell them to give it all to Jesus, in whatever way I may put it at the time. It is all I seem to know what to say becasue as I said thats what happened to me and what Jesus teaches. Its almost as if you are choosing to love and marry Him. It also is ironic how much marriage resembles what Jesus teaches to become His child throughout the new testament and the old. I obviously always encourage them to pray honestly to God and I pray for them, but I never seem to be interested in asking them to pray to receive Christ.. I cant obviously get into great detail but those are general statements.. thanks again

 

So what makes faith genuine God or a prayer that I made? Would a prayer not be a work to achieve salvation? salvation is received not achieved.. I thought praying to receive christ was how to be saved, so I assumed I was as Im sure millions do, but my testimony says it all unless I go against Gods word...

I honestly also cannot tell someone if they are saved or not, b/c I cant even tell myself much less someone else.. Also how would I know what was on my heart, those who are in darkness think they know their heart, truthfully in my case only God knew my heart.

I dont know but it doesnt make sense to become a Christian and to keep running from God no matter how old I was. I also had hypocrite guidence in my family, who only cared if I was saved, and me to. After being saved I thought that was it and it was all good. So I also struggled with how do I truly know if I beleive or not, heck everyone beleives and are saved according to what they say, I also dont think beleif comes until God gives it truly. beleiving is also a work to do to be saved in a sense. It seems after God gives grace He gives a true beleif to Him, but I am not sure on that. I thought I beleived my whole life, but I guess if I truly did, why did I not live like God was with me at all times and conitue practicing lawlessness. anyway Keep it flowing, this is interesting.

 

This is really how the Holy Spirit leads anyway from what I have begun to learn and see more and more as God reveals these things to me. I always give my testimony and try to stress that none of the works I did added up to salvation but was a result of God's goodness.. I absolutely love to read scriptures to people and explain them for a true meaning which equals up to the entire message in the bible from Gen-Rev. and not pulling things out of context. I truly appreciate your help and advice, and for the past few days I have thought so much on "grace" which is amazing if you truly think of what it is despite of what you've been told from others.. It cannot be put into words really..

I I agree how you stressed "inviting them, the guests to the feast, any and everyone." thats really all you can do is to just tell them, just as you want to..

 

So John, it seems many people want to have the person their witnessing to to be saved right away, we all do of course. I think sometimes it takes time and God's time isnt always immediate although it is possible. I just feel that those who talk to someone for 30 minutes and try to have everyone they speak to say a prayer telling them they are saved is not the right approach and heartless. I think we need to heed to the guidence and trust of the Holy Spirit in each time of witness as the first days of the beginning of salvation. This is why I began this thread in the first place because my mom, my close friends, and other family members are all under the wrong impression it seems. I think patience is so hard sometimes and to put aside our feelings for whats right. I also think on a personal note that we cannot slack on our personal time with Jesus.

Just a story to explain further on why I chose to make this thread, I am going to get personal and be straight forward, so bear with me.

In my personal family where my mom and dad are split up and remarried, I live with my dad. Now my dad, grandma, grandpa, step-mom, and little brother all go to the same southern baptist church. The house I live in is broken, b/c my step-mom and dad are not living as one. They both profess to be Christians. My dad, at age 11, said a prayer got saved and baptized in a baptist church. he as I did continued to decline and gain some bad addictions. My dad joined the church 8 months ago with me and for 2 months was doing great. all of a sudden he goes 1 time a month, fights with my stepmom, gives me faulty advice, nags at my brother, hates his employees, does crack cocaine a little, and gambles money away from the family we dont have. Now He swears up and down that if you say a prayer you'll be saved, and would lead anyone to do so including my little 11 year old brother who sees my life and my dads, and isnt stupid. Now my dad will go to church and ball his eyes out and sing at the top of his lungs, but its like God stays at church. He seems to be greatly confused, no bible knowledge after 35 years and is not living a Christian life. Now I love my dad, and dont confuse my point I am making, but I just want to show that it doesnt make sense to be a Christian and live a life of destruction. I speak to him all the time and we have a good relationship, but I just dont know what to say anymore and all I can pray to God for is mercy on him so he may know God. I have never told him he wasnt a Christian and really dont know if I can say that either, but he is convinced he is going to heaven and is born again. This is probably one of my most complicated battles that makes things hard to understand. Now I know God can change my dad any day by grace, but as of now I can say there are no signs. It has taught me a lot and made me think, God has made good of it. I understand his situation compeltely, because it was me a year ago. any thoughts or advice? dont think I am down on this or sorry by the way, it does bother me of course and I'd sure like to see a change but its not in my hands.

my point is that there is much more to a Christian life and its not just an addition. it is grace that sets you free.. :godisgood:

 

Yes this is much more spiritual than that. A beleif to convince yourself to say a prayer to heal or receive a gift is not an answer and in essence thats what I did for awhile. And for no reason out of nowhere I had a divine appt. that I didnt know about and God turned my heart. From that point on my life is changing. There are two kinds of beleifs 1- a beleif and 2- a true beleif or gift from God.
The type of beleiving that takes place after grace is a true beleif, but I beleived my whole life if Jesus Christ... in your first line replace beleif with "grace" there is absolutely nothing we are capable of doing to make ourselves Holy before almighty God. Lokk of how great the destruction of the world was after a simple disobedient bite of fruit.... God is much more Holy than we know of right now, and trust me when i tell you that we absolutely cannot beleive on our own. Before God you have nothing. Imagine yourself before God, if He said why are you here before me? would you say becasue Master I beleived or God becasue you willed it to happen by your mercy? You cant fool God, just be honest with Him and you cant even do that even if you try.... thats a speck of God's glory... Does a newborn beleive when you say something? does a pot beleive the potter made it?
beleiving truly is much greater than we can begin to comprehend...

 

with that being said grace is the beginning of beleiving and even that grows. here, we all have doubts, correct? so does this mean that every time you doubt you are unsaved until you beleive again. When God gives you a gift as beleiving He also keeps that gift for you and it can never be taken away by anyone and He personally makes sure. I see things much different now and more realistically than ever before. Before it was traditional. Any work you try to do to be saved is no different than trying to justify yourself by that work. I encourage anyone to beleive but know that only God can give salvation. Adjusting yourself to fit that is simply not the answer. there is no answer to Gods grace it is entirely undeserved. Billy Graham would have no more of a reason to receive God's grace than Hitler.
or you or me. we are all equally sinners and God is seperatly Holy. therefore to be before God we must be set apart and perfect by the blood of Jesus which is a gift.

 

My friend Nick prayed the sinners prayer and 2 days later I said, Nick isnt Gods grace so good that we have done nothing to be saved? He goes what, so you mean Im not saved? I changed the subject because he immediatly doubted and grew a great fear and confusion which I felt was not the time to clear things up because he was not in a position to learn. I would never tell someone they arent saved, and even if they tell you they are, only God knows and from their heart their mouth speaks and they will tell you where they are in life after spending some time and just listning to what there priorities are in life. Obviously they could be saved still, God only knows. It is up to Him

 

I dont want to make this sound impossible to be saved, but for us it is impossible to do it on our own. I do beleive God longs for all of us, but I just dont understand some depths which is good.
I dont want to confuse anyone, or for that matter myself, hah, but make sure we can all learn together what the truth is. I dont want to make someone who is following God stumble or anything becasue of this and I am learning for myself and biblically this seems correct.. I am open for help and discussion, but at this point what I am saying seems right to me and I can only imagine, confusing for an outside reader, sorry. I hope I didnt hurt anyone or say something that is not correct so please correct me if Im wrong so no-one gets mislead.. thanks-Zach