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"sinners prayer "is it biblical?

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by massdak, May 2, 2005.

  1. massdak

    massdak Active Member
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    sinners prayer is it biblical?

    should people be led into saying a sinners prayer for salvation?

    is it biblical and or could it be problematic?

    is the biblical method to give the gospel and compel them to believe based on Gods word only. would then a person surely call upon the name of the Lord as God has drawn him to?

    is the sinners prayer along with the altar call a man made up system?
     
  2. David J

    David J New Member

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    You should not lead people into saying the sinner’s prayer. Saying a set order of words will not save anyone.

    I personally lead them through the word of God. I said no set prayer to get saved. When the Spirit convicted me I begged God to forgive me.

    Nothing wrong with using certain verses but the lost must understand just repeating words will not save. Salvation is a personal relationship between God and the sinner thus by grace through faith producing a forgiven child of God.
     
  3. PamelaK

    PamelaK New Member

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    This is an interesting question. I very recently came across an article having to do with this. I have just given it a cursory reading so far but definitely want to get back to it. Here is the link if you'd like to take a look:

    http://www.duluthbible.org/seven_reasons.htm
     
  4. massdak

    massdak Active Member
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    seems to be a very interesting site thank you
     
  5. Bob Krajcik

    Bob Krajcik New Member

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    sinners prayer is it biblical?

    Not as it is popularly being used. A sinners prayer is shown at Luke 18:13. There were no emotional appeals made by a preacher that caused him to pray. Regeneration is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, while repeating a prayer is merely an act of man's will, and is no substitute for the new birth.

    should people be led into saying a sinners prayer for salvation?

    I don't think so.

    is it biblical and or could it be problematic?

    I don't find the practice as it is often used to be Scriptural. The practice tends to give a false sense of security. Regeneration is by the will of God, not man. Instructing a man to pray and thus pronouncing them saved is problematic in that regeneration is made to appear an act of man's will.

    is the sinners prayer along with the altar call a man made up system?

    The system that is popularly practiced is a man made invention.

    Here is a URL that deals with the sinners prayer and other methods of decisional regeneration.

    http://www.bright.net/~bkrajcik/decisionregen.htm

     
  6. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    sinners prayer is it biblical? no

    should people be led into saying a sinners prayer for salvation? not a formula. I like to ask them to pray from their heart, not a "repeat-after-me" prayer

    is it biblical and or could it be problematic? I think it can be problematic

    is the biblical method to give the gospel and compel them to believe based on Gods word only. would then a person surely call upon the name of the Lord as God has drawn him to? I called on the Lord without a formula

    is the sinners prayer along with the altar call a man made up system? I have actually been pondering this very question. Afeered so.
     
  7. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!"
     
  8. Jeffrey H

    Jeffrey H New Member

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    The "sinners prayer" is a man-made device that derives its content from the Bible, but it does not save anyone. God is not a "genie" that must impart salvation to us because we recited the "right" words in a prayer. It's often abused in order to get some "decisions for Jesus". The prayer is best used as a confession of faith of what has already occurred in the mind and the heart of the believer.

    The altar call is also a man-made system. God will convict us where we are, not simply at the front of the sanctuary.
     
  9. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    I think God longs for anyone to say these words :)

    Be careful what you pray for, you might get it :)

    Bless you robycop3

    David
     
  10. Kiffen

    Kiffen Member

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    I think the key is that the person have Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. No one is saved by any prayer or words they say.
     
  11. massdak

    massdak Active Member
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    i agree, the problem i see with the altar call and a repeat after me prayer is that it sets this type of action into the saving condition, it is almost impossible to not get caught up in trying to say the right words and the event is many times given as the assurance in which someone made a decision. i see it as a stumbling block.
     
  12. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    I cannot recall a single time in scripture when someone prayed a prayer to follow Jesus. Jesus called and they came or not.
     
  13. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    No one can come to Christ unless God the Father draws them. ( Grace ) Please dont miss understand me [​IMG]

    You can only become a Christian through God's Grace.

    God knows all hearts and His Judgement is perfect and Righteous.

    David
     
  14. Ancora Imparo

    Ancora Imparo New Member

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    Just want to share my experience dealing with some troubled kids at my church. I have been praying for and working with a couple young girls for around 2 years that have behavioral & emotional problems--but are improving. One of them, in spite of the fact that she was baptised into the church several years ago, when I first started talking to her, she didn't know the first thing about salvation other than she had prayed the sinner's prayer so she wasn't going to Hell. The other has never asked to be baptised but prayed the prayer when she was very little too. She just shrugs when asked if she is saved--and says she said the prayer.

    Some have tried to say 'Well, if you prayed it and you really meant it, then you are saved." You ask the kids and they'll tell you that they really mean it--meaning they really, really don't want to Hell so they really meant what they said.
    It doesn't mean that they understood what they prayed. Understanding and believing must come before confessing. If they understand and believe then the Holy Spirit will take care of the words.

    It makes it a little complicated dealing with kids who believe they are saved yet do not have the most rudimentary understanding of what that means. I just have to keep describing what salvation is and praying that those who are lost but think they are saved will one day be convicted.

    Bottom Line: I think a Sinner's Prayer can be used to express the understanding and saving belief in a person's heart. But it can be a dangerous, misleading thing used as an evangelical tool--especially with young children.
     
  15. dh1948

    dh1948 Member
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    Worked for me on Oct. 6, 1963, at 2 PM !!
     
  16. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    Me too 02/02/1984 around 7.30 in the evening.

    David
     
  17. Loren B

    Loren B New Member

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    "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth", sounds like someone has to say something.
    I did 12/1/69. Praise God!!!!
     
  18. Ancora Imparo

    Ancora Imparo New Member

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    I apologize if I came across too critical in expressing my concerns about praying a Sinner's prayer. I hope I didn't come across sounding like it can never be a useful confession for someone to express their faith in Christ. I just wanted to warn those seeking to evangelize, especially when dealing with young children, that it can very easily be misused and misunderstood.
    But I wanted to make it clear that that doesn't mean I don't think it can be used correctly.
    Praise God for all you who remember the day you understood and said the Sinner's Prayer!
     
  19. RTG

    RTG New Member

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    Praise the Lord the results are not up to us.Not to long ago a young girl that rides the church van on Sundays told my wife and I she wanted to be saved.She seemed very serious.I think they must be doing a good job in Sunday school and childrens church.My wife and I read from our bibles and asked some ?'s and she gave the right answers,She seemed to really understand she was a sinner and needed to be saved.It is loud and there were many distractions on the van that day,I did'nt feel led to go any further.We dropped her off and told her we would talk to her soon.A couple of weeks later she asked my wife when she could be baptized,My wife asked her if she understood you have to be saved before you get baptized.She said she was saved she had asked Jesus to save her.When I heard the news I had to say a amen,praise the Lord.Whether someone says a prayer or just crys out Jesus knows the heart.
     
  20. Bob Krajcik

    Bob Krajcik New Member

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    Our prayer does not bring life, but we pray because we have already been made alive. We are not born again a result of our believing, but we believe a result of our already having been born again. Salvation is of the Lord. Here are a few words from Spurgeon that help explain this.

     
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