Let us get straight to the point by asking three pertinent questions.
What is the sinner’s prayer?
Where did the sinner’s prayer originate?
Why are people encouraged to say the sinner’s prayer?
Simply put, the sinner’s prayer is a somewhat standardized
prayer that is often used in some churches as a means of expressing one’s
desire to be born again.
Contrary to popular belief, the sinner’s prayer is not in
the bible – it’s not biblical. The disciples did not say it, the apostles did
not say it, it’s not in the gospels, it’s not in the epistles, it doesn’t
appear in Peter’s letters, James did not mention it, Paul did not tell Timothy,
Titus, or Philemon to say it, Jude said nothing about it, it’s not part of John’s
vision in Revelation and from all accounts, Jesus did not lead anyone in reciting
a certain prayer on cue in front of a congregation in church after an altar
call.
This manner of prayer, which is supposed to be a declaration
of a person’s repentance and faith and belief in salvation through Jesus Christ,
was invented by a revivalist preacher named Charles Finney, who spent a lifetime
preaching throughout America. I’m sure Mr. Finney meant well but it’s not what
the bible tells us to do.
God, by means of His gift of grace, has provided salvation to whosoever will, our part is to believe it and receive it.
If you declare with your
mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your
faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)
Repeating a pre-written prayer out loud may be admirable but
not heartfelt.
Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour is
the most important and personal decision you can ever make and cannot be solely
based on a one-time emotional experience in a hyped-up church service.
As Scripture says, “Anyone
who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses
all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved.” (Romans 10:11-13 NIV)
Churches are filled with persons who outwardly identify as
Christian but inwardly they have not been genuinely converted because theirs
was never a true profession of faith (read James 2:14-26).
There’s great danger in this and a dire need for honest self-examination.
Examine yourselves to
see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that
Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (2
Corinthians 13:5 NIV)
Salvation and the confession of one’s faith was never about shallow
responses and pseudo conversions.
Jesus refused to compromise the truth and to give people
false hope, as a matter of fact, He did not make it easy for persons who came
to Him wanting to follow Him. The rich young ruler is a prime example of this (read
Matthew 19:16-30).
Because of Jesus’ uncompromising stance on authenticity and
commitment (read Luke 9:57-62), many of His disciples, not the core group,
walked away from Him.
From this time many of his
disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (John 6:66
NIV)
Jesus repeatedly warned His followers of the dangers of
spurious faith, even those who ministered in His name were not excluded (read
Matthew 7:21-23).
In Jesus’ nighttime interaction with Nicodemus, a chief
Pharisee, He did not water-down the truth just to gain the influential religious
leader’s approval; Jesus was direct and straightforward, He did not cut any
corners. He confronted Nicodemus’ misconceptions with clarity and precision,
telling him exactly what he needed to hear (read John 3:1-21).
The sinner’s prayer, though proffered with every good
intention, carries a risk of producing superficial believers. Jesus knew
Nicodemus’ heart and pointed him in the direction of genuine life-transforming
saving faith. We do not know people’s hearts; however, we too must point
persons in that same direction, we too must refuse to soften the truth simply
to gain followers.
Keep in mind beloved, Jesus knows your heart too.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “The Sinner’s Prayer” © 2026 July 6, 2026
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