is the sinners prayer always effective?

[Christ_empowered]

I dunno...it depends. I went to Teen Challenge when I was younger, zombified from ECT and such. I learned a lot *about* The Bible and Christianity, but nobody walked me through repentance. We just worked a lot.

About 2 years ago, I finally said my own version of the sinner's prayer. It dawned on me that I had to *know* Jesus. That was the beginning of my true walk with The Lord.

 

[follower]

I dunno...it depends. I went to Teen Challenge when I was younger, zombified from ECT and such. I learned a lot *about* The Bible and Christianity, but nobody walked me through repentance. We just worked a lot.

About 2 years ago, I finally said my own version of the sinner's prayer. It dawned on me that I had to *know* Jesus. That was the beginning of my true walk with The Lord.

good testimony of Yeshua's Faithfulness.

we all are constrained by some kind of 'law'/ system/ 'school-system'/ baby-sitter until such time as GRACE ARRIVES. then even a sinful thought becomes unbecoming. just looking at an exposed thigh or collarbone or neck is recognized as a trap of the enemy. being angry at someone without cause is realized as the sin that Yeshua said it is.

GRACE ARRIVES for few, as, like the rich young man, so few want to give up what they have. the suffering way (narrow way) is exactly as Yeshua said it is - and few are there who walk in it.

 

[Willie T]

good testimony of Yeshua's Faithfulness.

we all are constrained by some kind of 'law'/ system/ 'school-system'/ baby-sitter until such time as GRACE ARRIVES. then even a sinful thought becomes unbecoming. just looking at an exposed thigh or collarbone or neck is recognized as a trap of the enemy. being angry at someone without cause is realized as the sin that Yeshua said it is.

GRACE ARRIVES for few, as, like the rich young man, so few want to give up what they have. the suffering way (narrow way) is exactly as Yeshua said it is - and few are there who walk in it.

How is it that you are calling the following of Jesus, "The Suffering Way?"

 

[follower]

everyone abiding in Christ Jesus will necessarily suffer.

He said so.

look up the meaning of "the narrow way" in Scripture in the original languages. (i will later if i have time, Yhwh willing)

 

[Kathi]

everyone abiding in Christ Jesus will necessarily suffer.

He said so.

look up the meaning of "the narrow way" in Scripture in the original languages. (i will later if i have time, Yhwh willing)

We suffer on the Earth just like Jesus suffered.

 

[Edward]

everyone abiding in Christ Jesus will necessarily suffer.

He said so.

look up the meaning of "the narrow way" in Scripture in the original languages. (i will later if i have time, Yhwh willing)

I looked that up awhile back brother, it means tribulation

Narrow is the way to eternal life
Tribulation is the way to eternal life.

This goes along with the rest of scripture, but comes right out and says it here.

As for the OP...I think it's like getting married. The marriage (sinners prayer) is the beginning of the life. I can't say conclusively if the redemption is given at that exact time, or later in the walk. I can make a fair case for it comes later, but nothing factual, just indications of scripture.

I agree with Eugene, reciting it in front of a Pastor may or may not (probably not) is effective, for it must come from the heart. One wont know for sure until revelation is given, or judgement day I suppose. Given that, I bet I've said the sinners prayer 20 or 30 times throughout my walk.

 

[follower]

.......
I agree with Eugene, reciting it in front of a Pastor may or may not (probably not) is effective, for it must come from the heart. One wont know for sure until revelation is given, or judgement day I suppose. Given that, I bet I've said the sinners prayer 20 or 30 times throughout my walk.

John the immerser knew when those coming to him had repented or not. He rebuked those who came to be immersed and had not shown the signs/evidence of repentance. I think Yeshua did also. And there was pronounced a grave 'woe' (some word studies show that "woe to you" at places in Scripture meant "damned are you", as also supported by context and the rest of Scripture and the results of the lives of those damned.).

simple believers (true believers) don't have such a trouble seeing through the hypocrisy of what goes on - and that is good, very good. Yeshua gave very severe warning to His disciples to "beware the leaven of the scribes and pharisees" , then after their minds were opened, they understood He meant seriously to guard their ears and hearts and minds from the hypocrisy of others, especially of pastors, priests, bishops, teachers, and so on (people to whom others look and expect guidance and help from).

educated believers may be true believers or just educated. they have a lot of troubles more than simple believers if they rely on man's wisdom or their worldly minds or education or religious framework to protect them or educate them in what is right.

Yeshua over and over and over again gave His disciples assurances and direct instructions, and told them all these things and many things that would come to pass and that they would face. Yeshua is still doing this today. (for simple believers, for all who are devoted to Him, immersed in His Name and following Him singly (not double-minded, whom He says will not get anything from Him) ) .

religion has messed things up. Yhwh has the solution. (Yeshua's Faithfulness and Way).

 

[Christ_empowered]

I've said the sinner's prayer numerous times since repentance. In my case, one of Christ's blessings to me was to give me my intelligence back. Not that I'm a super genius, just that I'm not dumb anymore, and a lot of my memories have returned, despite ECT.

Since I'm smarter and have memories of my previous life of utter wretchedness...all the more reason to say The Sinner's Prayer, so I can remind myself that I deserve(d) destruction and I need a Savior named Jesus Christ.

 

[follower]

I belonged to the Lutheran Church for many years.Not impressed.

Have you found a church yet that heals the sick routinely ? Or one that impresses you in some way good ?

 

[Willie T]

I don't think I've ever recited such a thing. And, I've never seen it documented anywhere, though I HAVE heard TV preachers deliver one form or another of something that seems to be what they refer to as this sort of "prayer".

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I don't think I've ever recited such a thing. And, I've never seen it documented anywhere, though I HAVE heard TV preachers deliver one form or another of something that seems to be what they refer to as this sort of "prayer".

You mean this prayer?

'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' (Luke 18:13 NASB)

"I tell you, this man went to his house justified..." (vs. 14)

 

[Willie T]

You mean this prayer?

'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' (Luke 18:13 NASB)

"I tell you, this man went to his house justified..." (vs. 14)

Are those labled "The Sinner's Prayer"? And are these the words asked about in the OP?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Are those labled "The Sinner's Prayer"? And are these the words asked about in the OP?

I think they are included in what the church calls the 'Sinner's Prayer', so they might be part of the words asked about in the OP.

(I think the OP'er got scared off, lol.)

 

[Christ_empowered]

"The Sinner's Prayer" is rooted in The Bible. There's this outline for repentance..."Roman's Road"...that's solidly Biblical.

 

[for_his_glory]

Salvation Prayer

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.
I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.
You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.
Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.
Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

Reading that of a prepared and written prayer never saves anyone unless it is read and understood in light of John 3:3 and Romans 10:9,10. I was 17 back in 1972 when I repeated this prayer being emotionally (flesh) influenced to do so. It was not a condition of the heart that I spoke through, but that of lip service only. Emotions are only temporal for a moment, but soon left by the wayside. I use to call myself a yo-yo Christian as at times the fleshly emotions ran high, but other times I was as dry as dead mans bones not knowing if I was truly saved or not and falling back into my old ways. I was a church goer (off and on) going through the emotions, but not truly Spiritually indwelled. I read my Bible and believed everything that came out of the pulpit, but had no true Spiritual understanding of what was being taught. It was not until 1997 that I truly came to know the Spirit of God as Christ revealed himself to me in a way I never understood before.

Did repeating that prayer save me, no, but was that of a guideline that kept me coming back so many different times until I truly understood Gods grace.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I think Christians can get saved from praying the sinner's prayer...if the Holy Spirit has drawn them and them saying the sinner's prayer is truly their heartfelt response.

When I received Jesus as my savior, I remember asking the pastor to guide me in prayer. Granted, I was like five at the time, but I do think that that is the day I truly accepted Jesus into my heart. That I repeated words doesn't make me any less saved, so long as I meant and understood them. When I was older, in my teens, I redidicated my life to God. The salvation from my early childhood happened too far back into my past for me to notice any change from before and after. But what happened in my teens was a definite lifechanging experience.

 

[stovebolts]

Hate to stir the pot, but I don't see the sinners prayer in the bible. Sounds like some man made system.

Those who crucified Jesus had a moment of awakening in Acts 2. Their heart was pricked because they realized their sin. Upon this realization they cry out "What must we do to be saved?". Peter replied, repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall be saved.

We've strayed a long way from how the Bible would give us guidance. Being saved has never been about a system, rite or "steps to salvation". However, it has always come through a recognition of ones need for a saviour and wevare taught to live as Jesus lived... Walk as Jesus walked. Jesus started his ministry by going down into the waters. Considering Jesus started his ministry with his baptism, and he commands us to baptize, we ought to just do what Jesus did, and what he's told us to do.

 

[follower]

yes, and realize that a lot of people from a lot of countries, IF they just 'say' that they believe in Jesus - they can do that and not necessarily risk imprisonment, torture, death, and excommunication(from non-believing groups). (of course, if they just 'say' they agree with The Word, but are not doers of the Word.... well, Yhvh had something to say about that, several times, eh? ) ....

BUT, IF they are immersed into Yeshua's Name, they risk losing their life, their family, their 'status' if they had any 'status' in some group, ---- i.e. several different groups (including the Amish, the Mennonites, the rcc, and various political groups) get really very upset (not always, but yes, as a rule) if someone that they had a hold on gets immersed into Yeshua's Name. (of course, if they are immersed into Yeshua's Name, then they become one with Yhvh and Yeshua and the ecclesia, abiding in Yeshua HaMashiach and receiving the Salvation and Sanctification and Wisdom and Power that Scripture Promises)

 

[Willie T]

yes, and realize that a lot of people from a lot of countries, IF they just 'say' that they believe in Jesus - they can do that and not necessarily risk imprisonment, torture, death, and excommunication(from non-believing groups). (of course, if they just 'say' they agree with The Word, but are not doers of the Word.... well, Yhvh had something to say about that, several times, eh? ) ....

BUT, IF they are immersed into Yeshua's Name, they risk losing their life, their family, their 'status' if they had any 'status' in some group, ---- i.e. several different groups (including the Amish, the Mennonites, the rcc, and various political groups) get really very upset (not always, but yes, as a rule) if someone that they had a hold on gets immersed into Yeshua's Name. (of course, if they are immersed into Yeshua's Name, then they become one with Yhvh and Yeshua and the ecclesia, abiding in Yeshua HaMashiach and receiving the Salvation and Sanctification and Wisdom and Power that Scripture Promises)

I like this..... except for the implanting of the idea that "immersion" saves us.

 

[Willie T]

I think they are included in what the church calls the 'Sinner's Prayer', so they might be part of the words asked about in the OP.

(I think the OP'er got scared off, lol.)

Except that I think the OP was asking if a certain ritualistic performance "worked".... as in, and of itself, had some power to DO something........ BECAUSE, he asked if it (THE Sinner's Prayer) "worked every time".