Sinner's Prayer?

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Ratioann

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If anyone pushes someone towards saying a sinners prayer, they are probably just after another decision for christ. I don't want to say that your church friend doesn't care about you but some seem to just want another notch on their belt.

I thought are salvation came totally through our acceptance of the gift God gave. The prayer is just for thanking God after the gift was received.
 
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chelcb

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Today at 06:47 PM Job_38 said this in Post #39

Gods choosing of me is what saves. His loving Grace and Mercy is what saves, and from this is given the ability to follow Him.

Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.


So what's all that other stuff that is written in the bible there for?
 
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dignitized

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Today at 07:25 PM Terri said this in Post #34

:wave: Max,

So did you ever ask God to save you (to have mercy on you--a poor pitiful sinner)?  If you did, was that a work? 

Not trying to nit-pick.  Just trying to understand your position.
:)

Terri - one day, by the grace of God, through an act of God given faith, mine eyes were opened and I saw and believed without a shadow of a doubt that HE was the Lord God - King of the Universe - Master - and Savior. 

The only prayer I praid before coming to this was a simple one - Lord, if you are out there and you are real, I want to know you, not of you.  I gave no repentance to recieve salvation. Nothing I can or will do will ever be good enough for my salvation and to say that you must do this ACT (prayer the "sinners" prayer) to be saved is salvation by your efforts and thus salvation by works.

Secondly, I would add that MANY people have prayed the "sinners prayer" including one Larry Flynn publisher of Hustler Magazine.  Praying a prayer does not make one saved.
 
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sklippstein

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Today at 08:06 PM Br. Max said this in Post #45

Terri - one day, by the grace of God, through an act of God given faith, mine eyes were opened and I saw and believed without a shadow of a doubt that HE was the Lord God - King of the Universe - Master - and Savior. 

The only prayer I praid before coming to this was a simple one - Lord, if you are out there and you are real, I want to know you, not of you.  I gave no repentance to recieve salvation. Nothing I can or will do will ever be good enough for my salvation and to say that you must do this ACT (prayer the "sinners" prayer) to be saved is salvation by your efforts and thus salvation by works.

Secondly, I would add that MANY people have prayed the "sinners prayer" including one Larry Flynn publisher of Hustler Magazine.  Praying a prayer does not make one saved.

good post Br. Max
 
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Terri

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Today at 07:06 PM Br. Max said this in Post #45

Terri - one day, by the grace of God, through an act of God given faith, mine eyes were opened and I saw and believed without a shadow of a doubt that HE was the Lord God - King of the Universe - Master - and Savior. 

The only prayer I praid before coming to this was a simple one - Lord, if you are out there and you are real, I want to know you, not of you.  I gave no repentance to recieve salvation. Nothing I can or will do will ever be good enough for my salvation and to say that you must do this ACT (prayer the "sinners" prayer) to be saved is salvation by your efforts and thus salvation by works.

Secondly, I would add that MANY people have prayed the "sinners prayer" including one Larry Flynn publisher of Hustler Magazine.  Praying a prayer does not make one saved.

Max I never said the sinners prayer before I came to know the Lord either.

I really don't think anyone that suggests that someone say the prayer is saying that the prayer will save them.  It is just an affirmation that you are putting your faith in God in my view.  It is just a way to reach out to God as you did in your prayer.
:)
 
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sklippstein

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Today at 04:50 PM Reformationist said this in Post #17

Sorry , I don't think that's why we're saved either.  I think the reason we have a sincere heart and a desire to serve the Lord is because we're saved, not a means to be saved.

God bless


 

Reform, I know u believe in predestination.......so i'm curious as to ur believe on how we are saved?  IF only those predestinated can be saved, what's the point? 

OH.....and BTW......hee hee i edited the "bro" out of ur post ;)
 
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Terri

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Today at 07:17 PM sklippstein said this in Post #46

um.....so i don't have to have a repentative heart, i can just call upon the Lord and i'm saved?

When I called upon the Lord I didn't even know what repent meant!

All you have to do is call upon Him and he will guide you into everything you need to know.
:)
 
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OLDoMiNiON

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Today at 01:17 AM sklippstein said this in Post #46

um.....so i don't have to have a repentative heart, i can just call upon the Lord and i'm saved?


No, that was in answer to Job_38... there is more in that verse about how we should go about being saved.

If you admit that Jesus is you lord and savior, and that he died to save you from your sins, by crying our to him like says he did Br. Max, then you are implying that you are a sinner... and God would surely recognise that! You can't say "Jesus i believe you die for me, and i now recognise you as my Lord and Saviour", without admitting that you are a sinner either in words or thoughts! The two things go hand in had!
 
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The "sinner's prayer" is not a pat formula, and because it has been made into one, it has caused a lot of confusion. It is a genuine response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that we are indeed sinners, lost and on our way to hell, as well as the convincing work of the Holy Spirit, that Christ did indeed die for our sins accordping to the Scriptures and rose again the third day for our justification.

So when we turn to God to receive His gift of eternal life or salvation, which is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whatever we say to the Lord must include the thoughts behind all of these:

1. God be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13)
2. Lord, if you wilt thou canst make me clean (Matt.8:2)
3. If I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be whole (Matt.9:21)
4. Thou Son of David, have mercy on us (Matt.9:27)
5. Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me (Matt. 15:25)
6. Lord, that I may receive my sight (Luke 18:41) Lord that our eyes may be opened (Matt. 20:33)
7. Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold (Luke 19:8) [REPENTANCE IS A NECESSITY]
8. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37) [FAITH IS A NECESSITY]
9. Lord, I receive you into my heart today (John 1:12-13) [RECEIVING CHRIST IS A NECESSITY]
10. Lord, I open the door of my heart to you now (Rev. 3:20)
11. Lord, I want the Water of Life from you right now (Rev.22:17)
12. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (Acts 9:6).
 
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Lotar

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Now give me a little grace here ;)

Do Catholics ever make up their own prayers, or do they just recite prewritten prayers?

The reason I ask this is because this may be why you are having such a hard time understanding what we mean by the sinner's prayer. This is just a general desciption of what ever prayer someone will say when they repent and give thier lives to Christ. Its not some specific prayer, like the Lord's Prayer. And what I don't understand is how you can take this as works. If a person is to be saved, they must make that desision, God gave us free will. Its not like we say, "say this prayer and you will go to heaven." That is not how it is. Even if you you think you have never said the sinner's prayer, odds are you have. Have you ever at one point asked God for his forgivenes? Well, the first time you did this, and meant it, thats what we mean.

I'm non-denominational, we have altercalls, from time to time. I've never been down to one, but there is no one at my church that would say I wasn't saved. We don't do this because this is what you have to do to be saved, we don't believe that. We just believe in giving people as many opportunities as possible to make that descition. Is there something wrong with that?
 
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seebs

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I think the problem here is that I've met people who believe there's a specific set of words that you *MUST* pray to be saved.

Every Catholic I've talked to makes up prayers. Keep in mind, the most-repeated prayer of all time probably includes a swear-word; something to the effect of "Oh, ----, HELP!".

I occasionally repurpose poems or songs to be prayers; my .sig is the chorus of a Metallica song, and I'm pretty sure they didn't mean it as a prayer, but I do.
 
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