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Prayer of Salvation - Our First Real Conversation with God
The "prayer of salvation" is the most important prayer we'll ever pray. When we're ready to become a Christian, we're ready to have our first real conversation with God, and these are its components:
The "prayer of salvation" is the most important prayer we'll ever pray. When we're ready to become a Christian, we're ready to have our first real conversation with God, and these are its components:
- We acknowledge that Jesus
Christ is God; that He came to
earth as a man in order to live the sinless life that we
cannot live; that He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay
the penalty we deserve.
- We confess our past life of sin -- living for ourselves
and not obeying
God.
- We admit we are ready to trust Jesus
Christ as our Savior and Lord.
- We ask Jesus to come into our heart, take up residence
there, and begin living through us.
Prayer of Salvation -
It Begins With Faith in GodWhen we pray the prayer of salvation, we're letting God know we believe His Word is true. By the faith He has given us, we choose to believe in Him. The Bible tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
So, when we pray, asking God for the gift of salvation, we're exercising our free will to acknowledge that we believe in Him. That demonstration of faith pleases God, because we have freely chosen to know Him.
Prayer of Salvation - Confessing Our Sin
When we pray the prayer of salvation, we're admitting that we've sinned. As the Bible says of everyone, save Christ alone: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
To sin is simply to fall short of the mark, as an arrow that does not quite hit the bull's-eye. The glory of God that we fall short of is found only in Jesus Christ: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The prayer of salvation, then, recognizes that Jesus Christ is the only human who ever lived without sin. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When we pray the prayer of salvation, we're admitting that we've sinned. As the Bible says of everyone, save Christ alone: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
To sin is simply to fall short of the mark, as an arrow that does not quite hit the bull's-eye. The glory of God that we fall short of is found only in Jesus Christ: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The prayer of salvation, then, recognizes that Jesus Christ is the only human who ever lived without sin. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Prayer of Salvation - Professing Faith in Christ as Savior and Lord
With Christ as our standard of perfection, we're now acknowledging faith in Him as God, agreeing with the Apostle John that: "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:1-3).
Because God could only accept a perfect, sinless sacrifice, and because He knew that we could not possibly accomplish that, He sent His Son to die for us and pay the eternal price. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
With Christ as our standard of perfection, we're now acknowledging faith in Him as God, agreeing with the Apostle John that: "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:1-3).
Because God could only accept a perfect, sinless sacrifice, and because He knew that we could not possibly accomplish that, He sent His Son to die for us and pay the eternal price. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
Prayer of Salvation - Say It & Mean It Now!
Do you agree with everything you have read so far? If you do, don't wait a moment longer to start your new life in Jesus Christ. Remember, this prayer is not a magical formula. You are simply expressing your heart to God. Pray this with us:
Do you agree with everything you have read so far? If you do, don't wait a moment longer to start your new life in Jesus Christ. Remember, this prayer is not a magical formula. You are simply expressing your heart to God. Pray this with us:
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have
separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my
past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning
again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected
from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord
of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send
your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my
life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
Now that you have
prayed, what next
If you've prayed this
prayer of salvation with true conviction and heart, you are now a follower of
Jesus. This is a fact, whether or not you feel any different.
Religious systems
may have led you to believe that you should feel something - a warm glow, a
tingle, or some other mystical experience.
The fact is, you may, or you may
not. If you have prayed the prayer of salvation and meant it, you are now a
follower of Jesus. The Bible tells us that your eternal salvation is secure!
"that if you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
Welcome to the family of God! We encourage you now to find a local church where you can be baptized and grow in the knowledge of God through His Word, the Bible.
Welcome to the family of God! We encourage you now to find a local church where you can be baptized and grow in the knowledge of God through His Word, the Bible.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
-
-
We have all sinned and
deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His
only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.
Jesus,
the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much
that He died for
our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried,
and rose from the
dead according to the Bible.
If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as
your Savior,
declaring, "Jesus is Lord,"
you will be saved from judgment and
spend eternity with God in heaven.
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