“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14).
It has been said that the sinner’s prayer is nowhere in the scriptures, but I beg to differ. Both men in the verses above were sinners, but only one knew he was. The prayer of the tax collector is a sinners prayer, and Jesus said, “this man went down to his house justified”. We are not justified by the law, but by faith. The tax collector depended on God’s mercy (grace) and not the judgment of the law for his justification. God was his salvation. The Pharisee depended on the law and was left unjustified.
Some people use a memorized repeated prayer to pray with sinners seeking salvation and call it “the sinner’s prayer”. They are usually looking to quantify and qualify their ministry. In an open meeting peer pressure is used to get groups of people to say the prayer and boost the ministries first time salvation and rededication numbers. That is not what a true sinner’s prayer is. When ministering with someone desiring salvation, communicating with God is a good idea. That is what prayer is, communicating with God. The tax collector was praying from his heart. That is what a true sinner’s prayer is. When speaking with someone who desires salvation, leading them to pray is a good thing but let them pray from their heart. We are not saved by works but by grace; so take them to God in prayer. God will honor their heart felt imperfect prayer and doesn’t require a believer’s idea of a prayer of salvation. God will honor your coming in agreement with them. The prayer is only the beginning.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). When we pray a prayer of salvation (I like that term better) with someone, we are praying in agreement with them that they be saved and not condemned. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Do we need any more proof to support the fact that praying a prayer of salvation with someone is scriptural? Jesus came to save, and when two of us agree concerning what they ask, it will be done for them. Sounds pretty convincing to me, but remember God knows the heart. The prayer does not qualify the believer – grace is all the only thing that qualifies. Grace is the death of the Son of God (who came to save and not condemn the world) received as the death of the sinner, therefore paying the penalty of death for all his/her sins. The prayer is an outward sign of the inward heart receiving the death, and death becoming life in the resurrection of Jesus that gives us the assurance of life.
If anyone wishes to argue the point of praying with a sinner on his way to salvation, please take it up with God. I am just a messenger in His service. But remember, “… whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher (Romans 10:13-14)? There is also the fact that not everything Jesus did is recorded, and I doubt that everything the disciples did was recorded, in the scriptures. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen (John 21:25). As for me, I will continue to pray for people that ask for prayer for salvation. If you do not like the term “sinner’s prayer” don’t use it. The prayer is not what does the deed, the deed was done around 2000 years ago by a man named Jesus (and people will argue His name with you too, if you let them). If you have any questions, take them to God in prayer.
© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.