Lesson 18: The Sinner's Prayer

QUESTIONS
1. How can we “guide the head” in a spiritual birth?
As long as there are no complications when a child is born, all the doctor needs to do is guide the head. The same applies spiritually. When someone is “born of God,” all we need to do is guide the head—make sure that the person understands what he is doing.

2. Why is this understanding important?
Philip the evangelist did this with the Ethiopian eunuch when he asked, “Do you understand what you read?” (Acts 8:30).
In the Parable of the Sower, the true convert (the “good soil” hearer) is the one who hears “and understands.”

3. Where does this understanding come from?
This understanding comes by the Law (Romans 7:7) in the hand of the Spirit, who will “convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). If a sinner is ready for the Savior, it is because he has been drawn by the Holy Spirit (John 6:44). This is why we must be careful to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work and not rush in where angels fear to tread. Praying a sinner’s prayer with someone who isn’t genuinely repentant may leave you with a stillborn on your hands. Therefore, rather than lead him in a prayer of repentance, it is wise to encourage him to pray himself.

4. Why are the sinner’s words not important?
When Nathan confronted David about his sin, he didn’t lead the king in a prayer of repentance. If a man committed adultery, and his wife is willing to take him back, should you have to write out an apology for him to read to her? No; sorrow for his betrayal of her trust should spill from his lips. She doesn’t want eloquent words, but simply sorrow of heart. The essence of his apology should be something like this: “Please forgive me. I have betrayed your trust. I am so sorry.” The same applies to a prayer of repentance. If a person is genuinely repentant (he has sorrow of heart and his mouth is stopped from self-justification), he should pray himself; his words aren’t as important as the presence of “godly sorrow.”

5. Does your church invite sinners to the altar, or to the Savior?
If you study the ministry of Charles Spurgeon, you will find that he invited men and women to come to Christ, not to an altar. Listen to him invite sinners to come to the Savior:

Before you leave this place, breathe an earnest prayer to God, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner. Lord, I need to be saved. Save me. I call upon Thy name...Lord, I am guilty, I deserve Thy wrath. Lord, I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to do of Thy good pleasure.

Thou alone hast power, I know To save a wretch like me; To whom, or whither should I go If I should run from Thee?

But I now do from my very soul call upon Thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon Thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of Thy dear Son...Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus’ sake.”

Memory Verse
“No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
JOHN 6:44