I meet people that actually do not know how to pray. I lead them in the sinner's prayer. I explain to them how to pray.
I tell them that if one knocks then the Lord will open the door to them.
I encourage them to start a life of prayer and study and to repent and believe and ask the Lord to allow them to do this if they cannot.
I give them Christ's invitation to sinners, "Come unto me all that labor..."
If someone tells me that they want to accept Christ, I rejoice instead of telling them that this is such a wrong concept. I explain what it means to "accept Christ and receive him as Lord..." Sometimes I explain that we accept him only because he first loved us, sometimes I don't, but just speak of the way that God has provided in His Word for all sinners who desire salvation to be saved.
However, when rubbing elbows with the "Truly Reformed" I hear many of them show bitter disdain for the sinner's prayer.
What do you all think?
Should we explain to people how to pray? When we do will or won't this resemble many "sinners prayers" when we do?
And if we are to disdain the sinner's prayer, what do we do with people that desire to know the path of salvation?
What is wrong with the sinner's prayer?
I tell them that if one knocks then the Lord will open the door to them.
I encourage them to start a life of prayer and study and to repent and believe and ask the Lord to allow them to do this if they cannot.
I give them Christ's invitation to sinners, "Come unto me all that labor..."
If someone tells me that they want to accept Christ, I rejoice instead of telling them that this is such a wrong concept. I explain what it means to "accept Christ and receive him as Lord..." Sometimes I explain that we accept him only because he first loved us, sometimes I don't, but just speak of the way that God has provided in His Word for all sinners who desire salvation to be saved.
However, when rubbing elbows with the "Truly Reformed" I hear many of them show bitter disdain for the sinner's prayer.
What do you all think?
Should we explain to people how to pray? When we do will or won't this resemble many "sinners prayers" when we do?
And if we are to disdain the sinner's prayer, what do we do with people that desire to know the path of salvation?
What is wrong with the sinner's prayer?