Back when I was a kid, my older brother became a Christian. But he didn’t become one to know Jesus, he told me it was so that he could meet new friends. One day, he brought me to church. I was still a child then, and he told me that the elders wanted to meet me later to help me accept Christ into my life. I didn’t understand what that meant, so my brother told me to just say yes to every question they asked. I went to meet them as planned, and while my mind was blank, I said yes to every question, and prayed the salvation prayer.
But I wasn’t saved then.
I used to always think of evangelism as getting someone to pray the salvation prayer even after spending over a decade as a Christian. But someone told me “prayer isn’t someone’s salvation”. That struck a chord in me. I realised that the salvation prayer cannot save you.
Years after my brother brought me to church, I watched the movie Passion of Christ, and became curious in the faith. I read the bible, and also prayed the salvation prayer, but I wasn’t saved then either. Deep down, I didn’t trust that Jesus had died for my sins. I was only saved even more years later, after I felt pulled by the Spirit to be saved, and I prayed the salvation prayer while fully trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus. That’s when I was saved.
Prayer isn’t someone’s salvation.
The salvation prayer is not what saves you. It is trusting in Jesus, and through faith, that Jesus saves you by His grace. Only Jesus can save you.
So now as I look ahead to my efforts to evangelise, I’ve decided to first teach someone the story of the Bible, then the gospels. I will invite someone to read the gospels, and answer their questions. I will bring them to church, get them a bible, follow them to care group and pray for them. Not just tell them to pray the salvation prayer. The prayer itself is not the first step, unlike what many think. Knowing the story of Jesus personally is the first step. And then the salvation prayer comes in. If the person meant it, they will be saved by grace through faith. It is not prayer that saves.
Jesus saves.
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