The “sinner’s prayer” today has its roots in Romans 10 from the scripture below.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans 10:9-11 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
Many proclaiming to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ today do so after claiming they prayed to get saved using the verse above from the book of Romans by the Apostle Paul. What they don’t know (because they are deceived) is that they are doing a work that cancels out God’s grace to a verse that applied to the nation of Israel in their diminishing period which required them to confess with their mouth that Jesus is the Lord.
Simply look at how the 10th chapter of Romans begins…
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Romans 10:1 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
In the following chapter 11 of Romans, you can see how Paul wanted to provoke his fellow Jew with a ministry of provocation while their program of works salvation diminished away as their fall came, and then Paul went to the Gentiles.
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Romans 11:11-12 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
Let’s look at the mechanics of justification
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
We are presently (as of this writing) in the dispensation of the GRACE of God. We are saved/justified through FAITH and it is a gift from God. Note how the scripture above states that it is “not of works” and with the scripture below we will review how prayer or confession is considered a work by God.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
Above, you can see how Ephaphras (a believer) was LABOURING fervently in prayers. Praying is labour in the scriptures and that should lead you to think about “Not of works” in the mechanics of how God’s GRACE works.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans 3:19 King James Bible (Pure Cambridge Edition)
You will see in the scripture above that God would not want you praying but rather would have your mouth STOPPED before learning about how to start being justified.
If you want to cancel God’s grace you respond by doing a work, and prayer/confession is a work. True justification by GRACE alone is covered here with the book of Romans chapters 1-3. If you are unsure how to truly get saved and justified, I would review our justification page and believe as taught aright from the book of Romans chapters 1-3 in a King James Bible.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS NOT A WORK TO GOD IS BELIEF/FAITH/TRUST.
Now, it is a matter of the PERSON you believe in + the MESSAGE of that person, pertaining to YOU.
