Getting People Saved Through Altar Calls

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 

- Romans 10:13,14 (ESV)

• Does your church believe in giving altar calls? 
• Does your pastor ask unsaved people to repeat the sinner's prayer after him?
• What background does he give before asking them to pray the sinner's prayer?
• Does he talk about heaven and hell or does he just say something that gives a peaceful feeling that "Thank God, God loves me"?

Well, not everyone who prays the sinner's prayer might be saved. God knows if they really meant it, or whether they know the basis of such a prayer. The Bible says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." It does not say that all those who pray the sinner's prayer shall be saved. It says that you must do at least 4 main things to get saved from hell:

1. Repent of your sins
2. Believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son and he incarnated as a human being
3. He died (to bear the penalty of your sins and pay the price for your forgiveness)
4. He rose back to life (to give you eternal life in heaven)

The Bible expresses and/or implies these points. But besides these, there are some finer nuances as well, like believing that you cannot save yourself, accepting him as your exclusive Saviour, etc.

I read an amazing article this morning on How to Botch an Altar Call. It is up on the Way of the Master site - a website of Living Waters ministry by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. If you are a Christian, you must read that article without fail. It not just has satire in it, but it also educates you on what all must go into an altar call for it to be effective. 

And as for leading people to Christ through prayer, the Sinner's Prayer on this blog should be adequate. If not, please let me know in the comments below how I can improve it. But first, head over to learn how to botch an altar call!