Question for Christians who were born into?

Question

a traditional church (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian etc)
I understand that most traditional churches teach receiving the sacrements of baptism, communion and confirmation....
Does your church also teach that you should pray 'the sinners prayer' to personally take responsibility for and accept that you are a sinner, and that you should accept Christ as your personal saviour?

Rev. Albert Einstein, can you share what denomination you are from?

Dear Midge - have you ever PERSONALLY prayed this prayer in your heart? :)

Hi Squeezy: can you please share what denomination you are?

hello all again
I understand that there are prayers specific within your denomination. I suppose what I am asking is:
Have you PERSONALLY prayed to receive Christ as your Saviour (without the use of rote prayers or intervention of saints) but personally to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour.

Answer 1

In the Catholic Church at the beginning of each mass the following prayers are said:

"Priest: As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ's love, let us acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.

All: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do"

In this prayer we confess our sinfulness and ask Christ for his pardon and assistance. I think that pretty much covers what you were asking about.

Answer 2

I am a Nazerene and we believe that batism is a commentment sign, not required to go to heaven, we take communion to celebrate what Jesus did for us and yes we believe you have to do what you call the sinner's prayer. All we believe you have to do is admit you are not perfect, admit you beleive in Jesus, ask him to be with you forever and you are technically a christain. But if you grow apart from Christ it does not matter, if you do not ask forgivness, if you stop truelly believing well it is your fault that you either are on the very very low end of heaven or are in he**. (I hate really using that word even though it is a place) I have personally prayed, even though i was born into the religion i have to do the same as everyone else, i prayed the prayer when i was 5 or 6 and could kindof understand what it ment, since then i have prayed it a hundred times, because we believe in a renewel prayer, if you feel you started doubting to much or just want to you say the prayer and it is kind of like accepting Jesus again, it is a renewel although it is not neccearly needed.

Answer 3

I'm not sure if it qualifies as "traditional" or not, but I grew up in the church of Christ. Not LDS or Unitarian. It's a non-denominational church.

I was taught that baptism is necessary for remission of sins, and I made a confession of sin before baptism, but I never was taught or said the "sinner's prayer." Also there was no confirmation, though the minister knew me and discussed my understanding of what I had been taught before I was baptized to make sure I understood what it was for and the commitment I was making.

Answer 4

My pastor says that He will pray with people at the end of the service and does present the gospel at the end of the service ( and throughout it is presented of course, during the sermon)
I am not sure if they pray a certain prayer, that is kinda strange, I think if someone is going to pray for salvation they are to just pour out their heart, and I know many wonder what to pray, and that is fine to help them....of course confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe with your heart God raised him from the dead (Romans 10)
But just pour out your heart to the Lord, and ask for His forgiveness and that He would be lord of your life.
We also do teach baptism, but that it should be when someone truly knows the gospel and is saved....for children, when they are ready at that accountability age, and have been saved.
We do communion once a month.

Answer 5

I'm not sure how the sinner's prayer can be looked at as an acceptance prayer. All it is, is an admission of our guilt before the Lord, not an acceptance speech with a spiritual receipt involved. Reformed/Presbyterians don't look at salvation as a transaction & a deal struck between Man and the Almighty. God's grace precedes faith, it is not the result of our own efforts. "Personal Savior" has a connotation of ownership, and it's God that elects His own, we don't dictate our decrees to Him. It's the other way around.

Answer 6

Yes , but it's only a reminder that we may be holy but we are as human as the next and sin like everyone else . This is the only ritual that Born agains really take part in beside baptismals . It's just a reminder of Jesus' grace that he will forgive us ( He see the heart ) Plus there are people who weren't Christians in our church and it is an opportunity for those who wish to accept Christ as the Savior

Answer 7

Catholics do not pray the sinners prayer. We have what is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is confession and we receive penance and absolution of our sins.

Christ gave this power to other men so the Church, which is the continuation of his presence throughout time (Matt. 28:20), would be able to offer forgiveness to future generations. He gave his power to the apostles, and it was a power that could be passed on to their successors and agents, since the apostles wouldn’t always be on earth either, but people would still be sinning.

God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection Jesus told the apostles, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23). (This is one of only two times we are told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. It emphasizes how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.)

Answer 8

I was "born into" a Catholic family and have since chosen to leave the Catholic church.

I belong to a Baptist church now.

YES I accept Jesus as my savior. YES I was prayed the "sinners prayer".

And, YES this is what my church teacher.

My church also teacher that I am very loved by God. He created me and He will never forsake me. I will never be alone again. These are promises I like!

Answer 9

As a Catholic, I pray the Act of Contrition. To profess my faith in the Trinity and my baptism each time I cross myself. I also pray the Creed. I use the Lords Prayer everyday, at Mass, and praying the Rosary. I ask forgiveness for my sins a Mass (rubric), in my normal day, and yes...at confession (called the Act of Reconciliation). We pray for God's mercy and peace continually.

That's the point! I ask again and again. The prayer is written on my heart, in my mind, and on my soul. It's never ending. I worship the King of the universe and never stop praying. It is always on my lips.

Answer 10

We repent of our sins every sunday. We affirm our baptismal vows and renounce satan and all his works every Easter sunday. Actually I think that if you read the Bible the "sinners prayer" is not required to be saved.

Yes I know that I am saved:

Matthew 10:22 NIV
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Mark 10: 26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Mark 16:16 NIV
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.