Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Let's see how many of the "parts" of the Sinner's Prayer are in Barnett's version:
- Sinner: "I am a sinner..." (YES)
- Deity: "You are [the Son of] God..."
- Sacrifice: "You died for my sins [on the cross]..." (YES)
- Resurrection: "You were raised from the dead [three days later]..." (YES)
- Repentance: "I repent of my sins..."
- Invitation: "Come into my heart..."
- Eternal Life: "Grant me eternal life [in Heaven]..." (MAYBE--"I can face death")
- Forgive: "Forgive my sins..."
- Surrender: "Take control of my life (heart)..."
- Holy Spirit: "Let the Holy Spirit enter my heart..."
- Power: "Deliver me from sin's power..."
The reference to Helplessness--that I can't "forgive my own sin"--is interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment