Evangelist Ray Comfort Calls the Sinner’s Prayer ‘Unbiblical’: ‘It’s Not in Scripture’
“Nathan didn’t say to David, ‘Repeat this prayer after me.’ No, he left it to David’s conviction to get before the Lord and say, ‘O, have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness.’” - C.Leaders
His assertion is correct. The sinner's prayer is not found in the Bible, nor are many other frequently used techniques. It's surprising how many features of common evangelistic methods are found nowhere in the Bible. It's way past time for "Bible-believing" Christians to examine their practices in the light of God's Word.
G. N. Barkman
Saying that guiding someone to pray and about how to pray and even what to say when they pray to God for salvation is "unbiblical" is wrong. In various ways, doing so is in keeping with what we see in Scripture.
Praying to God is Necessary for Obtaining Salvation through the Forgiveness of One’s Sins
Forgiveness of Sin through a Directive both to Repent and to Pray
The LORD told the people of Israel exactly what to pray to Him. Of course, they needed to understand what they were saying and they needed to mean it.
Hosea 14:1-3:
1 Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!
2 Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
Even before God saved me, I was praying through the Model Prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6. In the years just prior to when I was saved, no one witnessed to me in person. I was probably saved by praying either the suggested prayer on a tract that somebody put on my windshield or by praying the suggested prayer in one of the apologetics books that God led me to read just before I was saved.
I must admit that I had heard of Ray Comfort but I think this is the longest interview I had listened to with him. Based on what he said in that interview his philosophy of witnessing matches what I do. I lead people to Christ, I do not manipulate them into saying the words I want them to say. By leading them to Christ, I mean that I introduce them to him. Once I introduce them, they need to decide if they will follow him or not. My getting them to say words does not ensure that they will continue to follow and could give a false sense of security if there were not true repentance. I watched a couple of his videos where he witnesses and people make professions. They look a lot like what has happened when I have witnessed.
Seeing the number of men that wanted to hug him after he shared Christ reminds me of the successful business man I shared the gospel with last year. He had tears in his eyes and had to wipe them and he shook my hand and thanked me multiple times. When God moves hearts, sometimes it is best to just get out of the way and let them and God have a special moment. A few months ago I had a similar situation with a stranger on the roadside that I stopped to help with a flat tire.
On the other hand, I remember witnessing to a stranger and as I was talking to him, he was making it clear that he was not following the Lord. He went on to say that he had prayed the prayer with multiple people but it never stuck. Of course it didn't. His heart had never changed. Further as we witness, the seed of the word will fall on different types of soil. Some will get all excited but will not last. Jesus told us that. Leading them in a prayer does not change that.
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