Is the "sinner's prayer" important for salvation and why? In evangelical churches the sinner's prayer is a very much emphasized aspect for someone to become or convert to being a Christian. In fact, most church services I attended growing up ended with the pastor inviting anyone in the congregation who wanted to be saved to pray it.

Now, when I was very young, my parents actually compelled me to pray the prayer, thereby  defeating the purpose of the prayer. For years I struggled with the question of whether or not I was actually 'saved' or not, since I had not actually prayed it under my own volition.


What is the meaning or purpose of this prayer in the context of becoming or being a Christian? 
Should I (or those in a similar situation) pray it again? 
What about people that pray it earnestly, then reject their faith and then come back to it again?
The sinners prayer has no place in Christ's Gospel
Why did Christ die? Have you thought about that? If Christ was somebody that everybody loved, why was the entire town chanting that He be killed? Have you thought about that?

John 15:25 NKJV
But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in
their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

WAIT A MINUTE! I thought that everybody loved Christ??  Read further.... you must always read further...

John 7:7 NKJV
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it
that its works are evil.

No, the world HATED Jesus Christ, because Christ came and told them that they were sinners and then He told them that they had to repent or they would go to Hell. We learned more about Hell from our Lord Christ than we did from all of the other prophets put together.
Jesus Commanded!

Mark 1:14-15 NKJV
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe
in the gospel.”

Isn't it funny that you never hear Jesus taking people aside and having them repeat a prayer..? Ever thought about that? Don't you think that somebody would have been smart enough to ask Jesus how to be saved? What do you think He said to them? &quot;Say this prayer?&quot; haha! Never!

Luke 10:25-28 NKJV
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying,
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to
him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”  27 So
he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all
your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 And He said to
him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

Jesus answered that we needed to obey the commandments....  But I thought that was work? Let's keep reading..

Romans 13:8 NKJV
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves
another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of
the law.
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:38-40 (NKJV)
38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like
it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Mark 12:31
And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

LOVE LOVE LOVE!
It's all about loving people. Not by just telling people that you love them though! It's about actually going out and DOING. Going out and taking care of the widows and the orphans, not cursing people on the road, turning the other cheek and showing your enemy that you forgive them even after they spit in your face.

John 15:17
These things I command you, that you love one another.
John 15:12
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have
kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And
he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
manifest Myself to him.”
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And
His commandments are not burdensome.

Are you beginning to see?
The sinner's prayer wraps all of the mentions of salvation into a thirty second &quot;repeat after me&quot; that is all about yourself! The sinners prayer has nothing to do with this command to love it completely throws it out the window.
Paul Washer IS your man on this one. Here's a clip from one of his sermons: Declaring War on The Sinner's Prayer
THIS IS THE GOSPEL
Understand that people DO NOT want to love one another. This is why they keep throwing the idea out! Go listen to your pastor next weekend and I guarantee that his message will be about &quot;a better life now&quot; or some other BS.
The Bible is here to tell us how much we HATE one another and how much we HATE GOD. It's no wonder that God has been transformed into Santa Claus.
Go to God now and fall on your face and ask for forgiveness, because of your wickedness!
What about faith?

Galatians 5:6 (NKJV)
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails
anything, but faith working through love.
James 2:24  (NKJV)
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith
only.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of
these is love.

This is not an option
Let's get one thing clear. This is not an option. You MUST turn from your wickedness and if you do not then you will be sent to Hell.

2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal:
“The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the
name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I
say?

In the last days this is exactly how you will be judged

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.
And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which
were written in the books.
Revelation 20:13
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered
up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according
to his works.

Conclusion
You will never find in the gospel of Christ that you need to repeat a prayer in order to be saved. Know that the only place in the Bible that mentions &quot;faith alone&quot; was in James 2 when James said that it is not by faith alone.
Throw out that prayer and call out to God to be saved! When God grants you repentance He will take you under His authority and HE will teach you Himself, about Himself. Your eyes will be opened and you will WANT to obey Him.