The reason why the sinner's/salvation prayer 'works' in a church service setting is because of the continual follow-ups through more church services/meetings or a new believer's class.
I believe that not all of them got born again when they first prayed the prayer. They got born again when they finally understood and believed the Gospel.
In a church service setting, the believer who invites the non-believer continues to journey with him and explains to him what the Gospel message is all about.
But when it comes to street evangelism / lifestyle evangelism where you get to meet the person ONCE, leading him to pray the sinner's prayer doesn't get him born again unless he believes the Gospel. And how can he believe if you preach a watered-down or incomplete Gospel?
"Jesus healed you. He loves you. He died for your sins. He forgave your sins. Would you like to receive Him into your life?"
Of course they will say a resounding Yes to this incomplete Gospel. Of course they will go through the motion of saying the sinner's prayer even if the prayer includes 'Be my Lord and Saviour."
These Christian jargons are understood by us, but not by the non-believers. They can pray the prayer without getting born again.
If you ask them to go for water baptism, you will know if they believe the Gospel. Water baptism doesn't get you born again. It proves that you are born again.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved... - Mark 16:16
Water baptism is the proof of salvation where repentance and faith in Christ are necessary.
Repentance is central to the Gospel message, because the Gospel is about the revealing of His Kingdom, represented by Christ and demonstrated by His works.
The Gospel that Jesus preached can be found in Mark 1:14-15, “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝, and 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝; 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥.”
I shared extensively in the past what Jesus meant in His preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. His idea of repentance is not about sins but Kingship (Lordship). A single FB post is unable to explain it.
After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to continue preaching repentance and remission of sins so that the people could believe in the Gospel of the Kingdom.
...and thus 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. - Luke 24:46-47
Taking one verse and using it as a sinner's prayer thinking that someone who says, "Be my Lord" is born again is very shallow.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord... - Rom 10:9
This confession comes with the understanding of Lordship and His Kingdom in the Gospel. If it's not preached, one cannot believe and enter the Kingdom of God.
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