Prayer
Dear God,
I am a sinner
I am sorry for my sins
Forgive me
I believe Jesus Christ is your son
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins
I invite Jesus to come into my heart
and take control of my life
I want to trust Jesus as my Saviour
I want to follow Jesus as my Lord
I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Amen
If you have made this prayer with all you heart, please contact us to share your personal experience with us.
We would love to pray for you.
What's next?
This section has been written especially for people who have just asked Jesus Christ to be their Saviour. Maybe during the last few days or weeks, or perhaps a little longer ago than that, you asked Jesus Christ to come into your life. You realised that you were not good enough for God and you felt that you wanted him to forgive you. You heard the wonderful news that if you were truly sorry, if you believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, and if you asked him to forgive you, you could be sure that he would forgive you and that you would have everlasting life. And so, you asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Saviour. You became a Christian.
There are 4 things that will help you in this new season of your life:
Pray
Praying is talking to God
How do I pray?
It is important for us to talk to God in prayer. Jesus never taught His disciples to say prayers; he taught them to pray. Real prayer is talking to God. It means having a conversation with him, and a real conversation is you saying what you feel you want to say in your own words to the person you’re speaking to. Our prayers don’t have to be in beautiful language. What is important is that we should mean what we pray.
How often should I pray?
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we should pray continually which means Don’t stop praying. This doesn’t mean that God wants us to pray all day long without a break! Nobody could do that. What it means is that we must keep in touch with God all the time – whether you’re working, eating, thinking whatever you’re doing. As long as the pilot of a plane keeps tuned in to the control tower at the airport, he can talk to them and receive instructions from them just when he needs to. He isn’t talking all the time! He just keeps in touch. Likewise, we don’t talk to God all the time, but we know he’s there to talk to, to help us and give us instructions whenever we need him to.
We should also have special times which we set aside regularly to pray to God. You should spend time in prayer every day, praising him for all he has done for you, confessing sins you have committed and asking his forgiveness, and asking him to bless you, your church, your friends, your family and so on. Many people find it helpful to make a list of people and things to pray for. However, whether you make a list or not, the important thing is to pray.
3 things to help you when you pray
- Make sure you don’t have a guilty conscience!
1 John 3:21-22 says, “If our hearts do not condemn us, we receive from him anything we ask.” So, if you want to receive what you ask for, first ask God to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
- You must believe that God will answer your prayer.
God says, “Whatever you ask in prayer believing, you shall have.” If you feel you don’t have enough faith to believe, read the Bible more and more, for faith comes by … the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
- Pray in the name of Jesus.
Jesus is the only way to God, and he has told us to pray in his name. When you pray in the name of Jesus it is as if Jesus were praying to God in your place. He promises in John 14:14 “You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.” Praying in the name of Jesus means doing it with his authority. When we pray in keeping with what God tells us in his word, we are praying with his authority!
Read Your Bible
Through the Bible, God talks to you
When we ask Jesus to be our Saviour we are not only saved, but the Bible says that we are born again into God’s family. This means that God has now become your Father. As your Father, he wants to be able to talk to you, to give you advice and to tell you what to do.
Why should I read the Bible?
In the Bible we read of many men to whom God spoke so that they actually heard his voice. Sometimes today, too, people have actually heard God’s voice speaking to them, but this doesn’t happen very often.
The way God usually speaks to us is through the Bible. For example, if you wonder if you ought to steal something or not, God doesn’t need to speak in a voice that you can hear, and say, “No. Don’t do it!” He has already told us not to steal in Exodus 20:15.
But God not only tells us what to do through the Bible. He also makes us promises. For example, when Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, Ask, and it will be given to you, he wasn’t just talking to his followers then, but to everyone who follows him, even today.
God also shows us what he is like through the Bible. For example, he tells us how he helped Daniel when he was in danger from a den full of lions, and so shows us that he will help us when we are in danger. By telling us of his dealings with his people in the past, the Bible teaches us how we may expect him to deal with us today.
One of your greatest weapons against the devil is your knowledge of the Bible. In Luke 4 we read how Jesus overcame great temptation because he knew the Bible well. We who are trying to follow him should follow His example.
When should I read the Bible?
Every Christian should read part of the Bible every day. In this way God will talk to you, and maybe just one verse that you have read will stand out in your mind and will help you to live for God during that day. Even if you think you have no time, please make time, even if it means getting up a bit earlier each morning.
In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said that Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word of God. This means that the word of God (the Bible) is more important to us than our food. In fact, reading the Bible is a kind of food. It makes us grow and keeps us healthy spiritually.
How much should I read?
How much you read will depend upon your age and how much time you have. Most teenagers and adults should be able to manage a chapter a day at least, but it is better to read one verse than nothing at all.
Where should I start reading?
A good place to start your Bible reading is the Gospel of John. If you don’t have a Bible, we encourage you to get one. You may, however, already have an old version of the Bible which you find difficult to understand. To make Bible reading easier and more enjoyable, we suggest a contemporary version. Both the New Living Translation (NLT) and the New International Version (NIV) are good for new believers. You can also access these Bibles, as well as many other versions, for free online at biblegateway.com.
Tell Someone of Your Decision
Sharing the Good News with others
The Gospel (which simply means “Good News”) is to be preached to all the world (Mark 16:15) and all nations are to be taught the message of God’s love (Matthew 28:19-20). In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul gives us a summary of the Gospel. It is simply that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again according to the Scriptures. So, the Good News that we are to tell the world is a Bible-based message of salvation from sin because Christ has died for us and is alive today to meet our needs.
As a Christian you have a personal responsibility to tell others about Jesus. You may not yet know a great deal about the Bible, and people may often have awkward questions that you’ll find difficult to answer; but no-one can argue about your personal experience, about what you know to be true in your own life.
Tell people what you were like before you became a Christian, what a difference being a Christian has made to you and tell them how the change in your life took place. Point out that you have an inward peace and assurance that you have eternal life because you know that your sins are forgiven because Jesus died for you. Don’t argue about it. Just tell them about it quietly and simply and let the Holy Spirit do his work. You won’t win everybody for Christ, but you will win some if you prayerfully and conscientiously tell others about him.
Why Preach the Gospel?
1. Because Jesus did (Matthew 4:23)
2. Because this is why Jesus came (I Timothy 1:15, Mark 2:17, Luke 19:10)
3. Because Jesus commanded us to (Matthew 28:19-20)
4. Because this is why we have been baptised with the Spirit (Acts 1:8)
5. Because we have a responsibility to warn people of the danger of unrepentance (Ezekiel 33:1-16)
6. Because without it, no-one can be saved (1 Corinthians 1:21)
How to Preach the Gospel
1. Receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
2. Go to the people who need to hear it (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15)
3. Let the word of God do its work (Acts 6:7, 12:24, 19:20)
4. Be willing to start with those nearest to us (Acts 1:8 – Jerusalem was right where they were)
5. Ask for the leading of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:26, 29, 16:6-10)
6. Trust God for supernatural help (Mark 16:15-20, Acts 5:12-14, 8:6, Romans 15:18-19)
Who, when and where?
1. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 4:31)
2. They all spread the Good News (Acts 4:31, 8:1, 4)
3. At every opportunity (Acts 5:42, 6:4, 8:25, 9:20)
4. In every place (Acts 1:8, 5:12, 5:42, 6:8, 8:40)
Remember to go to Church
Being part of your new family
Meeting regularly with other Christians church helps us grow in our Christian life. We call this going to church. At church you will be able to worship God, thanking him for all he has done for you. You will learn more about what the Bible teaches about being a Christian. You will be able to take your problems to more experienced Christians who will be only too glad to help you.
Why should I go to church?
Jesus was a regular attender at church. In Luke 4:16 we read that He went into the synagogue (church) as was his custom. If Jesus Christ went to church regularly, as his followers we Christians will do so too.
In Bible times the Christians met together as often as they could. In Acts 2:46-47 we read that the disciples were daily in the temple, and more people were getting saved every day. If we want other people to find Christ as their Saviour, it won’t help them if we don’t attend church regularly ourselves.
The Bible clearly tells us to. Hebrews 10:25 says Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. God intends us to meet together regularly for worship, prayer and Bible-study in order that we may grow in the things of God.
A log which falls off a campfire goes out very quickly if it’s left on its own. But if it’s put back on the fire with the other burning logs it will carry on burning to the end. And it’s the same with us Christians. If we’re to keep on fire for God, we will need the fellowship of other Christians to keep us burning.
Which meetings are the most important to attend?
In Acts 2:42 we read that the first disciples devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Today most churches will include within their services times for communion (breaking of bread), Bible study (apostles’ teaching) and prayer. Try to make sure that you are attending services that include these important things. Come to as many as you can, even if it means giving up some of the things you have always done at that particular time of the week.
Now that you have decided to live for God, your church should come first. To say this is to ask for a high standard; but it is those who put God first in their lives who come to find the fulness of life that Jesus came to offer. Get involved in church meetings, as well as trying to bring your unsaved friends along. For the Christian, it is the local church which is the centre of our activity. It’s at church that we deal with the things that really matter!
