Prayer of Salvation

We've developed certain phrases in the church today to determine if one is a true convert or not. Phrases like: "Have you prayed the sinner's prayer or the prayer of salvation?" Or: "Are you born again?" Further there is: "Did you ask Jesus into your heart?"

I'm inquiring to know where these phrases originated. I can find "ye must be born again" in the Bible but what about the other two? Is a prayer asking for forgiveness sufficient to procure salvation? Is asking the King of the Universe into your heart the magic key to unlocking the gates of heaven?

Is salvation that easy? Is it supposed to be harder than that? One of my favorite modern day conversion accounts is the conversion of D.L. Moody. D.L. Moody was denied membership to the church for a lack of "satisfactory evidence of conversion."

I'd like to briefly quote from the book "The Life of Dwight L. Moody" by William Revell Moody:

In May 1885, young Moody presented himself for membership in the Mount Vernon Church, from the records of which the following is taken:

"No. 1,079. Dwight L. Moody. Boards 43, Court Street. Has been baptized. First awakened on the 16th of May. Saw himself as a sinner, and sin now seems hateful and holiness desirable. Thinks he has repented; has purposed to give up sin; feels dependent upon Christ for forgiveness. Loves the Scriptures. Prays. Desires to be useful. Religiously educated. Been in the city a year. From Northfield, this State. Is not ashamed to be known as a Christian. Eighteen years old."

At this examination, however, it was felt that the applicant was not sufficiently instructed in Christian doctrine to be taken into membership. In answer to the question: "What has Christ done for you, and for us all, that especially entitles Him to our love and obedience?" Young Moody replied: "I think He has done a great deal for us all, but I don't know of anything He has done in particular."

Nothing, therefore, was elicited at this examination that was in those days considered satisfactory evidence of conversion.

Can you believe this? This guy was a better Christian than a lot of pastors in the church today, and yet he was denied church membership! I'm not sure what the requirements are for membership at your church, but I bet they're not this stringent? I'm not stating that the requirements should be quite this difficult to make church membership, but could it be that we're too lenient?

So the question begs to be answered: "Can one pray a prayer (of salvation) and acquire eternal salvation?"

Copyright information: "The Life of Dwight L. Moody" by: William R. Moody, Freedonia Books - Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2001. (pp. 43-44)