ON BEING SAVED AND PRAYERS 

 Letter to a friend after attending a business meeting at his home:

Dear friend, Thank you for your hospitality today, and thank the two cats for the entertainment. I enjoyed the presentations by you and others.

As always I will be delighted to get together with you personally for conversation and recreation most anytime. I will still be glad to act as a sounding board to you personally if you wish.  

However, I believe it is not in my interest to attend further meetings. I can contribute so little and business in general is just no longer of any interest to me whatsoever.

I want to spend my time on activities and writing that will be of maximum benefit to other people. This as you know is directed at bringing others to faith in Jesus Christ. Although I am helpless by myself, it the Lord works through me as He has been doing, more can be accomplished. I also believe that we have only a little time left before He returns. I don’t go around preaching to everyone I talk to and usually wait for some opening to bring up the subject. I also don’t want to be like the old guys in Hyde Park in London holding the sign “The end is near!” but I have had and continue to have so many positive indications that I cannot ignore them. My interest is not in warning or trying to predict when it could happen as no one knows for sure. My wish is to try to make sure that as many as possible are ready whenever He does come. In addition, none of us can say for certainty that we will be alive even tomorrow, so it makes imminent sense to be ready.

I don’t have to tell you what being ready entails as from our prior brief conversations, it appears that you are. And I know that Carol is well aware of this. I am not worried about your salvation as I believe you have taken the steps to secure it.

But just to summarize in case anyone wants to talk to another person about it, here are the basics as I understand them.

Pray to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins. [If someone says they have no sins, ask them if they value ANYTHING in their life or in this world above their love for Christ. If they do, that is a big sin. Ask them if they reserve any time during their days for a talk with God. He doesn’t want lukewarm Christians in Heaven.]

It has been a great benefit to me to start my day with a talk with God depending on my time schedule. Then before bed I kind of summarize the day in conversation with God. [As you know, Jesus IS God, as is our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit]. While I don’t hear their voices in reply, I get frequent feedback and a warm feeling on some points.

I also ask the Holy Spirit for help many times a day and receive help most often. Until I tried this, I had no idea of the power it added to my life. Even when I get stuck with a computer problem and other mundane things, I stop for a few seconds and ask for help. I was surprised by how much He knows about computers. Does this sound silly? It really works.

2.   Accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and acknowledge that He died for our sins.

Acknowledge that Jesus was resurrected and after returning to the earth for forty days to be with His disciples, ascended to Heaven to now sits alongside God His Father. He has prepared everything for his “children” when He brings them to Heaven.

3.   Then read the Bible, spend a few minutes each day. It is not only very interesting, but it is a wonderful guide to a happy life if you read prayerfully.

Attending church is not a part of the requirement for being saved, but doing so and especially going to a Bible study is tremendously beneficial, and fun too.

There is absolutely nothing to compare with the peace and joy that a person has when they know that Jesus is a part of their life, and that the Holy Spirit lives within them.

Here is a simple prayer that is a good starting point with the Lord, although there are many variations of it that will work:

Jesus please save me. Come into my heart and forgive me of my sins.

I know you died on the cross for me.

I receive you now and commit myself to You and Your way of living.

I know you are now writing my name in your Book of Life and I will spend eternity with You in Heaven.

Thank you for saving me.

Thank you for giving me another chance. 

Amen.

Here is another prayer that I use, but most of my prayer time is spontaneous and based on current concerns. Also seldom is it on my knees, but can be anywhere, even in the car or swimming pool: I try to incorporate it as a real part of my daily life. For example I prayed about this email to you before undertaking it.  

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know You are the Son of God and You died for me.

I am so blessed that You have come into my heart and are my Lord and Savior.

Please forgive all of my sins that have not already been forgiven, cleanse me with your precious blood, and continue to control every area of my life.

Jesus, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I have dedicated my life to You.

Thank you for the Holy Spirit that lives in me all the time.

I want to serve You, love You, obey You all the days of my life, and make a difference in the lives of others. I love you Lord Jesus with all my heart, mind and soul.

Father, thank you for making me your child.

In Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen