Prayer Is Not Necessary For Salvation

By David J. Stewart | March 2026

Romans 10:13-14, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Do we have a contradiction in the Scripture here? Whereas Romans 10:13 instructs the reader to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, Jesus Himself in John 6:47 simply tells the reader to BELIEVE ON HIM to be saved. So which is it?

Romans 10:14 explains the answer. The Bible says that no one could call (pray, ask) upon the name of the LORD unless they first believed, and according to Jesus we are saved at the moment of faith.

That being said, I heard a sermon today by my ministry friend Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, titled: “Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord.” Here is a 7-minute excerpt from the sermon.

In this sermon excerpt he mentions that some people think it is “weird” to pray to be saved. I do not think it is weird or strange to do so. I have no problem with someone accompanying their faith with a Sinner's Prayer. Most people naturally feel led to ask Jesus to save them. When I got saved at age 12 in 1979 I asked Jesus to save me, to be honest. I do not think it is wrong or inappropriate to pray to receive Jesus as your Savior.

However, I do have a big problem when anyone mandates prayer to lead someone to Christ, as some New IFB churches are foolishly doing...

“You won't find one place in the Bible that says you've got to pray to be saved. You can kneel at this old fashioned mourner's bench tonight and you can pray all night long but you don't get saved because you prayed. Now, you may have prayed when you received Christ, but you got saved by receiving Christ.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Fundamentalist Heresy”

The Bible does not require calling upon the name of the LORD in prayer to get to Heaven. I have tremendous respect for Brother Anderson, but I strongly disagree with him on this matter of the Sinner's Prayer. In this same sermon excerpt, Pastor Anderson mentions numerous cases in the Bible where people called on the LORD to be saved; such as, the repentant thief on the cross. However...

There Are Numerous Cases In Scripture Of People Being Saved Without Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord

Respectfully, Brother Anderson fails to mention the numerous cases in the Bible where people didn't call upon the name of the LORD to be saved, they simply BELIEVED.

Such was the situation when the Apostle Peter preached the Gospel to several thousands Jews on the Day of Pentecost, and 3,000 lost sinners “gladly received his word” and were saved (Acts 2:41). There is no mention of anyone calling upon the LORD in prayer to be saved.

Another example is found in Acts chapter 10. God arranged a meet between the Apostle Peter and Cornelius and his companions. As Peter preached the simple Gospel they simply BELIEVED the GOOD NEWS they heard and were immediately born again. Acts 10:43-44, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” They were indwelt with the Holy Spirit because they believed the Gospel. There is no mention of anyone calling upon the name of LORD in prayer to be saved.

We find another example in Acts 16:27-34, “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” The Bible says the man and his family BELIEVED and were saved. There is no mention of anyone praying, calling or asking God to be saved.

And still yet we find another example in John chapter 4. Pastor Anderson emphasis the fact that jesus invited the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well to ask to be saved, and He did. John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” But if you'll read the rest of the chapter, the Bible says the Samaritan women left her water pot and ran to share what had happened with her people. Jesus shocked her that He knew about her five husbands. Jesus had announced to her that He is the Messiah! The Scripture tells us that the Samaritan people simply BELIEVED on Jesus, without any mention of anybody calling, praying or asking to be saved. ...

John 4:39-42, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Oh dear reader, I have given you four examples from the Bible of lost sinners being saved by just BELIEVING on Jesus, without any mention of anybody calling, praying or asking to be saved. Brother Anderson is right that there are numerous cases in the Bible where sinners called upon the name of the LORD to be saved, but as I have just shown you, there are also numerous places where sinners simply believed the GOOD NEWS of Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day to be saved.

In numerous cases in the Word of God, lost sinners were saved simply by believing the Gospel when they heard it preached unto them. No one asked to be saved.

I Struggled With Assurance Of Salvation For Nearly 30 Years Because Of The Needless Sinner's Prayer

After I got saved in 1979, I worried a lot. I remember crying at school on Monday morning in my cubicle in a Christian school, worried I was lost. I remember crying on the evening church bus on the way home from church in Chicago, fearful that I might go to Hell forever. I had it bad folks!

In hindsight, all of my fears and uncertainty was caused by the stupid Sinner's prayer. No one ever told me the truth that I could simply BELIEVE the Gospel without praying and still be saved. Since I couldn't remember what I had prayed at the time I was saved, I worried that maybe I wasn't saved. So, I prayed several dozen times over the next several years, following what each religious tract told me to do to get to Heaven. But I was still confused and scared that I wasn't saved. It was that stupid Sinner's Prayer that tripped me up. Since no one had ever properly presented God's simple plan of salvation to me, I just couldn't settle the matter to find perfect peace.

As the years passed and I learned truths here and there, my fears went away by the 1990s, but I never really had absolute perfect peace. It wasn't until I read Pastor Max D. Younce's (1935-2023) book titled, “Salvation And The Public Invitation” that I truly found perfect peace and my salvation beliefs were forever solidified. This book helped me immensely because it is about being saved in your church pew, which is exactly where I got saved at age 12. When preachers require people to walk down a church aisle, or pray a Sinner's Prayer, they are adding unnecessary steps to God's simple plan of salvation that the Lord Himself does not require. Think about that dear friend!

It took me nearly 30 years for someone to finally explain God's simple plan of salvation clearly, so that I could truly understand it. The addition of a Sinner's Prayer utterly confused and misled me. I had spent 8 years at Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993) preparing to serve God full-time, and Pastor Hyles plainly told us that faith alone saves, but we were all trained to lead people to Christ by using a Sinner's Prayer. I led hundreds of lost sinner's to Jesus Christ by using a Sinner's Prayer. They were saved by faith alone. That being said, the stupid Sinner's Prayer had been so engrained into my thinking that I couldn't separate it in my mind from faith.

And kindly said, if you listen to this excerpt from Pastor Steven Anderson he plainly considers faith and the Sinner's Prayer to be inseparable. I humbly think that is a big problem, and I am living proof of why the Sinner's Prayer can do much damage. Listen, anybody who tells you that you must pray to be saved is woefully misleading you concerning how to get to Heaven.

And again, there is absolutely nothing wrong or inappropriate with saying a Sinner's Prayer, but you were saved the moment you believed the Gospel (i.e., the 'GOOD NEWS' of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and resurrected the third day), before you ever prayed (Romans 10:14). And to be very clear, you DON'T need to ask, call or pray to get to Heaven. God can read your soul.

Essentially, a Sinner's Prayer is “asking” God to save you. But dear friend, God is already freely offering eternal life to whosoever wants it, just for the taking (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Why would you ask someone to give a gift that they are already holding out for you to freely accept? Salvation is a TAKE proposition, not a GIVE proposition. Salvation is received, not achieved.

God has been freely offering total forgiveness of sins and eternal life for 6,000 years, by simply putting your faith in Christ. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Do you see anything mentioned about praying, calling or asking to be saved? No, the inspired Word of God simply teaches “whosoever believeth in him” shall receive remission of sins. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Never Base A Doctrine On An Obscure Scripture Passage, While Ignoring A Clear One

In this same sermon excerpt, Pastor Anderson emphasis that Romans 10:9-13 outlines God's “normalized” method to lead someone to faith in Christ. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1996) wisely said, “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” Respectfully, Pastor Anderson is unwisely basing his doctrine upon one obscure passage of Scripture, while completely ignoring the entire Gospel of John.

In the Book of John we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times, but other than the one mention of Jesus inviting the Samaritan woman to “ask” Him for the Living Water, there is no mention of asking Christ to be saved. Brother Hutson is absolutely right, it would be very unwise and unscholarly to bases a doctrine upon John 4:10 and Romans 10:9-13, when 23 have 85 passages that plainly promise eternal life to whosoever just BELIEVES ON JESUS.

John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

I humbly believe that when an invitation to receive Jesus Christ is given at the end of the sermon, a person is saved before they ever step out of their pew to go forward to the alter. It was their faith in the Lord that caused them to step out and go forward. They walked forward just to find out what they just did. They were saved in their pew the moment they believed upon Christ. Walking down an isle is not required to be saved, and neither is praying a prayer.

Requiring Prayer For Salvation Obscures The Gospel

A lot of people have problems with the assurance of their salvation, like I once did, because they are focusing on a prayer. I was saved simply by believing on Jesus Christ; but in hindsight over the years to follow I was worried that I forgot something when I prayed. Since I couldn't remember what my exact heart's words were, I was concerned and fearful. I prayed in my heart for Jesus to save me, but it was my faith that saved me (not the prayer). I eventually learned that all the things I was worried about had absolutely nothing to do with my salvation. I was saved simply by believing upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is so simple. Jesus paid our sin debt. All we have to do is believe on Christ and what He did for us. Simply believe He did it all for you!

I don't think preachers should require people to leave their pew and come forward to find out how to be saved. A pastor should tell sinners in the pew that they can be saved without coming forward. A preacher should tell everyone in the congregation how to be saved right there in their pew. It's okay to invite people to come forward, but the gospel should not be withheld from those who don't come forward. Maybe a person doesn't feel well, or is shy, or embarrassed, or simply doesn't feel comfortable walking an aisle. God will save any repentant sinner just as they are, whoever they are, and wherever they are.

I am confident that a lot of people are going through the same fears, worries and doubts that I did for a decade after I got saved in 1979. The reason is because our churches have become caught up in leading people to pray a Sinner's Prayer, which is not part of the Gospel. We need to teach lost sinners that praying a prayer is NOT the way of salvation; but rather, we are saved from a believing heart in the Gospel.

Here are some tremendous quotes from Evangelist Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968)...

“Men are not saved by analyzing the truth of the Gospel. They are saved by accepting the truth of the Gospel. It is true, whether men believe it or not. It is as true as the multiplication table. Men use the multiplication table to do what the multiplication table is supposed to do. The Gospel will do what it is supposed to do. 'It is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Preaching, Evangelism, page 123; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942

“'Pray to be saved. Ask the Lord to save you.' This is what I heard a minister say to a convicted sinner who came forward for prayer at the close of an evangelistic service. Nowhere in the Bible are men told to pray to be saved. There are examples where men did pray and were saved. Men are told to repent, to believe, to obey the Gospel, but the Bible never says to pray for salvation. It does say that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, but nowhere does the Bible command men to pray to be saved. I think I know why, God, who made the human heart, knew that it was not necessary to tell convicted sinners to pray. If a sinner can see Jesus Christ on the cross, it is as natural for him to pray as it is for birds to sing or flowers to bloom. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Prayer And Praise, page 163; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942

Popular Fundamentalist Baptist Heresies

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

I cherish this needful sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) titled, “FUNDAMENTALIST HERESY.” In this tremendous sermon (preached on December 1, 1985, at the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana) Brother Hyles refutes the following things that are often added to God's simple plan of salvation, thus perverting it:

1. Give your heart to Jesus

2. Ask Jesus to come into your heart

3. Pray a Sinner's Prayer to be saved

4. Church membership

5. Baptismal Regeneration

6. Sacraments

7. Good Works

8. Believing Jesus is the Son of God

9. Repent of all your sins

10. Accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord

11. Become a Baptist

12. Tithe

None of those things can help you get to Heaven. Some of those items are not fundamentalist heresies per se, but half of them certainly are. From listening to corrupt neo-evangelical preachers on social media, I would like to add several more things to Dr. Hyles' list, things that are being preached in pulpits today that will send you to Hell if you trust in them:

1. Become a Christ follower (Pastor Dave Snyder preaches this heresy)

2. Live a lifestyle of repentance (Evangelist Ray Comfort preaches this heresy)

3. Faithfully run the Christian race until the end (Dr. Steve Pettit preaches this heresy)

4. Forsake a lifestyle of sinning (Pastor Marty Herron preaches this heresy)

5. Ask Jesus to be part of your life (Evangelist Billy Graham preaches this heresy)

6. Be willing to turn from your sins (Evangelist Jack Chick preaches this heresy)

7. Let God take control of your life (Missionary David Cloud preaches this heresy)

RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

Jesus warned, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:1-7).

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

Tragically, if you look in 99% of churches today, particularly Baptists, the literature that you find will attempt to lead lost sinner's to pray a Sinner's Prayer. Sadly, the bonehead clergy have made praying (asking God to be saved) synonymous with God's simple plan of salvation, but they are two entirely different things. Repeatedly we are taught in the Scripture to just BELIEVE the 'GOOD NEWS' of Christ crucified, buried and risen to be saved, without any reference to people praying, calling or asking to be saved. 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

When a well-meaning but ignorant pastor adds calling or praying (essentially asking) to be saved, he is complicating God's simple plan of salvation, which is why I preach so relentlessly against mandating prayer for salvation. It is imperative that God's preachers always defend the simplicity that is in Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4).

Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.