Sinner's prayer

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A Sinner's prayer is a Christian term referring to a prayer of repentance, spoken or read by a person who recognizes the presence of sin in their life and desires to form or strengthen a relationship with God. They will typically be short and simplisitic in nature, focusing upon the recognition of separation from God through sin, the atonement provided by Jesus Christ, and an acceptance of said atonement. It is often recited in church services as an invitation for congregants to affirm their faith, sometimes as part of an altar call. It is also quite common to find a version of the Sinner's Prayer at the conclusion of a tract.

An example of a Sinner's prayer may read as follows:

"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey you, and to do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

When found in a tract, the Sinner's Prayer will often be accompanied by the contact information for a church or para-church organization, whereby the reader can continue to pursue their interest.

A Sinner's prayer differs from a creed or a confiteor in that it is usually not a canonized or otherwise official, set prayer.

The practice of the "Sinner's prayer" has been criticised by many Christians for being contrary to salvation by "faith alone", and for lacking Scriptural support and/or examples.