Q: Does praying for salvation include saying you are sorry?
A: The Bible gives very clear instructions for receiving salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Notice it does not say, “Those who repent of their sins before God will be saved” but rather, “Those who confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus [make Jesus their Lord], and believe in their hearts that God hath raised Him from the dead will be saved.”
Acts 3:19 says, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” That phrase “turn to God” is a critical part of the process. True repentance is not merely saying that you are sorry for the bad things you have done. The word “repent” means to have a total change of mind and direction—a complete turnaround. When a person makes Jesus the Lord of his life, he is totally changing the course of his life and is, by definition, repenting.
We must understand one very foundational truth—the blood of Jesus paid the price for all of our sin. Therefore, it is not sin that sends a man or woman to hell, but rejection of Jesus and His work of redemption on the cross. We could spend a lifetime saying that we feel bad for all that we have done, but that will not bring salvation. The only thing that brings salvation is confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.