The 8 Greatest Words I've Heard

Daddy, I asked Jesus to be my Savior!
I heard those from my son yesterday. Those are the greatest words. He said that he had prayed with mommy to receive Jesus as His Savior. He explained that one time he had prayed because he really wanted to take communion; and that he didn't think he really meant it. This time, he did. People have a variety of responses to something like this.

Some do not think a child can understand the gospel or what it means to be saved.
Others would have had my son write a date in his Bible the first time; and when he doubted, would point to that date and scold: see, you were saved on this date, it counts, and you don't need to ever doubt it again. Just look at this date and don't worry about it.
Some would even go to the extent to say that we need to get as many kids as possible to say salvation prayer as soon as possible. So, in any situation, they might tell kids if they want to go to Heaven and not go to Hell, they just need to repeat this prayer.

My perspective is a little different. I first said a prayer when I was 4 years old, asking Jesus to come into my heart. I have no idea if that is when (humanly speaking), I was saved. I believe what the Bible says about the fact that before the foundation of the world, God graciously chose me to be His child, not because of anything I would earn; but out of His grace and mercy. I do not pretend to understand fully the sovereignty of God, as it relates to salvation; but I trust in it, because it is from the Word of God.

After the first time I prayed to receive Jesus, I then prayed many many times. Every time I felt extremely guilty, I would wonder if I was truly saved, and then would pray again to be saved. I didn't exactly understand eternal security at that point. As time went on, I understood more and more what it meant to be saved; and to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I was baptized and committed to honoring Christ with my life. But, over the first 9 or 10 years after I first prayed, I was"up and down" and in a sense, was in process, in terms of my understanding of salvation.

Does it really matter what "the date" is? I admit it can be helpful; and is especially nice for those who were saved after early childhood. To tell the truth, I wish I had a date. I review all of this, so that you might understand how I look at my children and their need of salvation. I pray all the time for their salvation. They all, as young children, have sang songs about God and talked about Him, inluding the knowledge that Jesus died for their sins. They seem to simply accept it as fact.

We do pray for days like yesterday, when one of them recognizes a need to trust in Christ, and in child-like faith, as far as we can tell, he prays a prayer.It is awesome. But, I also recognize that it is a process; and my son may experiences doubts, or even pray at other times. For me, I look for evidence that the Holy Spirit now lives in Him. He will still sin; but I pray that He will remain committed to Christ; just as He is now.

I don't pressure our children to make decisions. We talk about it and pray God will work on each of their hearts. I think it can be dangerous to put pressure on young hearts to commit to someone that they may not be ready to commit to, giving them false security. In the end, I leave it inGod's hands.

So, I don't get too excited with each prayer; but I do try to take it all at face value. And therefore, I am excited, and feel like it should be celebrated. As always, I commit my children into God's hands: not only their physical lives; but especially their eternal ones. Thank God for His inexpressible gifts.