Repeat After Me…Nah, I Don’t Think So

As I listen to and learn from several resources, one thing that seems to be at the forefront in this season is an awareness of church leaders who use the words, “Repeat after me.” It happens on many occasions, but two scenarios seemed to stand out.

Of the many things pastors suggest that people repeat after them, one of these is what we know as “The Sinner’s Prayer.” I am not suggesting that it is wrong to say this prayer, but rather to consider the comfort and false sense of security we find in rituals and traditions.

At the end of some church services, there is an “alter call,” or a plea to those who want to be saved. The pastor may ask people to raise their hands, stand, or come to the front of the church. They tell those people to repeat after them in reciting a version of “The Sinner’s Prayer.”

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.”

Then they tell those people that if they said this prayer, they would be saved. A few months ago, on social media, I saw a post from a pastor boasting about the number of souls that were saved at his church that day. He gave a specific number as though there was merit in it. Truly he has no way of knowing how many people were saved. He only knows how many people repeated after him in reciting “The Sinner’s Prayer.”

The other thing that came to mind is how sometimes during a sermon or lesson, the pastor or teacher will say “Repeat after me,” or instruct the congregation to turn and repeat the words to the person on their left or right. Doing this seems to serve two purposes. First, when timed perfectly, it ensures that if anyone was falling asleep during the message, they have now been awakened. Second, repeating after someone gives the illusion of participation which incites good feelings and a sense of belonging.

Considering the times we are in, I suppose I am just over all the rituals and performances that keep people comfortable, misguided, and deceived. Time is being wasted. 2 Peter 3:8-10 says, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

I’ve said it before but please understand that God is long-suffering, but it will not last forever. We must step away from what keeps us comfortable and understand the true power that is within each of us through the Holy Spirit. While we still have time, we must ensure our foundation is securely rooted in Jesus Christ and that the materials we are building with are not the defective materials of the world, but of the highest quality, directly from the Word of God.

Remember, when Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, He stood firmly on the Word of God, and we must do the same. It’s not what you say, it’s what you believe. You can repeat as much as you’d like but rather than focus on what you can recite, consider reflecting on what you believe.

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