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Watch Out! There Are at Least 7 Mistakes You Can Make AFTER the Altar Call

Sadly, it was the first time this young man had discussed Jesus. I spent a few minutes asking him more questions about Jesus and then prayed with him. When he left the room a little while later, fully assured of his relationship with Jesus, I nonchalantly held the young counselor back.

I gently pointed out to him that he focused only on pornography and never once got around to offering Jesus’ forgiveness of that sin. I reminded him the young man’s ultimate problem wasn’t pornography; it was his sinful nature! “Think about it,” I said. “Suppose he actually breaks the chains of bondage that porn has him in—Terrific!—but he’s still in debt to God for his lust, not to mention his various acts of sexual immorality. He’ll still be guilty before God. That is the reality we must focus on first.”

Too often, counselors start off their conversations by focusing on the symptoms instead of the Savior. They discuss every form of sinfulness—anger, lust, lying, gossip, unforgiveness—but run out of time (or breath) before talking about the Savior and His cure for sin.

Don’t let your counselors get sidetracked from their main task of helping people respond to Jesus. Make sure they focus their conversations on the Savior, not the symptoms.

Mistake #7: Pray for them instead of with them.
“Just repeat after me: Dear Jesus …”

I probably should say that I vehemently hate the Sinner’s Prayer. I know it’s been used by mighty men of God for decades, but the practice has its drawbacks.

Tell me something. If Jesus truly wants a personal relationship with us, then why do we need someone else telling us what to say to Him? Given that so many Christians, counselors included, view the prayer as a formula for salvation, it’s no surprise that doubt ensues afterward about whether the right words were used.

When the time comes for a person to pray to receive Christ, why not let him or her use his or her own words? You might have to guide the person a little bit, but if we pray with people instead of for them, they never will look back on their salvation moment and realize it was someone else’s words that were used instead of their own.

Some very simple guidance is usually sufficient; they need to confess their sins and ask for God’s forgiveness, committing to walk with Jesus every day for the rest of their lives. Then, after taking a moment to show them the confidence Jesus had in our heavenly Father hearing our prayers (John 11:41-42), give them a chance to pray from their hearts.

They may mess up words, but they can’t mess up heart.

Getting It Right
As pastors and church leaders, we have lots of great reasons to correct these mistakes when it comes to giving an altar call.

For starters, Jesus deserves our very best; and so do those who listen to us preach. Furthermore, these mistakes are too easy to fix, so there are no excuses for tolerating them. Finally, too much goes into our preaching to have it derailed at the last and most important moment.

As we preach, let’s remember eternity is on the line. That alone is reason enough to get it right.