There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. (Acts 10:1-2)

He Was Not Saved By Prayer Alone

Cornelius was a very religious person. As a Gentile, he was an unusual example of someone who believed in God and demonstrated his love for God through his life. He was a devout man trying to show the world that he was a person of faith. Somewhere in his life, he learned about the one true God and feared Him with a reverent fear. His position as a centurion brought a certain amount of prestige and honor and afforded him some measure of wealth. Cornelius used his possessions to help others, giving alms generously to those in need with a benevolent heart full of charity. A key ingredient to this life was a constant prayer life to the one true God.

The world around Cornelius was filled with idolatry and the worship of many gods. As a Roman citizen, he would have been inundated with worship of a multitude of deities from an early childhood. Learning about the one true God changed his life and made him a different kind of person. It must have been difficult for him to maintain his persona of faithfulness in such a dark world. If there were any who challenged him for his faith, the scriptures do not reveal. It is certain that while the world may have taken notice of Cornelius and scoffed at his faith, the one true God took close examination of his heart and allowed him to discover a deeper faith.

Cornelius was a deeply religious man and a man of prayer. The Holy Spirit says that with all the good deeds done by the centurion and all his prayers, Cornelius was lost. His good deeds did not save him. All of his prayers were heard, but they did not save him. An angel appeared to Cornelius, but that did not save him. The angel instructed Cornelius to send men to Joppa and ask for a man named Simon (Peter), who was lodging with a tanner by the name of Simon. They would find the house by the sea. The angel tells Cornelius that Peter would instruct him on what he needed to do. Later, when Peter recounts the story of his meeting with Cornelius, the apostle says that when he came to the house of Cornelius, the centurion said the Lord instructed him to send for Peter, who would tell them words by which he and all his household would be saved.

Cornelius was a devout man, but he was lost. He was a man who feared the Lord, but he was lost. Giving alms to the people was a noble gesture, but Cornelius was lost. All the prayers offered could not save Cornelius. The words Peter spoke to Cornelius and his household are what the centurion found out to do to be saved. Praying did not save him alone. Offering a prayer could not and did not bring the blood of Jesus into the heart of Cornelius. God never promised anyone salvation by prayer alone.

Many in the religious world believe salvation comes from what is called the “Sinners’ prayer.” This has been rebranded as the “Salvation prayer.” Individuals are encouraged to seek repentance from their sins, ask God for forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That is all that is needed for one to be in a saved condition. This prayer marks the beginning of their Christian walk in fellowship and covenant with Jesus Christ. What is tragic is that this prayer is never found in Scripture, and thousands of people, like Cornelius, are very religious yet very lost. There is no example of anyone praying the sinner’s prayer in the Bible.

If anyone could have been saved by praying, Cornelius was the prime example. The angel could have instructed Cornelius on how to be saved, but he did not. He told him to send for Peter. The apostle Peter said that Cornelius was lost and needed to hear the words whereby he could be saved. Peter gave him those words. Cornelius and his household heard the word and were baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins. Uttering the sinner’s prayer will not save you. Failing to do the will of the Father will condemn a person because they follow the teachings of men, and not Jesus Christ. Find one example of a person saved by the sinner’s prayer. You will not find it in the Bible.