If people answer “yes” when you ask something like, “Would you like to receive Christ and cross over to God,” it means they are ready. . . but it doesn’t mean they know how to do that.
There are three things you can do to help them cross over to God.
1) Clarify the PRAYER: Explain that people can receive Christ simply by asking him to forgive them and come into their lives (John 4:10; Rev. 3:20).
Remind them that what they are asking Christ to do for them is exactly what he wants to do for them, and will, when they, in simple faith, just ask him.
Something like this:
Please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong.
Please come into my life and begin to lead me.
I pray this as sincerely as I know how.”
2) Focus on their HEART. Encourage them to talk to God from their HEART.
I usually say something like this: “You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Prayer is talking with God. It is your heart talking to God’s heart. Pray this prayer from your heart and Christ will forgive you and come into your life, as He promised.”
The key is praying sincerely from their heart.
Merely reciting the words of a prayer doesn’t bring salvation. But when they turn to God in their hearts and in simple faith ask Christ to forgive them and come into their lives, God responds immediately.
Think of the thief on the cross when he expressed his faith in Christ by saying, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responded to his simple faith with an absolute guarantee and said, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”
Encourage them to talk to God from their HEART.
3) Offer to LEAD them … through a prayer to receive Christ.
It is important to offer to guide people through the prayer because they usually don’t feel confident that their own prayers will get past the ceiling.
I usually say it this way: “You can pray this prayer on your own at any time or, if you would like, I can lead you, phrase by phrase, through the prayer right now? You talk to God from your heart and I’ll guide you in what to say.”
Many non-Christians have recited prayers in church with no results or evidence that God even heard their prayer. So when you offer to guide them through the prayer, that helps them feel secure and more confident. It is a big help to them.
These are three very practical ways to help someone cross over to God!