Is the sinner's prayer appropriate today?
No, the sinner's prayer is not appropriate today. The question is considered a loaded question, and the answer given is that it is not appropriate, because the term 'sinner's prayer' itself needs to be defined before its appropriateness can be assessed.
Les teaches that a gentleman from Tennessee called one Sunday afternoon and asked, 'Is the sinner's prayer appropriate today?' Les describes this as a loaded question, but he answered quickly: 'No, that's not appropriate, because what's the sinner's prayer?' The answer is therefore negative, and the reasoning centers on the need to define what the sinner's prayer actually is. The surrounding context emphasizes God's sovereign grace and mercy poured out at the cross of Calvary, but the specific reply to the caller is that the sinner's prayer is not appropriate today.