Salvation? 180 turn? Long sinners prayer?

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!
    Okay, my dear friends, food for thought today.  Being a Christian and listening to others, many times, is like the arm-chair quarterback who has all the answers but can't perform.
   As I listen to my Christian radio I bounce back and forth between the preaching stations and the Christian praise music stations.  Well, while listening to the preaching a couple of thoughts just leaped into my ever searching and inquiring mind.  It seems that many of the preachers talk about (1) that major life changing event when they accepted Jesus and their life turned around 180 degrees; (2) and then saying the sinners prayer.  I truly would like your feedback, please.
   First, I know God can make a major change in ones life as I witnessed this in one of my daughters whose life did a 180 and is a beautiful child of God.  The other girls are beautiful children of God, but their lives did not change as drastically.  I was always a "good" person who wished no evil or bad on anyone, was nice, courteous, polite and did mostly what was expected of me.  Am I as saved as the person whose life completely flipped?
      Then I hear about the drug laden lad or lass, who is walking blind in a field of darkness,  then accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and the woes of darkness are filled with light.  A complete change!  And what does this do for me? Just what satan wants - it creates doubt - "am I really saved?"
  Then this leads me to the sinners prayer.  Is it necessary?  Your opinion please.  I believe it is.  Why? Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).  I would say this about the sinners prayer - it does not need to be long, with silken tongued words that impress others and goes on and on, trying to impress God.  God just wants to know a couple of things: (1)do you believe you are a sinner, (2)that Christ died for your sins, and (3) did you ask His forgiveness? He knows you and loves you.
What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty.
     Does the sinners prayer need to be done orally, so others may hear?  I would answer this with a qualified and definite "maybe."  It really depends on the person.  Some are in the middle of a crisis, alone, and ask God for help and salvation and receive; others need the reassurance and affirmation that this is a real and true experience, they ask and receive. To which person is it most real? Both, it is just that ones needs more affirmation than the other.
       What are the criteria?  Go back to the 3 questions just above: believe you are a sinner; believe Christ died for your sins; ask for His forgiveness. Very simple!
    So, (I know) finally, does your life need to do a 180 and do you need to repeat a long and eloquent sinners prayer?   My answer is: it depends on you and where you are when you ask for salvation.
    “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  Love you all.
   In Christ's Love and Grace
     Johnny
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