The phrase “ask Jesus into your heart” does not occur in Scripture. My recent article makes this point. So, why do we use this phrase? I’ve only just scratched the surface with my research, but here is what I have found so far. Encouraging unbelievers to ask Jesus into their hearts only seems to appear in Christian vocabulary in recent centuries.
John Flavel (1600s)
As far back as the 1600s, puritan pastor and theologian John Flavel served in Devon, England. He preached about those who reject the gospel saying, “they make light of it, and neglect the great salvation: receive not Christ into their hearts”1 This is the earliest form of the phrase I have found so far.
Charles Spurgeon (1800s)
In the late 1800s, Charles Spurgeon pastored the influential Metropolitan Tabernacle near London. His preaching was so renown that he came to be known as the “Prince of Preachers,” influencing preaching and gospel proclamation to this day. In his preaching, Spurgeon used different forms of this phrase to urge unbelievers to salvation. For example, in his sermon titled “Hosanna!” on March 22, 1891, Spurgeon said, “I pray that you who have never received him may listen, and may, by the listening, be led to pray for his coming into your heart.” Later, he urged unbelievers, “Admit the Lord into your heart, and the limpings of your unbelief will be exchanged for the leapings of faith.”2 Though the “ask Jesus into your heart” terminology did not originate with Spurgeon, he definitely promoted its usage by his example.
Gospel Songs (1800s-1900s)
After the American Civil War and spurred on by D. L. Moody’s revivals, gospel songs became popular. Many of these songs urged people to come to Christ. Through them, the “ask Jesus into your heart” terminology further embedded itself in Christian vocabulary with such songs as “Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart” (1898) by Lelia Morris, “Since Jesus Came Into My Heart” (1914) by Rufus H. McDaniel, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come Into My Heart” (1916) by Eliza E. Hewitt, and “Into My Heart” (1924) by Harry D. Clarke.
Children’s Ministries (1900s)
While gospel songs popularized this verbiage, children’s ministries and Sunday School publishers also picked up and promoted it for use with children. To “ask Jesus into your heart” became the standard way to tell children the way of salvation. However, in recent decades, some children’s ministries, like Child Evangelism Fellowship, have discouraged the use of the phrase in their teaching materials.3 Despite this emphasis, the phrase still pops up from earlier generations of training.
Billy Graham (1900s)
Also, in the 1900s, Billy Graham often employed “ask Jesus into your heart” wording in his crusades as part of a “sinner’s prayer” that he encouraged unbelievers to pray along with him. One such example prayer ends with a variation of this phrase: “I invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior.”4 As with Spurgeon, such a prominent preacher’s way of articulating the gospel greatly influenced how Christians of this era share the gospel.
Conclusion: Follow Scripture, Not History
We must think biblical and speak biblically. We should use the terms the Bible uses to explain salvation–no matter the age of the person who hears us. Historical precedence does not trump biblical truth. Just because prominent preachers of the past used “ask Jesus into your heart” terminology does not mean we must follow their lead. Scripture is our guide. In recent decades, many have rightly pushed back against this popular way of describing the way of salvation. Let’s hope this trend continues.
- John Flavel, The Whole Works of the Reverend John Flavel, vol. 2 (London; Edinburgh; Dublin: W. Baynes and Son; Waugh and Innes; M. Keene, 1820), 432. (available online) ↩︎ ↩︎
- C. H. Spurgeon, “Hosanna!,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 37 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1891), 178, 180. ↩︎
- Here is an online example of training to avoid using the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart.” ↩︎
- A video of Billy Graham leading in this sinners prayer is here. ↩︎
While the phrase, “Ask Jesus into your heart,” may not appear in Scripture in those exact words, is your point that He does not dwell in the heart by faith? Or that yielding to Christ in repentance and belief is not in fact inviting Him to dwell and rule there? Could Ephesians 3:17 be the origin of the phrase you’ve been searching for? “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…”
Hi John,
Thanks for your question. I addressed Ephesians 3:17 in the previous article and the context is key to understanding what Paul means there. Maybe you did not see the previous article. Does it answer your question? https://rootedthinking.com/2025/05/20/do-you-speak-churchese-ask-jesus-into-your-heart/
Feel free to ask a follow-up question if the short paragraph in the original article does not completely answer your question. Thanks!
Thanks for the clarification! (the original post linked to the wrong article, I’ve since read the article intended.) So, you say Ephesians 3:17 doesn’t apply because the context is referring to believers. Got it. Your point is then that the phrase “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” doesn’t refer to salvation per se, but to some other quality of sanctification. If that is the case, you’d have to believe there exists an arrangement where a true believer doesn’t have Christ dwelling in their heart yet is still saved. I know of none. So, my point remains. Christ dwelling in a heart IS the defining difference between a believer and a non-believer. Repentance of sin and calling on the name of the Lord in faith results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you see a mountain where I see a molehill, but it is not very difficult to see that the actual process of salvation is more than likely the origin of the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart.” If a man comes to my home and my conversation with him at the door results in him coming in to dwell with me, then I absolutely invited him there regardless of the words used.
Interesting interaction here, John. Thanks! I think the original article addresses much of what you say here. And if you use “ask Jesus into your heart” terminology and someone gets saved, wonderful! My main point is that we should use the terms the Bible uses when explaining to an unbeliever how to be saved. Let’s be as clear as possible.
One additional thought: You appear to assume that Christ dwelling in your heart by faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are the same. Are they the same in the context of Ephesians 3? Clearly, the Bible teaches that the indwelling occurs at the moment of salvation. In addition, Romans 8:10 states that if Christ is not in you, you are not saved. Union with Christ happens at the moment of salvation (see section in original article). However, in the context of Ephesians 3, if Christ dwelling in a believer’s heart is synonymous with the Spirit’s indwelling, why does Paul pray that the Ephesians believers experience Christ dwelling in their heart if, in fact, He is already there? Would that not indicate that the two are not the same in this context? Paul must be speaking of something more that can be experienced by believers–something related to what he says about knowing the love of Christ in 3:17-18. What Paul is not saying in Ephesians 3:17 is that we should invite nonbelievers to ask Jesus into their heart.
I think Harold Hoehner’s explanation in his excellent commentary sheds some light on the two ideas: “The strengthening in the inner person results in the deep indwelling of Christ by means of faith (διὰ τῆς πίστεως, see the use of this phrase in 2:8) and this takes place in the hearts of believers (ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν). This demonstrates both the work of God’s Spirit in strengthening the believer and the subjective means by which the believer obtains this. However, it is not a reference to Christ’s indwelling at the moment of salvation (Rom 8:10; 2 Cor 13:3, 5; Gal 2:20; cf. Col 1:27). Instead, it denotes the contemplated result, namely, that Christ may “be at home in,” that is, at the very center of or deeply rooted in believers’ lives. Christ must become the controlling factor in attitudes and conduct.” Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 481–482.
BTW, I love the mustache on your mug in your avatar 🙂
Many thanks! I appreciate the explanation. I personally don’t use the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart,” but I have no objection when I hear it as I believe it is a reasonable summary of what takes place when someone accepts Christ. Over the years I’ve heard others who, like you, take objection to the phrase which has formed a question in my mind as to the motivation behind the objection. I assume it is a counter, in part, to easy believism which I am also against. Your articles shed some light on the topic in a deeper way, so again, I thank you for helping my understanding. I appreciate your thoughts on a believer’s union with Christ.
You rightly assume—in part—about my position on the Holy Spirit. I’m not comfortable separating members of a triune God quite the way you describe. Where the Spirit is so is Christ. But, I don’t think Ephesians 3:17 is saying anything different than John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” or John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” I think Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 is best understood when one considers that when a believer gains the Holy Spirit at conversion, they don’t lose the flesh. i.e., the part that resists the indwelling of God that Paul explains in Romans 7 and Galatians 5 and the very reason we need the work of Christ within to empower us to ‘put off’ and ‘put on.’ This work produces and requires agape mentioned at the end of Ephesians 3:17.
I agree entirely with your point about the need to use biblical terms in explaining salvation. Yet, I would add that some phrases and topics that exist within the church are not necessarily ‘unbiblical’ if they are not specifically found in Scripture. For instance, churches that use the terminology ‘Sunday School’ (a mechanism formed in 18th and 19th century) aren’t participating in an unbiblical practice simply because ‘Sunday School’ is not found in Scripture. Nor do I think we should stop singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ because Scripture doesn’t specifically mention that angels sing, etc. etc. But I am in agreement that the Word of Truth certainly doesn’t need our help or our imposed logic through the formation or adherence to unbiblical terminology.
Thanks for the clarity on this topic and for your commitment to the Word.
“Ask Jesus Into Your Heart”. This is a phrase I have questioned for years. In all of my Bible studies I never saw this phrase. Speaking Biblically, as I understand it salvation is described as believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. I would rather hear people pray ,”I believe that Jesus Christ…” than for them to ask Him to come into their hearts.
Good article and needful
Yes! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So many verses use this terminology (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; Acts 16:31; Rom 10:9, etc.). Thanks for sharing your observation!