Samuel and Sinners Prayer

Sinners prayer theology is debunked by Psalms 99, where Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were said to call upon the name of the Lord.

Yet we know Samuel was called as a young boy to be a prophet, while he was asleep. He heard the voice and awoke. His calling as a prophet and his relationship with God wasn't through a sinners prayer.

Moses and Aaron were already following God in the context of the Psalm, the cloudy Pillar being well after the 10 plagues brought by God through Moses and Aaron. Calling upon the Lord in the cloudy pillar wasn't to establish a relationship, they had it for years. Hebrews 11 says they had faith when crossing the Red Sea.

Yet the same phrase is used of Samuel, Aaron, and Moses as is used by those teaching a sinners prayer theology. How could they get it so wrong?

Psa 99:1  The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he setteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved. 

Psa 99:2  The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all people. 

Psa 99:3  Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. 

Psa 99:4  The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. 

Psa 99:5  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 

Psa 99:6  Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. 

Psa 99:7  He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. 

Psa 99:8  Thou didst answer them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. 

Psa 99:9  Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. 

The entire Psalm is about receiving God's judgments, the ordinances that he gave them.

Thus, "calling upon the name of the lord" is the process of receiving ordinances whereby forgiveness is administered. Not personal prayer. The prophets received ordinances and instruction whereby the people will be forgiven.

This is the usage in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 where calling upon the name of the Lord is mentioned. It means to use the delivered ordinances associated with Christ's name, as delivered by God's messengers.

It is also the usage in Acts 22:16 where a delivered ordinance through the Apoostles, and repeated by Ananias,  is tied to forgiveness.

Act 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 

Calling upon Christ's name is through keeping ordinances Christ taught and later delivered by the Holy Spirit.