Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The importance of this topic, Salvation, cannot be overstated. It is an absolutely critical dogma of the Christian faith. It has to do with eternity in Heaven or Hell, among many other things.
There are not many theological constructs more important than Salvation.
One cannot skip over the first part of the Greatest Commandment (love God) and just do the second part (love our neighbor) and expect to be born-again or saved. However, it is equally true that we cannot just say a prayer as a youth and never change our behavior to reflect God’s will for our lives, and expect to be saved.
Salvation comes from a belief that Jesus Christ is both Savior and Lord of one’s life. To acknowledge in prayer that you are a sinner, that Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose from the grave, ask Him to forgive you of your sins and save your soul. Accept Him as your Savior and Lord and then share your decision with others.