You can't make yourself saved. This is very threatening to people, even Christians, because of what it seems to say about freedom.
John PiperMaintaining joy in God takes 'work'; that is, it's a fight against every impulse for alien joys and every obstacle in the way to seeing and savoring Christ.
John PiperPrayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that He will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy
John Piper