Baptism, the Sinner's Prayer, and Biblical Conversion

The Gospel- it’s a word that’s been tossed around and used an adjective and a noun, and for many people there’s not really an understanding of what it actually means. It’s the good news concerning the identity of Jesus Christ as King and how He’s provided a way for us to be forgiven and saved from our sins and brought into the Kingdom of God. But how exactly does that work?

How is someone “converted” to Christ or saved? Is there a magic prayer that someone has to recite in order to become a Christian? Or maybe it’s baptism?

Why do Christians get baptized? If someone doesn’t get baptized, does that mean they’re not saved?