Before you experience salvation you need to know what it is.

Salvation is to be saved from the wrath of God, by the blood of Jesus Christ, which he shed on the cross at Calvary (John 3:36, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 KJV). Salvation delivers from the power of sin, and the penalty of death that passed on all men because of Adam's sin and the wrong that they themselves have committed (Romans 5:8-12 KJV). The old testament law, complete with its sacrifices and ordinances was not sufficient to bring man back into a right relationship with God (Hebrews 10:1-4 KJV).

Salvation is the greatest joy – the most amazing experience man has ever known.

Man is miserable without God (Revelation 3:17 KJV). He may find some temporary thrills, but they don't last and in fact only make him more miserable when all is said and done. The soul of man has but one desire and that is to be in blessed fellowship with God and the people of God. Man was separated from his Creator by sin and is brought nigh by the shed blood of Christ (Isaiah 59:2, Ephesians 2:13).

The only way this is enacted is by the experience known as Salvation. Salvation brings man back into a right standing and relationship with God and enables us to come into His holy presence and commune with Him.

Salvation is not saying a predetermined prayer. It's not getting so emotionally worked up that you shed tears over your situation.
Salvation is not going down into the water and coming up a new man.
Salvation is not a ritual you go through so that you can go about sinning and doing everything that you feel to do.
Salvation isn't speaking some unintelligible language that you don't know what you're saying yourself.
Salvation is not stopping doing certain things that people consider to be especially bad.
Salvation is not church attendance.
Salvation is not adhering to certain strict set of rules.
These are forms but lack the power to truly transform your life (2 Timothy 3:5 KJV).

Salvation is not merely a pardoning of your sin; salvation is a changing of your entire life. A transformation wrought by the power of God (Romans 1:16 KJV).

To be saved is to have a personal encounter with God Himself. When God comes into your life in a personal and intimate way, when He changes you, fixes you, and makes you brand new, you'll never be the same again (Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 2:13 KJV). God is not just a fairytale character that people have made up in their mind. God is real and He is able to completely transform your life through the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28 KJV). When Christ comes into your life He makes you whole (complete, lacking nothing). In Christ there is salvation and healing for the body, mind, soul, and spirit (John 5:8-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV).

Salvation is free. In other words it's not restricted, but available to all. God is no respecter of persons, but is rich unto all that call upon Him (ref. Romans 10:12 KJV).

Yet salvation cost. As Jesus told the rich young ruler, sell all you have, so He's telling all today that seek salvation (ref. Mark 10:21 KJV). Peter confirms this when he said, “We have forsaken all and followed thee” (ref. Matthew 19:27).
Jesus said plainly, “Whosever he be of you that forsaketh not all he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33 KJV).

Not that you literally have to go out and sell all you have, but that you give up the right to decide what to do with your life and your possessions. You and all you have belong to God to do with as He pleases. You are dead to the world (Galatians 6:14 KJV), no longer following its ways and customs, but are alive to Christ and being led by Him (Romans 6:11 KJV).

Sin is the problem. When you come to God to get saved you must be willing to give up all sin (Proverbs 28:13 KJV).

Sin is anything you know that's wrong or against the will of God for you to do (James 4:17 KJV).
God is holy and sovereign. When you, as a sinner, come before His presence, you must humble yourself in a real way or you won't be heard. Recognize the fact that you've hurt God by living a sinful life; realize that you're apologizing to Him for all the wrong you've done; understand that God is not obligated to hear you (Psalms 51, 2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV).