Sharing our faith is something that many of us feel we should do but sometimes don’t know where to start. Here are some helpful tips.
Ask meaningful questions. Asking specific questions helps steer the course of the conversation. Jesus often started His teaching by asking a rhetorical question. “He said to them, ‘Which of you…?’” (Luke 11:5).
Listen to the answers. Listening to people enables them to open up and share about their lives and the current issues they are facing. “Everyone should be quick to listen” (James 1:19 NIV).
Be adaptable. Finding out about the people we interact with will help us better understand them and relate the gospel to them. “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Tell a story to illustrate your point. Jesus was an expert at using parables and stories to capture His audience’s interest and teach a lesson (Mark 4:2). There are times in a conversation where “This reminds me of a story I once heard…” can lead to a deeper discussion and witness.
Use current events and happenings. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus referred to local happenings when answering people’s questions, which enabled Him to bring out God’s perspective on the situations. (See Luke 13:4.)
Share your personal testimony. Explaining how you found Jesus or how God worked in your life makes the Christian faith a practical, living, real-world experience. The apostle Paul frequently shared his conversion story as part of his witness. (See Acts 26:1–23.)
Use gospel literature. A tract or other Christian literature is an effective way to share a witness with people you encounter throughout your day (2 Timothy 4:2).
Be kind and gracious. Not everyone will understand or accept what you believe, but it will be easier for them to consider if your speech is kind and gracious. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6).
Bring them to a decision. Everyone should be given a chance to know Jesus as their personal Friend and Savior. Sometimes a person receives Jesus on the first meeting, other times it can take years before the person is ready. While the decision is theirs to make, we can do our part to offer them the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).