In today’s world, it can seem intimidating to speak about our faith to non-Christians.
We want to spread God’s word as far as we can, but too often, fear of rejection or hostility keeps us quiet.
The good news is there are ways that are easier than you may think when it comes to witnessing to others.
#1: “I’ll Be Sure to Pray for You.”
Simple and subtle, this easy phrase lets your friends know exactly where your faith lies.
We humans like to complain. When there’s a problem in our lives, we have a tendency to vent about it to people close to us.
This means the odds are good that at some point, your friends will talk to you about their problems – and you can have this phrase locked and loaded and ready to go.
The beauty in simply saying, “I’ll be sure to pray for you,” is that there are very few ways to argue it. When you respond to someone with, “I’ll be sure to pray for you,” their response is most likely going to be along the lines of, “Thank you, that’s very kind.”
An added bonus here is that promising to pray for someone allows for follow-up. “So how’s that thing going? I’ve been praying for you.” After hearing their answer, you can once again assert that you will continue praying for them.
If you get good news – and you’re feeling a bit bold – this would be an opportunity to declare the greatness of God’s mercy. Even a simple, “Looks like God heard our prayer!” can be powerful.
#2: Have a Good Attitude
As much of a cliché as it is, having a good attitude will go a long way in witnessing to your friends how Christ is moving in your life.
This may seem much too vague to be a solid strategy, but it can work wonders. After all, if someone always had a smile on their face, even in the hardest of times, wouldn’t you want to know their secret too?
We are representatives of God, and our attitudes should reflect that.
If we live our lives with cynical worldviews and pessimistic attitudes, why would others want to live like us? We must show others what it is to be a child of God.
This strategy is somewhat of a long-term game, but it will give you solid evidence to testify to God’s work in your life when you are witnessing to someone. Moreover, it invites the possibility of someone asking you just how you are able to have such a gracious attitude so much of the time.
#3: Talk About Church
Make your church life (or Christian life in general) a normal part of your casual conversations.
Talking about Christian living and how much it positively affects your life can attract interest from those you’re speaking with.
It might be hard at first to figure out how to work church into a conversation, so a good way to start is with the classic “So, how was your weekend?” conversation. Use that as an opportunity to talk about your most recent church sermon.
You don’t have to go into too much detail here if you don’t want to. If you’re new to this, you can start out with something simple as, “My pastor gave a great sermon the other day, it was very inspiring.”
Just remember to focus on topics that are inviting to new or non-believers. You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so try to share topics such as love, overcoming fear, and other situations that will make people want to learn more.
And chances are if you attend church and a Bible study or small church group regularly, you’ll bump up against these things naturally in conversation.
Just be truthful and open about what you spend your time doing and you won’t be able to avoid it coming up!
#4: Display Your Christ Merch
Here’s a strategy that doesn’t require speaking (unless you want to!).
Wear the t-shirt you got at the last men’s or women’s retreat, where the cross necklace your aunt got you, hang up your Bible verse calendar, and advertise your faith as loudly as you can without having to say a word.
Some might think it’s unproductive to simply show off your Christian merch, but it communicates a very important message – you’re a Christian and you’re not ashamed for people to know it.
This is a more understated approach, and in all likelihood will not actually lead someone to Christ without additional witnessing, but it does let people know that Christianity is nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact, being a child of God is something to brag about!
#5: “How Can I Pray for You?”
This may sound like the same approach as #1, but it has one very important difference: you must initiate this one.
In approach #1, you simply respond to a problem someone shares with you by declaring that you will pray for them. In this approach, you must directly ask your friend for a way that you can pray for them.
Admittedly, this can be a somewhat strange question to ask unprompted. If you’re going to ask someone this, you can have a script ready for this conversation, like this:
“I’m trying to be more considerate of others during my spiritual growth, and so I’m trying to pray for more people around me. I’d like to pray for you, so how can I pray for you?”
You might be surprised just how well-received this will often be. Most people will not become angry with you for asking to pray for them.
However, some may reply that they don’t believe in God or prayer, so here’s how you can respond to that: “I know you don’t, and I’m not asking you to. I’m simply asking if there’s something going on in your life that I can pray about.”
The vast majority of people will consider this to be a kind and loving gesture, so the response you get should be positive. And, like strategy #1, it leaves room for a follow-up conversation.
Remember that despite the hostility you might see in the media, most of the people you talk to regularly aren’t going to react poorly to these five methods.
