A Prayer to Be a Bold Witness for Christ
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible reading:
“…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being ready to defend the hope that is in you to everyone who asks you for reason; but do it with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15ESV).
Listen or read below:
My family is lucky enough to live near the beach, so we often spend our days with our feet in the sand. The other day, after finishing our homework early (we homeschool), my boys and I headed to a nearby bay beach, about 20 minutes from our house, for some fun in the sun. We found our spot, I set up my beach chair and the boys threw in all the sand toys, ready to dig holes with their construction vehicles and build sandcastles. We weren’t there very long before other younger kids wanted to join in the fun; they walked towards us and picked up one of our shovels. Their grandmother immediately came over to apologize for the mini-intruders. I assured him that they were welcome to use our toys and play. We started chatting and enjoying each other’s company as we got to know each other.
Suddenly a man came to us with gospel tracts and started talking about Jesus. My new friend quickly shut her up and told her she wasn’t interested in talking about religion. He left politely and my heart started racing. I knew I had to take this opportunity to speak the truth in love and talk to him about Jesus Christ. After explaining that I was encouraged by this man’s boldness because I was also a Christian, I began to lovingly challenge his false beliefs about the Lord Jesus. Even though she backed off a little, I was able to share the gospel with her. She thanked me for sharing my faith with her and finally left to go home to her family. This unexpected gospel encounter opened a beautiful conversation with my sons about the importance of us being willing to talk about our love for Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 says: “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being ready to defend the hope that is in you to everyone who asks you reason; but do it gently and respectfully. »
One way to honor Christ as holy is to fear Him more than people. So often we are intimidated and hesitant to engage in gospel conversations with people because we don’t want to offend them or because we don’t want to offend them or experience embarrassment or rejection. Proclaiming the good news is one of the most loving things we can do for those who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus or who believe lies about Him and His word. We honor Christ by walking in obedience to the Great Commission He has given us (Matthew 28:16-20).
Peter tells us to always be ready to share why we have hope in Christ. How do you prepare your heart to share this hope? As followers of Christ, we must fill our minds with the word of God, becoming diligent students of the Bible and masters at memorizing Scripture. Jesus tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), so let’s make sure our hearts are filled with God’s truth! We can also prepare ourselves by prayer in our evangelistic efforts, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who gives us power and wisdom. He brings us so much grace when we feel inadequate, intimidated, or awkward in our words.
Finally, we must remember that our words should always be spoken with gentleness, reverence, and respect (both for Christ and for others). We should never be aggressive, arrogant, or rude when telling others about our faith or what God’s word says.1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter on love) can help us evaluate whether our behavior and words toward others are truly loving. We should also never view people as arguments to win, but as souls who desperately need the hope of Jesus Christ. As his disciples, we have the joy and privilege of boasting about his saving work and sharing this good news with others. May the Lord strengthen us and give us the boldness to share his truth and his Gospel with this lost and dark world!
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father,
Help me to have eyes to see the opportunities around me to share the hope within me. Even if people are eager to reject your message, let that not be a hindrance to what you have called me to do as a disciple: preach the good news to all and disciple all nations. I rest in your grace to empower me when I am intimidated or embarrassed. Please help me to fear and honor you more than others. Make me hungry for Your word so that I will be ready to tell others about You and Your ways. Thank you for saving me and calling me to tell others about your great redeeming love.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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