By Jackie Ricks
How do you know when to speak up and when to keep quiet? How do you know which people to share your faith with? How do you know exactly what to say? Stay tuned to the “right channel,” and the Holy Spirit will lead you to say and do what needs to be said and done with the proper recipients. It doesn’t matter if you’re part of an organized visitation or witnessing program with your church or simply taking opportunities as they come in daily life; you should pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right people and help you say the right things at the right time.
Timing is important. Just as an organized program wouldn’t want to go out on visits during a normal mealtime or a child’s bath or bedtime, you wouldn’t want to catch a person during their work break or as they are rushing out the door. However, you do need to be aware of the Spirit’s leading. Once I had a perfect opportunity to open up a conversation about the gospel, and I let the moment slip through my fingers. As my friend drove off, I realized I’d missed God’s nudge to discuss it. As it turns out, I moved away not long after that. I did finally write her a letter and witnessed in that, but I never heard back.
Prayer is one of the most important parts of the witnessing process. Pray for God to lead you to the right individual, whether it’s someone you already know or perhaps even a complete stranger. Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare the people in advance. Pray for God to steer the conversation in the right direction, then to nudge you to realize when it’s time to discuss the gospel. Pray for the proper words and timing. Pray for someone else to keep Satan busy while you are visiting with the person. Pray that God will use you however He needs to — plant the seed, water it or perhaps see God give the increase. Just remember that it is always God who saves. We just happen to be blessed to be a small part of the process at times.
Some people think you can ask anyone at any time if they know the Lord. However, in my experience, you need a relationship with the person first — at least a conversation that has naturally come around to the subject. When I was a teen, my dad had been getting to know a certain man in town who was lost. He felt as though he was getting close to being able to talk to him about his relationship with the Lord. Many had tried before and failed. However, we had an evangelist come to town for revival services. The first time that evangelist saw the man, he bluntly asked him if he knew the Lord and began badgering him about being saved before my dad could say anything. All the prep work my dad had done went down the drain. The lost man assumed dad had put the evangelist up to talking to him. Dad never got another chance with the man. In fact, the man avoided my father any time he saw him after that.
We must be ready to witness when the Lord sends us someone, but the only way we can do that is by staying tuned in to what God has planned. Praying for God’s guidance in where we find people, whom we see, when we speak and what we say is very important.
Some Scripture to review as you prepare to share: Luke 12:12; John 14:26; Acts 1:8; I Cor. 2:9-13; I Thess. 5:17.
• Prayer — “Thank You, Lord, for giving us the Holy Spirit to help us. Please let me be more aware when He is trying to tell me something and help me to follow His leading. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
• Response — Be continually in prayer for the Holy Spirit to lead you in the right direction, to the exact person who needs to hear the gospel, at the correct time and with the words that need to be said for the best understanding. But remember, God is the One who saves, not us.
