My Book of Life - Project
How to Write my Testimony
Step 1 : Pray before you begin
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death. – Rev 12:11
Our testimony or faith journey is a powerful spiritual weapon you can use when witnessing to lost souls. Our biggest goal in life is to honor God and advance His kingdom. Pray in the Holy Spirit for guidance before you start.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain. – Ps 127:1
You really want God’s blessing on this otherwise it will be in vain or not be that effective. This in essence is your sword of the spirit that you fight with.
This needs to be a one pager, personal, sincere, to the point, vulnerable and in your own words.
My first draft using a template took me under and hour to complete.
Step 2 : Prep yourself with an Example to have a Theme
Start off by reading a testimony someone else wrote to get a feel of what is out there. Making it easier, you can copy and paste parts out of other testimonies and personalize it.
- Paul’s testimony in the Bible – Acts 22, 26 and Phil 3:4-17.
- Stephen’s testimony before he was stoned – Acts 7:1-60
You will see that all these testimonies have a story line combined with scriptures they quote.
A note: Your testimony is dependent on the crowd you are addressing, but in this case it should be all crowds you are addressing. It will give you flexibility when you tell your testimony and to tailor-make it to the person you are addressing when you are using it in real time.
Sharing your testimony is sharing the gospel applicable to you, to what changed your life and might change other’s lives too.
Step 3 : What was your life like in the past
Reminisce on your life and state of mind you were in before you became a disciple. Ask yourself what was important to you and what arguments for or against Christianity you had. Include these statements in your own testimony:
- Ask yourself about the obstacles or sin you faced, the effect it had on your life and your mental state.
- Remember what was missing in your life, what alternatives you followed and attempts you made to rectify the life situation that you were in.
Step 4 : Write an outline
An outline is like a index to your book or story you write, just to give it a bit more of a flow. Your outline summarizes each section of your testimony. It can be a few key words you can build your testimony around.
- Remember when you write your first draft you must just write what you think without editing. Professional writers do the same when they start writing a book.
- Remember you must be able to share this from your heart with conviction with other people!
- Keep it brief, use secular lingo, avoid idioms, share from the Bible, leave other people out of it, be honest and write the way you speak.
As a general rule, your testimony should be divided into five parts:
- Opening or Introduction
- What made you decide to write a testimony?
- Your life / background before becoming a disciple
- What was your destiny you were aiming for?
- What were your state of mind, needs and problems?
- What were you investing your time and money in?
- What gave you security, peace of mind and happiness?
- Your 180 degree point, what changed your mind?
- When did you first hear the good news? When were you first exposed to discipleship?
- What was your first response to discipleship?
- When and why did discipleship make an impact on you?
- What was the turning point in your mind?
- What struggles with repentance did you have right before your decision?
- Your new life
- What changes did you see in your life, attitudes and actions?
- Did your life change before you became a disciple?
- What does it mean to you to be a disciple of Jesus?
- Closing or Summary
- Your close needs to remind people what you said and compel them to make a decision for Christ.
Step 5 : The solution
This describes the moment of your conversion, focusing on Jesus and your current situation / family you are in.
On a last note: Looking at Paul’s testimony, address your defense as to an angry crowd that wants to kill you. The reason being; Satan will not let go of that person easily that you are sharing your testimony with. Remember your issues.
Remember the result your testimony can have on people. This was a sinful person’s (in the eyes of the world) testimony:
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, He told me everything I ever did’ – Jn 4:39
Imagine what impact yours can have on the world in making disciples for Jesus.
Amen
PS: You can start a Zoom meeting and record your testimony while your friend ask you the questions on your testimony.