Entering into another person’s world with compassion, empathy, and love is a good first step to witnessing to them about our Lord, because people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Meeting another person is like traveling to a foreign country, with different customs, values, and religious beliefs.
Many people live lives of quiet desperation, so unless we can enter into the world, to see the world as they do, we won’t be able to connect with them or to minister to them. While we will want to share our life experiences as well as ask questions, the following questions might help us step into their world:
1. How are you – are you happy? Sad? Frustrated? Angry? Bitter? Joyful?
2. What do you look forward to?
3. What brings joy into your life?
4. Are you afraid of anything? What?
5. When you are really down, what do you do? Who do you turn to?
6. Have there been defining moments – turning points in your life that changed the direction of your life? Can you share them with me?
7. When you die and go to the other side, what do you think you will see and experience? Does that make you afraid? Intrigued? Excited?
8. How do you see God? Who is He/She and what does He/She want with you? What do you want from God?
9. How do you see Jesus? What do you think it would have been like to be around Him when He walked on the earth?
10. Have you ever seen the hand of the Lord in your life, or felt His Presence? What was it like?
11. Do you know the Lord’s calling on your life – the unique and special purpose for which you were created?
12. If so, are you living out that purpose? If not, why not?
Finally, we need not be anxious about witnessing to others: “…do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matthew 10:19-20
To God be the glory
Board of Evangelism