Sharing our testimony in gratitude for what God’s done for us is a great form of spiritual witnessing. It’s a way of glorifying God.
One of my kids suggested getting a selfie circle light to minimize my wrinkles on Zoom calls or selfie shots. How often do we respond to a glowing recommendation from someone we trust, affirming the good that certain products or services have produced? Well, I was easily influenced. I just ordered one of those lights! That kind of positive word-of-mouth advertising may be the most effective marketing. So . . . Let’s talk up God, far more than the next-gen is talking up the “everybody-needs-one” selfie circle lights!
A spiritual testimony is a personal declaration of what God has done for you. Telling a compelling story with thanksgiving helps God raise other people’s interest or curiosity. It can be the doorway for bigger, better things for those who hear or read your heartfelt words.
I’ve been asked to give my testimony next weekend at an international UNBOUND Leadership Conference. People come to this Philadelphia conference from all over the world, and most already have experience as prayer leaders or intercessors, if not as leaders and trainers, of UNBOUND Prayer Teams. So being asked to share feels like a formidable responsibility and opportunity. I can only hope to do alright by depending fully on the Holy Spirit and bringing my genuine gratitude and enthusiasm for this healing ministry that opens the way for hurting people to be set free.
Over the past nine years, I’ve started, trained, and led Unbound teams in San Francisco and Albuquerque, sometimes as if it were a full-time job. We don’t charge for the 1.5 to 2-hour individual ministry sessions our team offers; our best reward is to receive a great testimonial! So, after you receive Unbound ministry or any other kind of prayer ministry, you’re encouraged to write down what God did for you. You might simply respond to the prayer team’s request for an evaluation, keeping a copy for yourself. It could be notes in your journal, computer, or smartphone about what took place, how you felt before, during, right after, and/or upon later reflection. Sometimes those we’ve prayed with send us a personal letter or email. Whatever works is good!
Having written down the important experience is very strengthening, and it helps as your memory fades. It can be especially strengthening to read what you wrote later, in a difficult time prior to your next breakthrough. (Yes, it’s common to have ups and downs in our spiritual lives, with multiple breakthroughs as we grow in holiness and intimacy with God. At times like that, looking back and seeing growth can uplift you.)
Here are some guidelines for sharing God-stories, to help others know the value of engaging in this kind of life-changing prayer. Now it’s my turn to do it in front of a large live audience. Please pray for me if you’re reading this before March 19th, 2023! As I’m preparing my own testimony, I’m reviewing what I’ve previously shared with others . . .
Questions to Ask in Coming Up with Your Testimony:
The following questions were written by Neal Lozano (in his Unbound Companion Guide) to guide people in telling their personalized story of God’s action in their lives:
What has the Lord done in my life through the UNBOUND message?
What truths has the Lord revealed to me?
What sins (or bad habits or addictions) have I overcome by God’s grace?
What enemies or lies have I renounced that I now refuse to fellowship with?
How has the Father revealed His love to me as His son or daughter?
What blessing is He whispering to me right now?
You might also ask:
How do I feel now that I have forgiven a person, an action, an omission, or hurtful words that wounded me?
How do I feel as a result of telling my story and having it listened to with love and without judgment (if you experienced that, which is always the intention of UNBOUND ministry teams)?
How do I see my UNBOUND experience affecting my life going forward? Has it already made a positive difference?
If you’re reading this to learn about sharing your own testimony, good for you! Remember what a blessing it could be to share your testimony with others you know, perhaps in your family or among a small faith community — without going into too much detail, except perhaps to a few very well-trusted believers or a spiritual director or confessor.
For a Moving Testimony, keep it personal, specific, and concrete. If you’re willing to share some details of previous bondage and specifically how the Lord has released you, others will be able to relate to your story and your words will bear good fruit for the Lord.
Do It, Because Jesus Asks Those He Heals or Delivers to Witness to Others!
In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus cast out the demon called “Legion,” which had possessed a chained, cave-dwelling, screaming man in Gerasenes. At the demon’s request, Jesus sent the evil spirit into a herd of swine, which then ran off the cliff into the sea. The healed and now free man wanted to follow Jesus as he traveled around preaching, healing, and delivering others from evil. But Jesus wouldn’t let the man join him, because Jesus had greater work for the man to do than just being his follower. He said, “Go home to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” ~Luke 8:39 (NLT). Jesus wants us to tell our story and pass on the miracles and healings that transform our lives!
Did these inspire you? Read more of my blog HERE.