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Things I have learnt about sharing my faith

Since I became a Christian in 1989 there are many things that I have learnt and experienced. Some of the most interesting things I have learnt revolve around sharing my faith. In this message I thought I would reflect upon some of those things I have learnt, or more precisely, am still learning!

1. Prayer is Vital

I believe prayer is the key that unlocks the hearts of mankind and opens them up to the Lord. I have found that no matter how hard some people are or how closed they are to the Gospel, if I commit to pray for them regularly, in God's time they start to soften. I always pray four things for someone the Lord places on my heart - Holy Spirit convict them of their sin, Holy Spirit reveal their need for a Saviour, Holy Spirit draw them to Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit open their minds to the truth of the Gospel.

Prayer not only softens people, but I believe it allows God to speak to us about whom to speak to and when. Whenever I meet someone new, I always ask the Lord if this person is someone He wants me to share my faith with. I usually find within a few days that I am praying for them and have the desire to speak to them if it is someone the Lord wants me to share with.

2. The Holy Spirit wins people to the Lord

As Christians it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is our job to save our family and friends. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, that the Holy Spirit comes to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. This verse says very plainly to me that I can preach until the cows come home, but if the Holy Spirit doesn't move, no-one is going to get saved.

When I first reflected on this verse I was reminded that everything Jesus did was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows us that Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, He was led by, empowered, performed miracles and was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit. It was then I realised that if Jesus relied so much on the Spirit in His life, I needed to rely on the Spirit in all I do. This especially applies to my efforts in sharing.

3. I am just called to sow

I have had many days that the words just don't come out right and walked away shaking my head thinking why didn't I say this. Other days God has asked me to speak to someone and I nervously blurted something out in a rush.

To be honest, although I didn't get the job done "perfectly", I wouldn't change any of these experiences, because I know that in the midst of them, God has still been able to use me. One thing that God has really placed on my heart is that as a Christian I am just called to sow His word and if I do my part faithfully, He will take care of the rest.

So wherever you are in your efforts, I would encourage you to remember these principles when sharing. They have helped me and I am sure they will help you also.

By Dave Quinn
Founder PASSION Australia