If you’ve been in school, you’ve had to prepare for an academic test or exam. You hear from the teacher, you read the book, and then hopefully, you can apply your knowledge to pass the test. Similarly, Christian life is full of tests and challenges. You’ve learned about Christ, and you read the Bible… But can you apply your godly knowledge to prove your faith? God lets life situations test us and refine our faith. But we can “be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ) , because He uses tough circumstances to help us grow and know Him better.

Christian Hope

The most important test of your life might be when your faith is challenged: What if a non-Believer asks why you hope in the Lord? What will you do when you face taunting or persecution for your beliefs? Remember, “we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, [and] we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1). This “faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1). So again, we can thank God for “problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Testing Faith

In the midst of a test or challenge, you can depend on the Lord, “Who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19). Jesus knows your struggles. As a human, He “was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil” (Matthew 4:1)at the start of His ministry, and “has been tempted in every way, just as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus constantly called on the Father, and He encouraged His followers to “pray, so that you will not give in to temptation” (Luke 22:46) With prayer, we can follow the Bible’s instructions to “examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Then we will be ready when life challenges us and “consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3).

Prayer, Care and Share Jesus

Be Ready to Give An Answer for your Faith Scripture: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15)

Are you struggling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ directly with the lost people God puts around you? You are not alone! Statistics show that on average, 96% of believers do not share their faith on a regular basis.

This is exactly what I hope the Prayer, Care, and Share Jesus (PCS) guide will help you with! If you are asking the Lord to bless people around you daily, building friendships with non-believers in your life, and caring for the needs of people around you by: helping, encouraging and praying for them, you are already encouraging people to know Jesus and and sharing the gospel

So, by actually sharing your faith in Jesus, I simply encourage you to be expectant and ready to give an answer for the hope in you (1 Peter 3:15). As you follow the steps in the Prayer, Care, and Share Jesus guide, don’t be surprised if the lost people around you start asking questions about your faith. You may not easily take the initiative to talk about Jesus - but it is easy to answer questions!

Just answer any question about your faith truthfully. Make sure you are prepared to give your testimony in no more than 3 minutes. People can argue with you about the Bible and many other religious questions, but not about your experience in meeting Christ (or why you believe). Always do it with gentleness and respect for the person you talk to - this may be the start of a wonderful journey together!

Helpful Tip: If people ask you questions about Christianity that you cannot answer, it is OK to say that you do not know, but will find out. Then turn to resources like GodLife.com, your Online Missionary (if you have one), your pastor, or trusted friends for assistance.