How to write a short Christian testimony

What was happening?

Put the reader beside you for a moment. Where were you? What was on your mind? You might begin at the kitchen sink after a long shift, or outside a classroom before a difficult conversation. Choose the detail you actually remember.

If the story involves someone else, tell the part that belongs to you. “Someone brought us supper” can hold all the gratitude you want to express while keeping a neighbor’s name and circumstances private.

Where did you notice God’s care?

In Mark 5, a man who wants to travel with Jesus receives a different invitation. Jesus sends him home to tell the people close to him about the mercy he has received. His listeners can begin with someone they already know.

Give your own listener something just as concrete. Perhaps you found enough courage in prayer to make a phone call. Perhaps a friend stayed and washed the dishes when you were too tired to ask. Describe the help and what it meant to you.

What do you want to say to Jesus?

Read your sentences aloud. Finish with a word of thanks you could genuinely pray today, even if the situation is still unfolding. Here is a made-up example of how those three pieces can fit together.

I came home from work dreading a phone call I had put off all week. I asked Jesus for the courage to listen, then called my brother. We still have things to work through. Thank you, Lord, for helping me begin.

Give it one last read

Keep the detail that helps another person picture the moment. Cut any sentence you added because you thought a testimony ought to sound a certain way. If it sounds like you, it is ready to share with a friend, your church, or the praise wall.