If you’ve been following Jesus for much time at all, you know that Jesus has sent us out to tell others about him. “Go and make disciples,” “Be my witnesses,” and “You are the light of the world,” are among the most frequently quoted lines from Jesus. But knowing we should do something and knowing how to do something is not always the same thing. So for those of you who would love to talk Jesus with your friends but just don’t know where to start, I’ve compiled my top favorite ways to spark a spiritual conversation.
Talk with God
This is generally solid advice for anything you do in life, but on this topic in particular God has promised some special support. In fact, in the same passage that Jesus says, “Go and make disciples,” he also says, “I will be with you always.” So start off by just talking with God and you may find Jesus show up in a special way this week.
Pray WITH someone else
Offering to pray for someone is one of the simplest and most effective segues into spirituality. When your friend says, “I’m having a really hard day,” you can respond, “Would you mind if I pray for you? I find that it really helps me in these situations.” It’s so simple and oh so helpful to get the spiritual side of a relationship to start budding. For a simpler version of this, you can simply promise you will pray for them at some point. Then follow up by saying, “Hey, I’ve been praying for that thing you mentioned. How’s it going?”
The Church Update Approach
When you see your work-friend on Monday and they ask, “What did you do this weekend?” why not just tell them you went to church? They asked. You might as well tell them. To be even more helpful, tell them something you learned, a verse that stuck to you, or a line from one of the songs that gave you hope. “I went to church and they talked about ______. It was really inspiring,” is a great way to get a spiritual conversation started with someone.
The Bible Update Approach
This is basically the same as the one above, but involves your own Bible reading. Did you read something inspiring, challenging, or encouraging lately? When your friend asks you what you have been up to, tell them you’ve been really wrestling with a quote you read from the Bible. Again, it can be a natural way to introduce Jesus to those around you.
Wear the Conversation Starter
I talked to someone just this weekend who asked, “what does that mean” when she saw the I Am Second wristband. I Am Second has lots of gear to help you get spiritual conversations started, but we are not the only ones out there making stuff. Go find something that you can wear that’ll help you start spiritual conversation.
Tell Your Story
How did you start following Jesus? What’s a prayer that God has answered in your life? When is a time that God did something good for you? The answer to any of these questions (and many more like them) are also great ways to introduce Jesus to others. They don’t have to be long or peppered with deep theological revelations, just the simple authentic story of God doing stuff in your life.
Hopefully this helps you spark some spiritual conversations with your friends. For more tips and real time help head over the Forum and see what else you can do to start sharing Jesus with your friends and family.