How to Share Your Testimony: Tips, Examples, and Themes

Your Testimony is an Amazing Story

We love movies, books, and TV series that depict the lives of others. Stories teach us, encourage us, and challenge us as we see life from another perspective. Most of all, hearing a story that we can relate to reminds us that we are not alone.

A testimony is simply the story of how you have seen God work in your life. It can be the story of when you first put your faith in Christ, or it could be the story of what God is doing in your life right now. Your testimony demonstrates the love of Jesus and how having a relationship with Him has changed you or impacted your life. Your testimony can be a powerful tool to help others know Christ.

Proclaiming the great things Jesus has done for you can take many different forms. You can share your testimony with a friend over coffee, post about it on social media, or speak about it at your church or Cru club. Christina, a high school student, has seen God at work in her life and wanted to share her story with others through a video.

Check out her story below.

Whether your testimony looks like Christina’s or not, we all have a story. God wants to use your testimony to help others on their faith journey. Ready to share your testimony, but not sure how to start? We have you covered. Look below to learn why and how to share your story.

Example of a Testimony – Katie’s Story

In high school, Katie felt pressure to be the perfect student, the perfect athlete, and the perfect daughter. As soon as she got an A on one test, there would be another test on the following day. If she won one tennis match, soon there would be another match. Katie constantly felt anxious and exhausted trying to keep up this level of perfection that she thought was expected of her.

A turning point came when she went to a Christian camp for athletes. Speakers shared how someone could put their faith in Jesus to forgive the things they have done against God. Other students shared their joys and struggles with genuineness and authenticity. Katie learned that God would never love her more or less than He did at that moment. His love for her was not dependent on her performance. It was so freeing.

After trusting in Jesus as her Lord and Savior, Katie was so excited. She had hope for the future knowing God would be with her through any challenges she might face. Katie felt relief knowing God did not expect perfection. On her own, she could never attain perfection, but that is why Jesus died on the cross. He died for her shortcomings and promised new life with Him. Although life with Jesus was not instantly easier, it was better because she did not have to do it alone.

Ultimately, it was the love of God displayed through others that helped bring Katie into a relationship with Jesus. You could be that same example of God’s love for someone else.

Using a Theme in Your Story

When you begin to put your personal story together, think about any general themes that may surface. Themes are important because they are the “connection points” to the experiences of others. These connection points help people relate to what we are saying and reveal where they need God in their own life. Below are some themes that relate to the human condition across all cultures and ages. Can you think of any themes that have caused trouble in your life? Do any of these themes relate to you? You may find that more than one theme applies to you.

Universal Testimony Themes

Love and Acceptance: Who loves me? Where do I find my worth?
Purpose of Life: Why am I here?
Forgiveness: Who could ever forgive me? How could I forgive him/her?
A change of heart/attitude: When did my faith become my own?
Satisfaction: What can satisfy me? What makes me fulfilled?
Hope: Where do I find hope and joy?
Identity: Who am I? Where do I find my identity? (sports, music, etc)
Peace/Freedom from Anxiety: how do I deal with my anxiety?

Figure out the biggest theme in your own story, where God has done the most work in your life. Knowing the theme will give your story direction.

Pro Tip: Once you have used one theme, come back and see if another theme also fits your story. God works in many ways through our stories and it is likely that more than one theme will fit your story. Try a few others to share different parts of your story with others!

Putting Your Story Together

Once you have your theme, you can put your story together. When we are talking about sharing your testimony, we are specifically talking about a time when God moved in your life – especially when you first came to Jesus. There are three parts to every testimony:

Part 1 – What was your life like before Jesus?
Part 2 – What happened when Jesus changed your life?
Part 3 – How has your life changed since you came to know Jesus?

Write it out
Take some time to think about each of these parts and begin writing out your story. Think about how your theme has played out in each of these three parts.

Part 1 – What was your life like before Jesus?
Talk about what life was like in the area of your theme before Jesus entered your life. Talk about the events leading up to your acceptance of Jesus. For example, you were lonely, had guilt over things you had done, or never felt good enough.

Part 2 – What happened when Jesus changed your life?
Where were you and what was going on? Why did you decide to place your faith in Jesus? This is a good opportunity to emphasize the parts of the gospel that drew you to Him. When you clearly share how and why you accepted Jesus, you are explaining to your audience how they also can start a relationship with Him.

Part 3 – How has your life changed since you came to know Jesus?
Talk about what changed since you asked Jesus into your life. Use the theme to express the changes that have happened. Be careful not to make it sound like life is perfect, but do talk about the positive things you are experiencing now that Jesus is in your life.

Our printable Testimony Worksheet is a great tool to help you think through the different parts of your testimony. Use the buttons below to print it off or fill out your own copy online.

Your testimony demonstrates the love of Jesus and how having a relationship with Him has changed you or impacted your life.

What if I Don't Have a Story?

You do have a story! Even if you have been a Christian for most of your life, there were still tough times when you needed to depend on God. The struggle could be an inner problem or something that has happened to you. Think about how God has shown up for you through that.

What was it like to experience this struggle?
How did God show up for you?
How have things changed since that time?

There are more ways to share your story than only telling about the moment you received Jesus. If you feel stuck, pray and ask God to reveal what he wants you to share. Remember, if you have Jesus, there is something that He wants to share through you!

For example, Brian’s life is going really well and he has not experienced any major upsets. However, he struggles with worry and anxiety over social media and body image. Brian knows Philippians 4 says, “do not be anxious about anything,” so he chooses to depend on God to give him peace by continually asking God for help. When Brian is telling his story, it shows others how God is meeting his needs every day through his struggle with anxiety.

The back side of the testimony worksheet will help those who think they do not have a story discover the story that God is writing for them.

Testimony Tips

Pray about what to say, ask God for help, and get advice from someone who has done this before.
Avoid specifically naming any church (positively or negatively) or saying the name of anyone who hurt you or let you down.
Use words others can understand, and stay away from words only people who know Jesus use (“in my heart,” “saved,” “she witnessed to me”).
If you have a church background, try to say it in a positive way.
- For example, “I was fortunate to be taken to church by my family, but I was not mature enough to fully understand what God was all about.”
Be truthful, but leave out gross details of past choices or events.
Make Jesus the focus of your story.
It is important to be real about life after becoming a Christian. Things will not be perfect. There will always be problems but Jesus will be there to guide you through.
- For example, Brian would say, “I still struggle with anxiety sometimes, but God is helping me overcome it as I depend on Him.”

God wants to use your testimony to help others on their faith journey.

Tips for Speaking

Pray before you get up to speak, and ask God to give you boldness as you talk.
Talk loudly so you can be heard anywhere in the room, especially in the back.
Give examples or experiences that the audience can understand.
Do not read straight from your notes. Glance at them occasionally so that you know where you are in your story.
If you are sharing in front of an audience, consider using a visual aid.
Leave out details that are not important and respect the time you are given. People have a limited attention span, so keep it short!
Have a closing sentence or verse, then STOP! 🛑

Be Ready to share your story

Memorize the First and Last Sentences
Often the most difficult parts of sharing your story can be the first and last sentences. We do not know how to start and we do not know how to stop talking. Consider memorizing your first and last sentences, then you will be able to open and close your talk in a clear and concise way. Write out those sentences word for word, memorize them, and be ready to use them when the time is right.

Practice It
Be sure to take the time to practice sharing your story a few times before you share it with a friend or in front of a group. Practice alone in your room and practice in front of a few trusted friends. The more you practice, the better it will be and the easier it will be to share your story when the moment arrives.

You Got This
When you have your story ready to go, God can use it at any moment! You may have one minute in passing, or you may have five minutes in front of an audience. There might also be an opportunity to have an extended conversation with someone. The point is to always be ready. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

Next Step

Using the testimony worksheet, write out your own story and trust God for an opportunity to share it.

Testimony Worksheet

Evangelism

This article is part of the Evangelism Collection. Read the rest of these articles to get an even better understanding of how to share your faith with students.

5 Key Features of the Claim Your Campus App

Pray Now:
This section is designed to lead any student through a daily 15-minute prayer time for their school. The format is simple: Listen, Thank, Ask. Each day students read a passage of scripture, thank God for something specific He is doing in their school, and ask Him for help at their school and schools across the country.

21-Day Challenge:
Habits take time to build. The 21-Day Challenge can help you and your students build the habit of praying together daily.

Share Your Story:
Students from all over the country are using Claim Your Campus at their schools. This video feature gives students one minute to capture what God is doing at their school and then share it.

Groups:
Use the Groups section to form your own prayer group and/or join other groups. Students praying together in community for their school(s) is the foundation of CYC. The group feature keeps students connected, motivated, and encouraged to keep pressing on!

Prayer Walk Your Campus:
This feature describes how to prayer walk a campus in three easy steps. Invite. Pray. Report. It includes a brief tutorial and a downloadable prayer walk guide.

Social Media:
Stay connected through Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube pages; News and Updates can also be found in the app.

Cast the Vision: Prayer Equals Change

Use these videos to get excited about how God could change your campus through prayer and how He could use you to build a prayer movement at your school.
General Promo video
Marion School video

Invite Students to Be One in the Million

Students download the app using the QR code graphic & claim their campus!

We encourage all campus movements to emphasize prayer and the Claim Your Campus app is a great way to engage students in prayer.

4 Different Ways Students Can Claim Their Campus

Start a Weekly Prayer Group. The CYC app provides prompts that change weekly.
Host a prayer walk around your campus. The CYC app features a Prayer Walk Guide.
Embed 5-10 minutes of Prayer into Your Weekly Cru Club Meeting. Build a CULTURE of prayer. CYC has done all the work for you. Click here for the Leader’s Guide and here for premade slides for up to 20 weeks. That is enough for an entire school year. CYC’s GRAB-N-GO resources make praying EASY.
Participate in Annual National Events such as SYATP.

Invite the adults in your community to support SYATP by signing up for The Prayer Walk Project. This project offers a way for caring adults to join hands in prayer on the Saturdays before and after SYATP.

Prayer is the real power in any campus movement. Make it a non-negotiable in your ministry to emphasize prayer with adults and students and see how God moves.

Next Step

Download the Claim Your Campus app and consider how you could use it on your campus today. Do you have a prayer strategy for your plans? If not, send the app to a few student leaders and invite them to start praying for their campus!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

4 Ways to Prepare for a Prayer Walk

Prepare Your Heart

Surrender the Prayer Walk to the Lord. Ask the Lord for one or two scriptures to help prepare your heart. Jot them down. If you like, use them to inspire the people you invite, or share them with your team the day you meet to prayer walk. Pray for:

Divine appointments with people.
Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help.
God to guide your steps.
Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Team

Pray for Names. Ask the Lord to bring to mind specific names of students, volunteers, parents, pastors, and/or faculty you can ask to join your prayer walk. Keep in mind, this is not about numbers. Even one prayer partner is enough. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Invite the People that He brought to mind. Decide what mode of communication is best: text? social media? phone call? Give them a brief description of what a prayer walk is and what they can expect that day. Share what has motivated you to gather a team to pray. Be sure to tell them the date, the start and end times, and the location. Give them an RSVP date.

Send them any final details on the day before. Remind your team what time you will begin and end and the location to meet. Let them know what to bring and any adjustments needed due to weather or other factors.

(During a Prayer Walk) Pray for: Divine appointments with people. Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help. God to guide your steps. Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Campus

Check with an Insider at Your School. Once you choose your campus and gather your team, you may want to check with an insider at the school to see if there is anyone you need to notify ahead of time. Most likely, it will not be an issue if you are prayer walking after school or over the weekend on the parts of the campus that are open to the public. Avoid prayer walking on campus during school hours without permission.

Prepare Your Details

“WHO” DETAILS: By now, you know WHO is coming. But here are some other “WHO” questions to think about if you have a larger group. Who will…

begin the prayer walk (introduce/explain it)?
end the prayer walk?
lead smaller groups (if your team is large)?

“WHAT TO BRING” DETAILS: You may want to bring copies of the Prayer Guide and the Leader Guide.

“WHERE/WHEN” DETAILS: Make sure everyone knows the date and time you will meet. Include starting point (address of meeting spot) and ending point (time and meeting spot).

“HOW” DETAILS: For your convenience, this Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide provides a general flow and includes sample scripts of what to say from start to finish. If you can read it, you can lead it. But you may need to think through the unique needs of your prayer walk.

Would you like the prayer walk to be more casual or more organized? Do you have people who are comfortable prayer walking or more new people who may need more instruction?

You have prepared your part. Time to grab your walking shoes. Let’s do this!

Next Step

It is time to get on the campus to pray. Text one friend today and ask them if they would be willing to go to the school to prayer walk with you this week. Get your feet on the campus and pray together. Once you have done it yourself, it will be a lot easier to gather others to do it with you.

Prayer Walking

After the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert, God called Joshua to bring His people into the land He had promised them. The commander of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua with instructions essentially for a prayer walk around the city of Jericho. And let’s just say the Israelites’ obedience to his words, made history. (If you are unfamiliar with this incredible story, you can read the whole story here.)

What is Prayer Walking?

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk. And you can do it anywhere: around your neighborhood, through your city, or even on your daily commute. Invite others to join you! As you walk together, let the Spirit of God use what you see to guide your prayers. Then, trust God to respond in His perfect way and timing.

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you. It puts you right where the students are—like God’s boots on the ground—allowing you to connect your heart to that specific location as you pray. And who knows? It might even lead to a chance meeting with a key person on campus. Many ministries have started with a simple “Hey there!” to a student or administrator during a prayer walk. A casual stroll can open unexpected doors!

If you have never done this before, no worries! Joshua—the young leader from the Bible—had not done it before either. It was his willingness and availability to God that mattered most. And the same goes for you—no experience required!

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk.

Prayer Walk in Three Easy Steps

Meet Up (5 minutes)

Grab a friend or two and meet on campus- ideally after school or on the weekend. Select and read a meaningful passage from the Bible together. Take a minute to pray a blessing over this time, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.

Walk & Pray (10-20 minutes)

Start walking the perimeter of the campus and let the Holy Spirit use who/what you see guide your prayers. Here are 5 ways you could begin praying:

Ask God to move by His Spirit on this campus and be glorified.
Pray people here would hunger and thirst for God.
Pray for the believers here to live wholeheartedly for Jesus and make others feel seen, known, and loved by God.
Pray for leaders in this school’s community (students, parents, administration, faculty, coaches, etc.)

Wrap It Up (5 minutes)

Select a spot to close your time together. Talk about how it went. Was there anything that stood out as significant or meaningful? Take a few minutes to thank God for this time. Express your love for Him and your confidence that He will respond to the prayers He heard today.

Other Prayer Walking Guides

If you would rather have a more specific guide to help you in your prayer walk, try one below:

CYC Prayer Walk Guide
Locations on Campus Prayer Walking Guide
The Launchbox Prayer Walking Guide
Make a list of prayer requests to pray about your specific campus
Just invite people to pray for things that come to mind as they walk

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you.

Why Do It?

Prayer Walking Knocks Down Walls

What effect did Joshua’s and the Israelites’ obedience have on the fortified and powerful ancient city of Jericho? Well, the God of the Universe infused their faith-filled feet with power, causing the otherwise insurmountable walls of the city to collapse. That’s how they fought and won the battle of Jericho—without ever throwing a punch!

Now, maybe you are not planning to tear down any physical walls around your school—in fact, let’s definitely avoid that! But in the spiritual realm, every school is a battlefield for souls. On every campus, there are barriers to the gospel that need to be broken down. Inside every person, there are walls that separate us from God or keep us from fully experiencing the abundant life He wants for us.

Looking for a more current example of a battle fought and won with prayer? Check out this powerful story of what happened when a group of students in Marion, Indiana consistently and prayerfully put feet to their faith and watched God win the battle for their campus. If you want to read about more victories won with praying feet, check out Exodus 14 and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Some Other Great Reasons to Prayer Walk Your Campus

It is a place to gather other believers who have a heart for the campus.
It is a way to be on campus with a purpose.
Sometimes God uses these times to introduce us to key gatekeepers on campus.
It might surface some needs on the campus with which you could help.
It helps your team become more familiar with the campus and less fearful of going there.
It is better than doing nothing. Sometimes God moves when we take action.

Within the campus ministry of Cru, prayer walking has actually been shown to be the single most effective strategy in seeing new gospel movements started.
– Dan Allen, Director of Mission Expansion

The powerful presence of God always has and STILL does mix with our prayers and supernaturally connects us more deeply to God, ourselves, and others. Prayer breaks down barriers that lie between us and wins the battle for souls.

Prayer walking can be your lead foot on any campus. Ready to grab a friend and step into the unknown with Him? Prayer walking is something anyone can do.

Next Step

Plan 15 minutes this week to stop at your local high school, walk around, and pray for the school. Bring a friend or do it alone; just get your feet on the campus and pray. Ask God to show you what next steps He would like you to take.