A Prayer to Be a Bold Witness for Christ - Your Daily Prayer - June 24
June 24, 2026
A Prayer to Be a Bold Witness for Christ
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV).
Listen or Read Below:
My family is blessed to live near the beach, so we frequently spend our days with our toes in the sand. The other day, after finishing our schoolwork early (we homeschool), my boys and I headed to a nearby Bay beach about 20 minutes from our house to have some fun in the sun. We found our spot, I set up my beach chair, and the boys dumped out all of the sand toys, ready to dig some holes with their construction vehicles and build sandcastles. We weren’t there very long before some other younger children wanted to join in on the fun; they made their way over to us and picked up one of our shovels. Their grandmother immediately came over and apologized for the mini-intruders. I assured her they were welcome to use our toys and play along. We started chatting and enjoying each other’s company as we got to know one another.
Suddenly, a man came over to us with some gospel tracts and began to talk about Jesus. My new friend quickly shut him down and told him she wasn’t interested in talking about religion. He politely left, and my heart began pounding. I knew that I needed to seize this opportunity to speak the truth in love and tell her about Jesus Christ. After explaining that I was encouraged by that man’s boldness because I was also a Christian, I began to lovingly challenge her false beliefs about the Lord Jesus. Even though she pushed back a little, I managed to share the gospel with her. She thanked me for sharing my faith with her and eventually left to go home with her family. This unexpected evangelistic encounter opened a beautiful conversation with my sons about how important it is for us to be ready to talk about our love for Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 says “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
One way we can honor Christ as holy is to fear Him more than we fear people. So often, we are intimidated and hesitant to engage in gospel conversations with people because we either don’t want to offend them or experience embarrassment or rejection. Proclaiming the good news is one of the most loving things we can do for those who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus or may believe lies about Him and His word. We honor Christ by walking in obedience to the Great Commission that He gave us (Matthew 28:16-20).
Peter tells us to always be prepared to share why we have hope in Christ. How are you preparing your heart to share that hope? As Christ followers, we must fill our minds with God’s word, becoming diligent Bible students and master memorizers of scripture. Jesus tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), so let’s make sure our hearts are full of God’s truth! We can also prepare ourselves by being prayerful in our evangelistic efforts, knowing that it’s the Holy Spirit who empowers us and gives us wisdom. He supplies so much grace when we feel inadequate, intimidated, or clumsy with our words.
Lastly, we must remember that our words should always be spoken with meekness, reverence, and respect (for both Christ and others). We should never be forceful, arrogant, or rude when talking to others about our faith or what God’s word says.1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) can help us gauge whether our behavior and words towards others are genuinely loving. We should also never see people as arguments to win, but as souls who desperately need the hope of Jesus Christ. As His followers, we have the joy and privilege of boasting in His saving work and sharing that good news with others. May the Lord strengthen us and give us boldness to share His truth and gospel to this lost and dark world!
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
Help me to have eyes to see the opportunities around me to share the hope within me. Even when people may be eager to reject your message, let that not be a roadblock to what you have called me to do as your disciple- to preach the good news to all and make disciples of all nations. I rest in your grace to empower me when I am intimidated or embarrassed. Please help me to fear and honor you more than people. Give me a hunger for Your word so that I am prepared to tell others about You and Your ways. Thank You for saving me and calling me to tell others about Your great redeeming love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/GordonImagess
Related Resource: What to Do When God Seems Distant
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In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation professor Kyle Strobel to discuss the new book When God Seems Distant, coauthored with John Coe. If this episode helps you recenter your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
