As believers, God desires that we live our lives in pursuit of His glory and His mission. But being missional doesn’t always require you to go across the world. You can find opportunities to live life on mission at home too.
So here are a few tips for finding opportunities to start spiritual conversations whether you’re at the coffee shop down the street or in a hut in a remote African village.
Prayer is the foundation
You can be part of someone’s faith journey, but it’s important to recognize that the Holy Spirit is the one who works in people’s lives to draw them to the Father through Jesus Christ. That’s why every person desiring to be missional should always ground their days and their spiritual encounters in prayer.
You can pray for opportunities to arise to share the gospel, for those you meet to be open to the gospel message, and for clarity in speech while sharing about Jesus Christ and your faith. All of these prayers recognize God’s part in the process and also make you more aware of opportunities to share the love of Christ with the people God leads you to.
Start the conversation
God can work in mysterious ways, but it’s not very often that someone will simply walk up to you and ask you about Jesus. You will most likely have to make the first move. You must be intentional about engaging with those you come across each day.
The clerk at the grocery store. The person in front of you in line at the DMV. The woman who sits next to you on the train. Each of these people represents an opportunity to engage in conversations that present opportunities to share your faith. But they may be waiting for you to start.
Let go of the pressure
Your conversation may lead to an opportunity to talk about Jesus and the redemption found in Him. When it does, we can suddenly feel the pressure to get the story right or to tell them the exact right thing … but you don’t have to feel that way.
When you finally get to share the gospel, you have to remember that it’s the Holy Spirit’s work in your life and the other person’s that has brought you both to this point. You may be the tipping point, but you may also just be part of their journey into faith.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to equip you with words and for their hearts to be open. If they don’t make a decision, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s your fault. They weren’t quite ready, and the Holy Spirit is still working. And if they do, you can praise the Lord that you had the opportunity to be a part of their story.
Ultimately, all we can do is what the Lord asks of us—share His message of love by looking for opportunities to engage in spiritual conversations—and He will take care of the rest.