10 tips for witnessing to seekers

It’s clearly our duty to help the lost-but-looking find their way to Christ. As the apostle Peter wrote, “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15b).  Sincere seekers will gladly listen to the evidence you present. Here’s how.

1. Pray for opportunities and wisdom. God is the only one who can soften a seeker’s heart, and the only one who knows exactly what he or she needs to hear.
2. Help frame the questions. We don’t know what we don’t know, and the lost may not even know what questions to ask. Answering these questions can be a good place to begin: Can I be sure that there a God? If so, which one is the real deal?
3. Point to the Creator. Ask the $64,000 question: How can we logically credit a painter for a painting, or a sculptor for a sculpture, and yet deny that a Creator was responsible for the creation? 
4. Clarify the candidates. Which One is the real God? To give your seeker a grasp of the alternatives, offer a copy of James Sire’s The Universe Next Door – or familiarize yourself with its content and present it in a nutshell. Then challenge him or her to find evidence for Christianity’s competitors. (Good luck with that!)
5. Amass evidence that the Bible is absolute truth. Determine whether your seeker is most interested in prophecy, history, science, or logic, and then present the pertinent evidence to demonstrate scripture's truth and divine inspiration. 
6. Explain the gospel – that we’re all sinners headed for hell, but that Jesus paid our personal penalties for sin so that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven – all in exchange for repenting and trusting in Him rather than our own non-existent “goodness.”
7. Pray some more. Ask the Lord to do whatever it takes to usher your seeker safely into His fold – and to help you walk worthy before him or her.
8. Count the cost. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake” (Luke 6:22). It’s going to happen, if you’re witnessing effectively. Recognize it as a small price to pay for your salvation.
9. Encourage yourself. In the end, heaven is the only treasure worth pursuing in this life – for yourself, and for everyone you know. Always keep your eye on the prize: eternal life with the One who died for you.
10. Be patient. You may not see much progress in your seeker’s heart today, or next week, or even after years. It may not even happen in your lifetime. Rest secure in the knowledge that you’ve been faithful to plant the seeds of faith, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.