A testimony book is more than a diary. It’s a heartfelt, written declaration of how God showed up in your life. Sharing your spiritual story gives value to your story and can help others in finding their own relationship with God.
Here are 3 suggestions to help you begin writing your testimony book.
1. Focus on Transformation
Instead of recounting every detail, focus on the journey that demonstrates your transformation. Your start with Christianity may have come at an early age. Maybe you also encountered Jesus at critical points in your life that can be shared as learning experiences, heartwarming accounts, or awe-inspiring stories. Or, your come-to-Jesus conversion is a story in itself. Tell all, using sensory details that allow the reader to feel the heat or the cold, see the majestic picture, hear the wind howling, or taste the bitter coffee (if appropriate). Tell the reader what YOU felt.
While writing your testimony, consider who you want to reach with your message, whether it’s people facing similar struggles, family members, or a broader faith community. Let your audience shape how you share your story.
2. Structure Your Story
Start by outlining the major turning points in your life with Jesus. Identify moments where your perspective shifted or you experienced significant growth. Use milestones in your childhood, young adulthood, during or after your career to build the structure of your book. By focusing on these moments, it creates a story to be followed. By highlighting your struggles and joys, a compelling and relatable narrative guides readers through your journey of faith and change.
3. Answer Questions
An easy and effective way to tell your story is to answer questions about your life, and how it relates to your faith. Coming up with your own questions can be a challenge. One of the best ways to answer questions is to group them into categories, as noted above with the structure of your story.
Below are a few sections to group your testimony book and a sampling for each.
About Me and my Faith
What does God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit mean to you?
What does it mean to be a Christian?
List some of your favorite Bible verses.
Childhood
What was religion/faith like in your childhood home?
Name the churches you attended in your childhood.
How did you come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior?
Young Adult Years
Did you try to date Christians as a young adult?
How often did you pray?
What did you give thanks to God for?
What did you ask God for?
Looking Back and Giving Advice
What is the hardest thing in your life that tested your Christianity and faith?
Is it important to rely on Christian friends?
Are you becoming closer to God as you age?
When writing your spiritual life story, you can also add your own questions about the bible and the church, such as,
How do I read the Bible to truly absorb it?
Why are Christians imperfect?
Do I need church to have faith?
What’s the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus?
You may have your own questions to ponder as well, such as,
What is heaven like?
What about hell?
How can I be sure of salvation?
How to use questions in your testimony book
Instead of answering all the questions above, or any others you may come across, choose the questions that you have asked yourself. Then show,
- what you believed before,
- what challenged that belief,
- how God met you in that question,
- and how your answer looks different now.
You can develop a readable, relatable book sharing your testimony, based on your personal journey.
The Spiritual Life Stories program is the first of its kind, offering a way to easily share your testimony to make available to others to read in a book.
Find out more at Spirituallifestories.com.
