Each Friday my writing stems from a word prompt. Five minutes, one word prompt. The prompt this week is … Testimony.
Testimony has been defined as an open declaration or statement. We tend to use it more in terms of evidence in support of a fact in a court of law.
Growing up in the church, I remember there being a portion of the service dedicated to “testimonies” – when individuals were given opportunity to share about how God was at work in their life.
Testimonies – our stories – they matter.
“And they have defeated him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11, NLT)
Our testimonies, our stories, become the means by which we overcome and defeat the enemy of our souls. Satan would love for nothing better than to destroy or mar our testimonies.
He works at trying to make our testimonies ineffective because He knows they wield a powerful effect when combined with God’s Word. Our stories can encourage others, infusing them with hope, as they hear of God’s work in our lives.
May our stories tell not of our own achievements but of God’s power at work in, and through, our situations.
“Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the results of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.”
(Smith Wigglesworth)
Today I am joining … Five Minute Friday and Faith On Fire and Faith ”˜N Friends .
I always think of testimony as that once upon a time almost 30 years ago when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. And it is. But that’s not my only testimony.
We all have a hundreds of testimonies of how God is revealing Himself in our lives. May I be bold and tell those stories!
So true. Thanks for sharing.
O! How I love Brother Wigglesworth! Today, we went in the exact same direction in our writing!
What a great word: testimony! Last week in church, a woman shared she’d been begging God for a new car to replace her clunker, and God answered it by sending a man to hit her car! (Strange answer!) She actually got to share the Gospel and pray for the man. Hearing her story built my faith!
May our stories tell not of our own achievements, but of God’s power. That is perfect. laurensparks.net
I thought this a bummer, man,
this battle with malignancy,
but I realised, there’s another plan,
and it does not have to do with me.
The strength I have to elevate
my heart and words and thought
was given that it may facilitate
testimony to the blessings brought.
And the blessings, well, they’re many,
and they fill to nearly overflowing
my soul, and they tell of destiny
so far beyond a mortal’s knowing.
Cancer takes, but He doth give
His life, and sanctified in Blood I live.
Oh my – but doesn’t the enemy work to make our testimonies ineffective. Surely they are almost useful if we never share them. One more reason to be willing to stand and testify – let’s fight the enemy!:)