God is constantly moving in our lives. Being open and honest about your testimony is a powerful way to talk about your faith with believers and non-believers alike.
Our most recent guest on the Ask About My Faith podcast, Mary Rose Thill, shares how she has used her “prodigal daughter” testimony to have beautiful, encouraging, and transformative faith conversations.
Mary Rose Thill is a fearless creative thinker, an active doer, and an undeniable people person. She is currently launching an intergenerational leadership center at Crown College and works as a Business Marketing professor there.
Mary Rose’s Faith Journey
Mary Rose heard God’s call at 4 years old. Despite her strong faith growing up in the church, Mary Rose found herself drifting away from God toward the end of her college years.
After moving across the country to live with her then-boyfriend, Mary Rose entered her life’s most lonely, empty, and depressing season. She knew God’s voice but felt distant and adrift. But despite her doubt and depression, God’s voice managed to push through, and He was able to pull Mary Rose out of the darkness and into His light.
Mary Rose uses her testimony to encourage and uplift others, hopefully leading them closer to God’s loving embrace.
Related Podcast: Check out our conversation with Elise Gaspar
Using Your Testimony to Speak into Someone’s Life
While traveling overseas with Crown College, Mary Rose was visiting a school they support along with a few of her students. Each of them was tasked with leading a devotional at some point during the trip.
When it was Mary Rose’s turn, she decided to share her testimony. She has a bit of a prodigal daughter testimony. She was very open about her college experiences and how nothing else quite compares to the love of God.
Afterward, a senior approached her and opened up about her current struggles with identity and depression. Rather than preach to the girl, Mary Rose spoke words of life and God’s truth over her. She shared how God sees her and is hopeful that it encouraged her. Mary Rose doesn’t know how it affected the girl long-term, but she trusts that God is continuing to work in her life.
God’s love heals and restores us, and it’s tempting to pretend things are always perfect. But the truth is, no one is ever perfect, and God likes to use our messy moments to speak into the lives of others.
“Many people are led to Jesus in that dark moment, that valley moment.”
Related Post: 7 Bible Verses For When You Feel Alone
Your Testimony Ministers to Believers and Non-Believers
“You meet people all the time, Christians or not, who long for a breakthrough.”
Mary Rose was close to a gentleman while working in the marketing department at 3M. He was part of her prayer calls. After leaving 3M and starting at Crown College, she sat in the chapel on campus when she suddenly felt a nudge to message him.
It turned out that it was almost immediately after he was laid off at 3M. It was very sudden, and he was extremely distraught. Having gone through something similar before, Mary Rose used her experience to encourage her old friend and prayed with him.
All Mary Rose did was listen to Holy Spirit’s leading and then use her testimony to minister to a needy friend.
Related Podcast: Check out our conversation with Ben Utecht
Find Creative Ways to Share God’s Love and Your Testimony
During the pandemic, she worked at 3M, where they make Post-It notes. Like most of the country, she was working virtually through Zoom. She started using the many free Post-It notes she got to track all the prayer requests and how God answered them. All the requests would be on one side of a wall, and then when God answered the prayers, she would move them to the other side.
Mary Rose liked to keep it close, so it wound up on the wall behind her during Zoom calls. It wasn’t intentional; it just was. She would get asked about them all the time, and most of the time, she wouldn’t go into detail about them, instead just offering a clever one-liner explanation.
But once, she was on a one-on-one call with someone, and they asked Mary Rose about her Post-its. They had never met, and they haven’t talked since. Mary Rose felt the nudge to tell her the truth that the Post-Its were prayer requests. Instantly she could see tears in the woman’s eyes.
Their interaction was no longer a work call, but a conversation about faith and God leading us back into His arms. It turns out the woman was going through a prodigal daughter season herself. She felt distant from God and had a lot of unanswered prayers. Mary Rose was able to encourage her and support her.
They haven’t spoken since, but again, Mary Rose hopes God will continue working in that woman’s life.
Advice About the Power of Your Testimony
As always, we asked Mary Rose if she had any advice for our community, and her advice was profoundly simple. She encourages all of our listeners and readers to do two things.
Surrender to God and allow Him to soften your heart.
”God is going to use you and your story in the divine way He does.”
Second, ask God daily how he wants to use you.
It doesn’t matter if it is big or small. God knows exactly what each person needs at that moment, and He is ready to use you however you are willing to be used.
If you are eager to be used by God but feel uncertain or scared, try these two simple steps and see what God does. When you leave yourself open, you might be surprised by what God does.
Related Post: 5 Simple Steps to Write Your Faith Story
Bible Verses About the Power of Testimony
Throughout the Bible, God encourages believers to tell their stories through the power of sharing your testimony scriptures. Here are some of our favorite Bible verses to build your faith on the power of testimony.
But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. - 1 Peter 3:15-16
This power of sharing your testimony scripture comes from 1 Peter. As we revere Christ as Lord, we also become prepared to give an answer for our faith. Though it can be scary sometimes to share your faith, power of testimony Bible verses will give you courage and strength to share your Christian testimony.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
Power of sharing your testimony scriptures are found throughout the book of Acts. After Jesus rose from the dead, it was all hands on deck to spread the good news about Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit gives power to those who believe, Christians are able to pray for the sick and see them healed.
Read real-life stories of healing: Healed, Saved, & Delivered | Stories of Prayer & Healing
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. - 2 Timothy 1:8
For Christians in the early Church, sharing your testimony often meant risking your life. Paul wrote 2 Timothy from prison. Even in jail, he still felt the need to share his Christian testimony. This power of sharing your testimony scripture reminds us not to be ashamed of Jesus and to face our fears to share the love of God with others.
Learn more about conquering your fears in our blog: Inaction is Not an Option | Stories of Fearless Faith
With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales - Acts 4:33-34
This power of sharing your testimony scripture comes from the book of Acts, where so many interesting power of testimony Bible verses come from. Through the Holy Spirit, the apostles (Jesus’ 12 disciples, minus Judas) were able to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. The power of the testimony of Jesus changes everything.
Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” - Mark 5:19
The context of this power of sharing your testimony scripture comes from Mark 5, where Jesus delivers a man from a legion of demons. Jesus tells the man who has just been freed from darkness to go and tell others how good God is! The power of testimony is contagious – when you hear good news, you want to tell everybody!
In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16
This power of testimony Bible verse comes from Jesus himself. In one of his most famous sermons, the Sermon on the Mount, he tells his disciples to let their light shine before others. In other words, don’t hide the power of your testimony from others.
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. - 1 Chronicles 16:8
This power of sharing your testimony scripture comes from 1 Chronicles. As we give thanks, praise, and let others know what God has done, the power of testimony changes lives!
Conclusion
Through power of sharing your testimony scriptures, and walking with the Holy Spirit, you can share the transformative power of your story in God. As we've explored, power of sharing your testimony scriptures are throughout the Bible, offering countless power of testimony Bible verses to inspire and equip you.
From the courage found in Acts 1:8 to the command to "let your light shine" in Matthew 5:16, it's clear that the power of testimony is a gift from God meant to be shared. We hope Mary Rose's experiences and these powerful scriptures encourage you to embrace your unique journey and share your story with others.
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