One of the most challenging parts of evangelism is figuring out how to share the gospel.  As we develop relationships, we want to tell them about Jesus, but it is easy to feel timid or afraid.  So how do we get to the gospel?  There are many ways.

The Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 gives the Israelites instructions for living.  We are most familiar with the first part, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  But immediately after that, God instructs His people, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” 

Our prayer is that God will be so much a part of our lives, that He is always on our lips.  That we are talking about him constantly, as we sit, walk, and go about life.  This includes our interaction with everyone, family members to our lost international friends.  From the beginning of our relationship, we need to talk about our faith.  We want them to know that this is who we are–we are people who love God and talk about him.  That doesn’t mean that I always share my faith the first time I meet someone, but very early in my relationship, I want them to know that I am a person of prayer, have a relationship with God, and I talk about Jesus so that when I do start to share the gospel, it is natural and part of the pattern I have set for things I talk about.  

Shema statements serve several purposes.  First, it identifies me as a follower of Jesus.  I want people to know that I am a person who loves to talk about God and about Jesus.  I want people to know that I am someone that they can come to when they have questions or needs.  When God gives them a dream or a vision, when they begin to have questions and want to learn more, I want them to know that I am a person they can talk to about their spiritual questions.  Second, it can serve as a springboard to deeper conversations.  As I watch how they respond, I try to sense their attitude to the gospel.  Are they soft soil or hard?  Do they respond in a way that opens the door for continued conversation?

So, what do Shema statements look like or sound like? Here are a few ideas.  My advice is to start practicing these with your family, so that you are comfortable and natural with it when you are with your international friends.

1.  They can be as simple as “God bless you” or “God sure has blessed us with a beautiful day today, hasn’t he?”
2. (At a restaurant) “As a follower of Jesus, I pray and thank him before I eat.  Is there a way I can pray for you?”
3. Offering prayer at any time can be a great opening for spiritual conversations.  I always ask if I can pray for them and they almost always give me permission and respond with gratitude.  If they are sick, pray with them.  If there are problems in their lives, pray for the problems. Pray specifically.
   1. Don’t be afraid to pray in Jesus name.  I used to be afraid of praying in His name in front of my Muslim friends, but now I realize that it is His name that has power.  I want them to know that Jesus is important to me.
   2. Don’t use your prayer to preach.  As you are praying with your international friend, this is not the time to sneak in the gospel or pray for their salvation.  Keep it short, simple, and to the point
   3. Don’t be afraid to pray scripture and claim the Word of God.
4. Be prepared with short testimonies.  I know that as I develop a relationship with people, they are going to always ask how I am, how is my family.  This is a great way to think and plan ahead–how have I seen God at work in my life or in the life of my family in the past week?  They ask, “How is your family?” and I get to share about how God has provided for a need.
5. Share a short statement about what God is teaching you.  “I was reading my Bible this morning, and God said . . .” or “… I learned . . .”  In these, I try to keep it focused on myself and avoid preaching or directing it at them.  I also try to keep it short. Also remember that most internationals will not have an understanding of super religious vocabulary so it is important to keep the statements in simple terms.
6. “That reminds me of the story of . . .”  as I hear about things from their life, current events, or in my life, I try to think of stories from the Bible that I can share that connects to the situation.  Again, I usually keep it brief, but sharing stories from the Bible that connect to what we are going through can be a great bridge to spiritual conversations.