Praying in public and witnessing

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K

Kim82

Guest
#1
#1
Hi guys

God has been good to me and I want to tell others about Him and about salvation.

I would also love to be able to pray for others and to pray in public.

But I have social anxiety, and this makes things very hard/uncomfortable for me.

My mind usually goes blank.

My grandmother died three weeks ago. Yesterday was her funeral. God gave me the strength to deal with her passing.

And I feel that I want to thank God by being a better person and a better witness for him.

At the funeral, I read a speech that I had written about my grandmother. It wasn't so bad.

Once I've written down what I want to say or have things figured out in my head, it's not so bad.

But if I'm put on the spot or something spontaneous, it makes be nervous.

Do you guys think God is displeased with me for not doing my part to spread the gospel?

If I'm talking with an unbeliever on the internet or someone I'm comfortable talking with in real life, I'll try to talk to them about God. But I don't want a debate and if they seems not interested or get angry, I'll leave it at that.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#2
Dec 16, 2016
13,945
7,856
113
#2
We have a loving G-d who always strives with us, if you want to be a better witness and pray in public, he is already helping you.
He gave you the desire to bring this up to brothers and sisters.
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

Banned
#3
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
#3
Don't think about it too much....just allow God to lead you and if he wants you to witness to someone he will prompt you by His Spirit.....I always say the first premonition is of the Lord and if we second guess it we will "hose it up" Having said that, just ask God to lead you and do not be afraid to say what comes to your mind....
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#4
#4
shittim said:
We have a loving G-d who always strives with us, if you want to be a better witness and pray in public, he is already helping you.
He gave you the desire to bring this up to brothers and sisters.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I really hope that God will turn the desire into action on my part as well
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#5
#5
dcontroversal said:
Don't think about it too much....just allow God to lead you and if he wants you to witness to someone he will prompt you by His Spirit.....I always say the first premonition is of the Lord and if we second guess it we will "hose it up" Having said that, just ask God to lead you and do not be afraid to say what comes to your mind....
Click to expand...
Unfortunately nothing comes to mind. I am amazed that even people who are not Christians can do what I fail to do
 
M

Miri

Guest
#6
#6
I get very nervous speaking in public or being in the public eye too.

It does get easier with practice, as you become desensitised to it.

First few months I taught Sunday school I was a bag of nerves until i
realised I wasn’t nervous any more.

When I first joined the worship team I could hardly get a note out,
then after a while I barely thought anything of it.

I’m not a great speaker, don’t think I ever will be, but for people who
can communicate well I should think they would get over the nerves
after a while with time and practice.
 
calibob

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
#7
May 29, 2018
8,268
5,516
113
Anaheim, Cali.
#7
we all have different talents. don't be overly conscerend. you will find yours.
 
N

Noose

Senior Member
#8
Apr 18, 2016
5,096
932
113
#8
Of course no, God is not mad at you and you don't have to do it.

Jer 31:
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

34No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”
 
calibob

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
#9
May 29, 2018
8,268
5,516
113
Anaheim, Cali.
#9
their different ways to wittness to people that may be more comfortable like working at a food bank. you can just say JESUS LOVES YOU, smile hand them a bag of groceries. you can witness through random acts of kindness like helping an elderly person with bags on to a bus. i think kindness will get us alot farther than preaching. you may even have someone ask why you are being so nice to them. that is a foot in the door and the answer is just so easy.. you don't have to make a speech or memorize a script. i think love and kindness are wonderful witnessing methods and with a little practice the words will just come out naturally and your fears and doubts will blow away.
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#10
#10
calibob said:
their different ways to wittness to people that may be more comfortable like working at a food bank. you can just say JESUS LOVES YOU, smile hand them a bag of groceries. you can witness through random acts of kindness like helping an elderly person with bags on to a bus. i think kindness will get us alot farther than preaching. you may even have someone ask why you are being so nice to them. that is a foot in the door and the answer is just so easy.. you don't have to make a speech or memorize a script. i think love and kindness are wonderful witnessing methods and with a little practice the words will just come out naturally and your fears and doubts will blow away.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I will remember this :)
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#11
#11
Noose said:
Of course no, God is not mad at you and you don't have to do it.

Jer 31:
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

34No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”
Click to expand...
I sometimes think this way too. Where I live, there is a church on every corner. I doubt very much that there is anyone who doesn't know about God.

But some people are skeptic. They think a Christian is a hypocrite.
 
calibob

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
#12
May 29, 2018
8,268
5,516
113
Anaheim, Cali.
#12
most of us probably are. if we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrightousness
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#13
Dec 16, 2016
13,945
7,856
113
#13
Kim, I think there is a difference between "knowing about G-d"
and knowing Him personally.
He desires we know Him personally.
 
O

oldethennew

Banned
#14
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,974
113
#14
dear Sister,

you are already a natural communicator, shown by your expressing yourself
in your posts -
for hub and myself, we just learned to wait on the Holy Spirit's guidance,
and this gave us the courage and desire to share from our hearts, but
it did take quite a bit of schooling/practice - when we started to
learn how to step-out, we were often amazed at the opportunities
that were opened to us, especially the timing and places, and people...

as 'shittim' has stated, you already have the 'will', (a gift) next, in time,
will come your confidence meshed with your faith and desire to
please God -
seems your future has a lot of wonderful/exciting events in store for you...

GBY
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#15
#15
dcontroversal said:
Don't think about it too much....just allow God to lead you and if he wants you to witness to someone he will prompt you by His Spirit.....I always say the first premonition is of the Lord and if we second guess it we will "hose it up" Having said that, just ask God to lead you and do not be afraid to say what comes to your mind....
Click to expand...
At the company where I work, we keep devotion at least once a week in the morning before we start work.

We usually end with a prayer. The first person who was called on to pray, declined. I was startled when I was called on next and I at first wanted to get myself out of the situation but...

In my thoughts, I heard myself say: you're a Christian. Pray!!

I felt that if I declined to pray, I would have embarrassed myself and God.

What you had said about saying what comes to my mind, resurfaced in my thoughts. And I just went ahead and did just that :)

But it seemed a bit weird and uncomfortable to me. I also felt excited that I was able to do it.

I wonder about how this incident happened this morning, when it was just yesterday that I had mentioned having a desire to pray in public :)
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

Banned
#16
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
#16
Kim82 said:
At the company where I work, we keep devotion at least once a week in the morning before we start work.

We usually end with a prayer. The first person who was called on to pray, declined. I was startled when I was called on next and I at first wanted to get myself out of the situation but...

In my thoughts, I heard myself say: you're a Christian. Pray!!

I felt that if I declined to pray, I would have embarrassed myself and God.

What you had said about saying what comes to my mind, resurfaced in my thoughts. And I just went ahead and did just that :)

But it seemed a bit weird and uncomfortable to me. I also felt excited that I was able to do it.

I wonder about how this incident happened this morning, when it was just yesterday that I had mentioned having a desire to pray in public :)
Click to expand...
The truth...when I was in grade 10 or so I could not even read a book report in front of the class....then at age 21 I was asked to give a devotional to a group of college aged believers....I was SOOOOOOOO nervous that I even read the little mini titles in my bible between groups of verses....then a church I went to I was asked to give devotionals on Sunday evenings and then while attending a Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock to make up for lost time concerning studying the bible I knew I was being called to be a a witness and or preach to as many people as I can about Jesus and his word/salvation.....I was always as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof before I would speak and then that would all melt away when I actually began to teach....Now after 30 years I have spoken publically at some 28 churches, been on radio, internet, cable t.v., church camps, written a book on the second coming and literally been used of God to reach or speak to over 2,000,000 people world wide from places such as Australia, England, America, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine etc.....

My point being....even though you are nervous or have a hard time speaking or praying in public, God can and will use you and you never know who your words will touch and or reach......He "GOD" has given us a SPIRIT of power, not of fear...be strong and endued with power from on HIGH....God LOVES you and like Isaiah....<---Who will go for "us" God said.....Isaiah said, "I will go"

I a glad you though of my words and were strengthened and was able to pray in public..... :)
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#17
#17
dcontroversal said:
The truth...when I was in grade 10 or so I could not even read a book report in front of the class....then at age 21 I was asked to give a devotional to a group of college aged believers....I was SOOOOOOOO nervous that I even read the little mini titles in my bible between groups of verses....then a church I went to I was asked to give devotionals on Sunday evenings and then while attending a Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock to make up for lost time concerning studying the bible I knew I was being called to be a a witness and or preach to as many people as I can about Jesus and his word/salvation.....I was always as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof before I would speak and then that would all melt away when I actually began to teach....Now after 30 years I have spoken publically at some 28 churches, been on radio, internet, cable t.v., church camps, written a book on the second coming and literally been used of God to reach or speak to over 2,000,000 people world wide from places such as Australia, England, America, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine etc.....

My point being....even though you are nervous or have a hard time speaking or praying in public, God can and will use you and you never know who your words will touch and or reach......He "GOD" has given us a SPIRIT of power, not of fear...be strong and endued with power from on HIGH....God LOVES you and like Isaiah....<---Who will go for "us" God said.....Isaiah said, "I will go"

I a glad you though of my words and were strengthened and was able to pray in public..... :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for your encouraging words. But it seems to me that I need to memorise something, just in case I'm called upon in the future. Just thinking about it, is making me nervous.
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#18
#18
calibob said:
we all have different talents. don't be overly conscerend. you will find yours.
Click to expand...
To elaborate further on calibob's comment, the bible teach us the church is like a body. Each part of the body has different uses. Some are called to, above all else, be witnesses. And while we are all called to be witnesses perhaps that is not where you fit into the body of Christ, as a primary gift. God may have a use, and gifted you, for elsewhere. I, also, have anxiety, including some social anxiety. While i know we are all called to witness i don't feel a large pull to that area. I feel more suited to do other things, so i don't push myself to witness.
Another thing is i try to maintain an attitude of 'God, if you want me to do it/say it then just guide me, any time'. Whenever i actively work at maintaining this attitude i find God often speaks through me where He needs me, not where *I* think i should be.
Rather than forcing yourself to do something to honor God, honor God by finding where He wants you and keep open to His guidance and Him using you, anytime, anywhere. You'll find when God speaks through you its easy to set yourself aside, including anxieties, and let things flow. It's a wonderful experience when you become aware of it.
Not to mention seeing how much more fruit comes from this than when we speak out of our own knowledge.
 
K

Kim82

Guest
#19
#19
Ugly said:
To elaborate further on calibob's comment, the bible teach us the church is like a body. Each part of the body has different uses. Some are called to, above all else, be witnesses. And while we are all called to be witnesses perhaps that is not where you fit into the body of Christ, as a primary gift. God may have a use, and gifted you, for elsewhere. I, also, have anxiety, including some social anxiety. While i know we are all called to witness i don't feel a large pull to that area. I feel more suited to do other things, so i don't push myself to witness.
Another thing is i try to maintain an attitude of 'God, if you want me to do it/say it then just guide me, any time'. Whenever i actively work at maintaining this attitude i find God often speaks through me where He needs me, not where *I* think i should be.
Rather than forcing yourself to do something to honor God, honor God by finding where He wants you and keep open to His guidance and Him using you, anytime, anywhere. You'll find when God speaks through you its easy to set yourself aside, including anxieties, and let things flow. It's a wonderful experience when you become aware of it.
Not to mention seeing how much more fruit comes from this than when we speak out of our own knowledge.
Click to expand...
Have you ever been in the situation where you were asked to pray?
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#20
Dec 16, 2016
13,945
7,856
113
#20
There are times when we let go and let G-d, He promises to be an ever present help, also promises to give us the words we need when we need them, He really does care for and about you.
 
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