Nothing is more urgent or important than bringing the hope of the Gospel to those living in the midst of sin and darkness.

Unfortunately, we often don’t obey that command. We live in a culture where proclaiming the Gospel is often met with scorn and hostility, and many Christians feel intimidated and unsure about sharing their faith.

They fear being mocked–and may not be spending enough time praying and meditating on Scripture to be confident, effective witnesses.

However, the Lord has promised to empower those who are surrendered to Christ and are simply willing to share the Good News: “Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:14-15, NIV).

The simple, beautiful message of the Gospel is powerful enough to stand on its own against the knowledge of this world.

Our biblical responsibility to the Lord and to the lost leaves no room for uncertainty and fear: “In your hearts set apart 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” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

As disciples of Jesus, we are to equip ourselves through prayer and a working knowledge of Scripture so that we can be steadfast ambassadors for His Kingdom.

For more than a half-century, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has offered the Christian Life and Witness Course to teach believers to share their faith with others. Originally developed to train spiritual counselors for my father’s Crusades, the Course covers the basics of personal evangelism and discipleship.

It has been taught in thousands of churches across the world, and an army of believers has been raised up to share Christ with their family and friends. Churches in every city where we have held Crusades repeatedly tell us how encouraging and effective the course has been for their congregations.

BGEA is also focused on raising up a new generation of evangelists through our Dare to Be a Daniel program. Praise God, more than 10,000 kids have completed the program, which offers a unique, interactive curriculum to teach youth between the ages of 9 and 14 how to take a stand for the cross.

Of course, in the end, only the power of the Holy Spirit can change hearts. But the Lord chooses to use frail human vessels as His witnesses. These courses help prepare our hearts to be His instruments.

We can expect rejection, even persecution, but the joy of telling others about the Savior more than compensates for the challenges. Our job is to share God’s truth revealed in Scripture and to trust Him to work in the hearts and souls of men and women.

Write down the name of a person with whom you would like to share your faith. Pray for that person every day. Then ask God for the opportunity to share Jesus with that person. There is no greater joy.