“ … the Psalms provided the pattern for people to express their own thanksgiving, and the structure … is not complicated. The opening declaration (“I will give thanks to the Lord”) contains the reason for the praise (“because he is faithful”); then there is a report of the dilemma that was faced (“I was surrounded by enemies”) and the deliverance (“he heard my prayer” and “he delivered me”); this is followed by the full declaration of praise (“God is faithful to those who love him”); and finally, the conclusion offers a word of encouragement to others (“Seek the LORD while he may be found”). It is not difficult to train folks to construct their own thanksgiving with such a pattern.”
—Recalling The Hope Of Glory, Allen P. Ross
Many people feel uncomfortable giving a testimony. They say, “The minute I open my mouth, I forget what to say. I either ramble on for too long or I don’t say anything. Teach them how to give an effective, but short, testimony using the psalmic template described above. For example:
- Opening declaration: “I want to thank the Lord today.”
- Reason for the praise: “He is so good to me.”
- Dilemma that was faced: “I had open-heart surgery to unblock three arteries.”
- Deliverance: “God guided the hand of the doctor. It was a long surgery, but I came through.”
- Full declaration of praise: “God has kept me all these years. He’s prolonged my days here, and I want to use whatever time I have left to magnify His name.”
- Word of encouragement: “Don’t waste your life on foolish things. You don’t know how much time you have. Seek the Lord’s will for your life, and tell everyone you know about Him.”
