What is a testimony?
A testimony is the simple, sincere account of what God has done in a person’s life. It is not a sermon or a perfect story, but a real experience told honestly: what life was like before knowing Christ, how the encounter with him happened and what has changed since. It can also be the testimony of an answered prayer, a healing, a reconciliation, God’s provision in a hard moment or his comfort amid grief.
“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”
Psalm 66:16
The power of testimony in the Bible
The Bible is full of testimonies. The man born blind, questioned by the Pharisees, answered simply: “one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). The Samaritan woman, after speaking with Jesus at the well, went to her town saying: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did”, and many believed “for the saying of the woman” (John 4:29, 39). To the man set free in Gadara, who wanted to stay with Jesus, the Lord said: “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee” (Mark 5:19). And the apostle Paul told of his conversion on the road to Damascus several times, before crowds and before kings (Acts 22 and 26).
Revelation says believers overcome “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). Your story, joined to the work of Christ, has power to give others hope.
Why share your testimony
It glorifies God: it publicly acknowledges what he has done. It encourages others: someone going through what you lived through may find hope in your story. It is hard to argue with: an idea can be debated, but not what God did in your life. It strengthens your own faith: remembering God’s works helps us trust him in present trials. It is a form of evangelism: many people have come to Christ on hearing someone else’s story. Read more in Evangelism.
How to write your testimony
1. Before: briefly describe what your life was like or the situation you faced. There is no need to give details that shame you or affect other people; the essentials are enough. 2. The encounter: tell how God stepped in: a person who told you about Christ, a verse, a prayer, a moment of crisis, a church service, an unexpected answer. 3. After: explain what has changed: peace, forgiveness, freedom, purpose, restoration, a new way of seeing life. 4. A verse: include a Bible passage that has been important to you. 5. An invitation: end with a word of encouragement for whoever reads it.
Tips for a good testimony
Be brief: between 150 and 500 words is usually enough. Be honest: don’t exaggerate or embellish; the simple truth is more powerful. Put Christ at the centre: God is the main character, not us. Avoid difficult language: write as if you were talking to a friend who doesn’t go to church. Protect privacy: don’t use other people’s full names or reveal information that could identify or harm them. Acknowledge the process: not everything changes in a day; it is fine to say you are still growing.
Kinds of testimonies you can share
Conversion: how you came to know Jesus Christ. Answered prayer: how God answered a specific request. Healing: physical, emotional or spiritual. Freedom: from an addiction, a vice, a fear or a past that held you captive; read also The Bible and drugs. Family restoration: reconciled marriages, children who came back, forgiveness between siblings. Provision: work, housing, studies, help in times of need. Comfort in grief: God’s peace at the loss of a loved one. Faithfulness in trial: how God sustained you even though the situation did not change.
How we publish testimonies
When you send your testimony with the form, you can indicate whether you want it published on the wall or read only by the site team. Published testimonies may be edited to correct spelling or remove personal data, without changing their meaning. We do not publish content that attacks people or churches, advertising or information that could put someone at risk. Your data is handled according to our Privacy policy, and you can ask us to remove your testimony at any time by writing to us through Contact.
A story still being written
Perhaps you feel you don’t yet have a testimony because your life is still in the middle of the struggle. Remember that God is not finished with you. Many of the most beautiful testimonies were born in the valley, not on the mountaintop. Meanwhile, you can ask for prayer and read other people’s stories. One day your story, too, will be praise to God.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Prayer
Lord, thank you for everything you have done in my life, even what I have not known how to recognise. Give me courage and humility to tell of your works, not for my glory but for yours. May my story be a comfort to those who suffer and an invitation to know you. Amen.
An example of structure
This short model, written only as an example, shows how to organise a testimony: “For years I lived with anxiety and anger. Although I had a job and a family, I felt an emptiness nothing could fill. A colleague invited me to a group where they read the Bible. One night we read Matthew 11:28: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.’ I felt Jesus was speaking to me. That night I gave him my life. Not everything changed at once, but today I have a peace I never knew, I have learned to forgive and my family has seen the change. If you feel weary, Jesus invites you too.” It can be that simple.
Testimonies that marked history
Some testimonies have inspired generations. Augustine of Hippo, in the fourth century, was trapped in his passions until, in a garden in Milan, he heard a child’s voice saying “take up and read”; he opened the Bible at Romans 13:13-14 and his life changed. His Confessions is one of the most widely read testimonies in history. John Newton, captain of slave ships in the eighteenth century, cried out to God during a storm at sea; years later he became a pastor, fought the slave trade and wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace”. C. S. Lewis, an Oxford professor and atheist, came to Christian faith in 1931 after long conversations with his friends, and wrote books that drew many to Christ. Nicky Cruz, leader of a violent New York gang, gave his life to Christ in 1958 after hearing the preacher David Wilkerson, and devoted his life to helping young people at risk. Their stories remind us that no one is too far away for God.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be a church member to send a testimony? No. We receive testimonies from people of all Christian traditions and from those who are just beginning to know God. Can I send it anonymously? Yes, you can sign with just your first name, an initial or your city. Can I send a testimony in Spanish? Yes, the site is bilingual. How long does publication take? We review testimonies carefully before publishing them, so it may take a few days. Can I share someone else’s testimony? Only with their express permission.
Remembering God’s works
In the Bible, God’s people set up memorial stones so as not to forget his works. Joshua had twelve stones placed by the Jordan so that children would ask: “What mean ye by these stones?” (Joshua 4:6). Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer, saying: “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12). Writing your testimony is like setting up your own memorial stone, for yourself, for your family and for the generations to come.
Take courage and write today. You don’t need perfect words: a grateful heart that wants to tell what God has done is enough.
Every sincere story can kindle someone else’s faith.
God uses stories like yours to change lives.