Bold Faith for a Searching World
A Just Between Us Special Issue
Do you feel the tug deep in your soul — the one that whispers you were meant for more than passivity? That being a follower of Jesus isn’t just comfort in a pew, but courage in the world? It’s time to step out, not shrink back.
This is a special issue of Just Between Us created for our community of women who long to live their faith out loud. All around us, people are searching for truth, hope, and meaning. We believe God has called each of us not just to know Him deeply, but to make Him known boldly. That’s why we’ve dedicated this issue to equipping, and inspiring you — with encouragement, practical tools, and real-life wisdom — to confidently share your faith.
We’re living in a time that demands faith with courage. A faith that doesn’t hide behind polite silence, but leans in during hard conversations; that doesn’t settle for comfort, but asks, “How can I share the hope I have?”
In this issue you’ll be encouraged to:
Replace Fear with Faith — Step into courage, knowing God goes with you.
Pray Like the Early Church — Ask boldly, believing God will move.
Get the Word Out — Share your story and trust the Spirit to guide your words.
Share Your Faith with Confidence — Put courage into practice with simple, doable steps.
As Jill Briscoe once said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” That’s the kind of courage we need today — not the absence of fear, but a faith that prays and steps forward anyway.
How Can I Replace Fear with Faith?
Stepping into courage because God is with you.
By: Melva Henderson
As women, each day brings new adventures, new challenges, and new opportunities to do and be better than we were the day before. Every day when we open our eyes, we understand from the Word of God that mercy (God’s compassion and forgiveness) is new and available for us as well as His grace (His divine favor that abounds in and toward us).
Jesus said in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This means that every day God has something for us to feed on, to grow by, and strength to help us accomplish all that life requires.
We Only Have One Life
As I mature, I’ve come to grips with the fact that life really is short and although we can plan to live to be a ripe old age, we only get one life so we need to make it count. David said in Psalm 39:4, “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.”
Because our time on earth is short we can’t be afraid to live life to the fullest. We can’t be afraid to give, go, be, or do. Most importantly, we can’t be afraid to love.
We Can’t Live in Fear
Too many of us live in fear, and as a result, we have short-changed ourselves from experiencing all that God desires for us. God wants us to have a rich full life, but fear too often grabs us by the ankles and holds us down.
Second Timothy 1:7 tells us, God did not give us a spirit of fear so we don’t have to tolerate it. His desire is that we acknowledge He is with us. In the face of what appears to be a roaring lion, His word encourages us to be bold and brave, and to have faith in Him and His Word.
Fear is always the enemy to our faith in God. We often don’t understand that fear is really faith, but it’s negative faith. It’s when we have more confidence in something going wrong than we do in God’s ability to keep things right. It’s giving greater credence to Satan’s ability to harm us than God’s ability to sustain us. Faith in God’s Word is the only way to eradicate fear.
At the end of 2015, I experienced an incredible amount of loss. People left the ministry and disassociated themselves from me. However, the greatest loss came when my grandmother, who raised me, transitioned to heaven. With all I had accomplished and overcome in life and ministry, nothing compared with the pain of losing her.
We Can Overcome Fear With God’s Word
As 2016 rolled in, fear of failure and loss gripped my mind and I sank into a depression I had never known before. Searching for a solution, I began the year fasting, praying, and seeking the Lord. For twenty-one days, I separated myself. I prayed and meditated on God’s Word. Fear lost its grip. In the recesses of my mind, I heard my grandmother’s voice saying, “Honey, you’ve got to keep on, keepin’ on.” So I picked myself up, faced my fears, and moved forward.
At some point in time, we have all battled fear. We have had some thought, idea, or suggestion that gripped us and held us back—something that hindered us from being all God has called us to be. But in spite of it all, we must know God has and will see us through.
We Can Choose to Be Brave
Life isn’t always fair, but we must choose to be brave and to take courage knowing that God is with us and that He’s more powerful than anything that can or will ever come against us.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “Now” so now is the time to step beyond fear and move forward. Now is the time to move out into the fullness of the things God has planned for you.
“Keep on, keepin’ on,” knowing there is no challenge, test, or obstacle you don’t have the ability to overcome. Remember what God said in His Word, “Be strong, Be courageous, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”(Josh. 1:9) It’s a command, not a suggestion.
A STEP YOU CAN TAKE TODAY….
Fear doesn’t get the last word—God does.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
Today, write down one fear that’s been nagging you. Then cross it out and underneath, write a promise of God. Let His truth speak louder than the fear.
No More Wimpy Prayers — Pray Like the Early Church
Bold, specific prayer that shakes rooms and strengthens hearts.
By: Sheila Hudson
“I am so tired of wimpy prayers,” Lara told the group. She dabbed her eyes and said, “It’s like Christians have forgotten who they are.”
Lara’s remarks caught us off guard. She was the quiet one in our Bible study and rarely spoke up, but one thing we knew: Lara was a prayer warrior. Her impending adoption was one of special concern. In our Bible study, we prayed for this adoption every week.
A breaking heart prompted Lara’s comment—one which haunted me. Our group of women applauded her for the courage to verbalize what all of us were thinking.
For weeks afterward, I couldn’t get Lara’s words out of my mind. As I thought about typical church prayers, I had to admit that the needs read like a list of the sick and dying. Of course I’m not opposed to praying for healing, but prayer is so much more than that.
Prayer is Power
The first century church’s primary ingredient was prayer. Prayer was the lubricant that kept everything running—the glue that bound them together. By the close of Acts 9, the disciples had witnessed Jesus’ Ascension, experienced Pentecost, preached to and baptized thousands, beheld signs and wonders, and been threatened, persecuted, and even hauled into court. Nothing slowed down the progress of the disciples. Despite it all, they continued to preach, heal, and even raise the dead. Every miracle is carefully attributed to the risen Christ, the power of prayer, and God’s Holy Spirit.
So, why are our prayers today so different? Why aren’t Christians bold like the early disciples? Is it possible that we’ve forgotten who we are?
Pray for the Church
The apostle Paul, who penned much of the New Testament, recorded numerous prayers throughout the Epistles. In the letters to the Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, and Timothy, he expresses concern for the Christian leaders and their continual maturity in Christ. Paul is anxious for them to understand God’s purpose. As their spiritual father, Paul urges them to grow:
"My prayer for you is this: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil. 1:9-11)
Even under house arrest and in chains, Paul spent his waking hours praying, preaching, and preserving a record of what Christ was teaching him. He continued to pray for strength for his followers. He continually requested increasing knowledge of God, His will, His love, the hope of His calling, His power, and His riches. Paul’s greetings to the Christians in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossi echo prayers for grace, peace, love, and endurance. Personal notes to Timothy, Titus, and the Thessalonians bear this unmistakable greeting as well.
In many of the Epistles, Paul urges intercessory prayers for Israel, for government officials, and for those undergoing persecution. Paul stresses unity in diversity and promotes peace, freedom through forgiveness, and an overwhelming sense of God’s love.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reveals his heart:
For this reason I kneel before the Father. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph 3:14, 16-19).
Pray for Boldness
Paul’s example spurred on the other apostles. James gives an admonition of boldness in his letter to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (Jas. 5:13,16).
He added what bold confidence in prayer yields: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (Jas. 5:17).
It is a rare thing to hear a prayer that forthright and specific.
In Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested and admonished not to do any more teaching, preaching, or healing in Jesus’ name. The rulers threatened and released them, but as soon as the others heard about it, their response was in prayer:
‘Sovereign LORD,’ they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them… enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:24, 29-30).
In this prayer, you won’t find a word about sending help or protection. The group only requests more boldness and power to heal and perform miracles in order to convince others of Jesus’ divinity. Reckless prayers of the saints cracked open jail cells, opened blind eyes, and ushered forth a faith unlike any other.
Jesus, Prayer Warrior Extraordinaire, instructed us: “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:24-25).
Approach the Throne Through Prayer
Our standing in Christ gives us self-assurance and confidence to approach the throne of grace and make our petitions known. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Pet. 3:12).
Once I sincerely looked at Scripture, I found it packed with powerful, brave prayers from the lips of queens, prophets, judges, and priests—with not a wimpy one among them.
Appropriately, the New Testament ends with a prayer. John records in the final chapter of Revelation, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Rev. 22:20-21).
Thank you, Lara, for reminding me that my inheritance in Christ opens the door to the throne of grace. No more wimpy prayers for me.
A STEP YOU CAN TAKE TODAY….
The early believers prayed until the room shook.
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly”(Acts 4:31).
Why not pray one bold, specific request today? Instead of a safe prayer like “God, bless my family,” try asking Him for something so clear you’ll know when He answers.
Get the Word Out!
Let the Spirit empower you to share Christ in your everyday life.
By: Robin Stearns Lee
“For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:20
In my career as an administrative assistant, I was tasked with communicating information to employees. I created postings and emails, designed closed circuit TV content and newsletter articles, and prepared home mailings and posters.
Some employees only looked at the posts. A few actually read their emails. Many threw away the home mailings or didn’t attend staff meetings. There was no single method to communicate with everyone. We learned if we needed to distribute important information, duplicating the message on all communication devices was the best possible method.
Creatively Reaching the Lost
Friends, we have important messages to share! We need to be using all the communication methods to reach the lost for Christ. Some attend church, but many don’t. A few faithfully read their Bible, but many have never owned one. Searching souls listen to the radio or read online magazines, yet thousands are still lost.
How can we make sure the best news of all time reaches the ends of the Earth? The commission Jesus gave hundreds of years ago is still valid today. How do we go and preach the gospel? How can we be His witnesses to those in our world?
Sharing Our Story
Think about what you do when you read a great book, try a new restaurant, or find a huge sale. You tell someone! We can simply tell those around us what the Lord has done for us.
Recall the account in Acts where Peter and John healed the crippled man at the temple gate (Acts 3). All who knew this man were filled with wonder and amazement. Word spread fast! A man who had been crippled from birth, who was over 40 years old, was now walking and praising God.
The Sadducees also noticed and were disturbed. “‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ they asked” (Acts 4:7b). When credit was given to the resurrected Jesus, the rulers were even more disturbed and commanded Peter and John to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.
Taking a Stand
How courageous of Peter and John to take a stand, even when threatened. Can we be so bold? We still live in a time where there is great freedom to speak. The days are fast approaching when we may also be silenced. Until then, let’s call on the power of the Holy Spirit, as Peter and John bravely did, and tell the world. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Thank you, Jesus!
A STEP YOU CAN TAKE TODAY….
Sharing about Jesus doesn’t have to be complicated.
“We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Today, reach out to one person—a friend, coworker, or neighbor—and simply ask, ‘How can I pray for you this week?’ That’s a gentle first step.
10 Tips to Share your Faith with Confidence
Practical steps for courage, clarity, and compassion.
By: Karen Abeyta
If Jesus is my most precious blessing, so why am I more likely to tell you about my bargain from Lululemon than share the gospel?
Perhaps, like me, you struggle to share your faith. I want to do it. God commands us to do it, but like Paul, I often “do not do the good I want to do” (Rom. 7:19).
I’d rather stay in my comfort zone than face possible rejection or flat-out hostility. I find it difficult to make the transition from casual conversation to significant spiritual discussion. And what if someone asks questions I cannot answer?
My list of excuses could continue, but no matter how legitimate, they do not give me license to ignore my role as an ambassador for Christ, pleading for others to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
Jesus charged us to make disciples. When we do so, we benefit ourselves as much as those who need to hear the good news. Sharing our faith requires vulnerability, courage, and trust in God. When we step out in obedience, He grows our faith and strengthens us.
So how can we overcome our resistance and make sharing our faith a regular practice––maybe even one we enjoy?
10 TIPS TO SHARE YOUR FAITH WITH CONFIDENCE AND JOY
1️⃣ Pray
If we want to share our faith, we must begin with prayer. We need God’s help to make our speech full of grace––seasoned with salt so that we know how to answer everyone (Col. 4:6). We also need courage. Even Paul requested prayer so that he might “fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:20). In our busyness, we need the Holy Spirit to nudge us to open our mouths “whether it is convenient or not” (2 Tim. 4:2, NET).
We should ask God for opportunities to speak and pray, that He will prepare the hearts of our listeners. We must petition Him for what we need and then listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
2️⃣ Use Your Words
Perhaps you’ve heard the axiom, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” It appeals to those who would rather keep their mouths shut while sharing their faith. And––for people like Mother Teresa––it works. But what about the rest of us?
I want to display the fruit of the Spirit so that people smell the aroma of Christ. But sadly, I often look like the rest of the world. If I depend on my Christlikeness to draw people, I will make few disciples.
Our secular culture has also hijacked much of the fruit that used to be associated with Christianity. Now everyone “spreads kindness,” “joy” comes from following your heart, and “peace” comes from yoga. That means even if I reflect Christ well, people will not necessarily connect the dots to Jesus unless I tell them that my kindness, joy, and peace come from Him.
3️⃣ Recognize The Enemy’s Lies
The Father of Lies often uses discouragement to keep us silent. Perhaps you have heard him whisper in your ear:
She practices new age spirituality; she won’t want to hear about Jesus.
No one would want to know Christ by looking at you.
If someone asks a difficult question, you’ll fail at defending your faith.
Do these sound familiar? If not, I bet you have some of your own.
So how do we recognize and refute these lies? Paul tells us we should think about what is true (Phil. 4:8). So, I begin by evaluating the accuracy of each statement.
Will people want to know Jesus, even though I fail regularly?
Yup––particularly if I acknowledge my shortcomings and dependence upon Him. The Gospel is about His grace, not my perfection. I will make mistakes as God conforms me into the image of His son. As I rely on His help through my trials and failures, I hope to demonstrate His love, peace, and joy. But even if I model my faith poorly at times, I still have something precious from Him––something worth sharing.
4️⃣ All You Need Is Love
I used to think that having an airtight defense for every objection to Christianity would make me a bold evangelist. And it would help. But if I deliver knowledge without love, “I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). No amount of evidence for Christ will matter if I do not love the person in front of me.
Paul reminds us that our “love must be sincere” (Rom. 12:9). If we evangelize out of obligation, people will sense our ulterior motive. We should share Christ because we care about people––we want them to know God’s goodness while here on earth and spend eternity with Him in heaven.
5️⃣ Prepare, But Don’t Wait
Peter tells us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15). But what exactly do we need to know?
While unlikely you will have the opportunity to present the gospel every time you have a spiritual conversation, you should have a basic method you feel comfortable using. You can find a variety of approaches online. Practice until you no longer sound like a robocaller, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The gospel is “the power of God” (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18). It’s His power, not your delivery, that matters.
Research common objections to Christianity: “Why is Jesus the only way? Aren’t all religions the same? You’re only a Christian because you grew up in America. How can a good God allow evil and suffering? Can’t I just be a good person?”
You can find many answers online or in books about Christian apologetics (Tim Keller’s The Reason for God is one of my favorites). I memorize defenses for common objections so that I feel and sound confident explaining my faith. The more you read, the more you know, and the easier it becomes to feel comfortable addressing people’s concerns.
Even with preparation, people will ask questions you cannot answer immediately. It’s okay to admit that you need some time to respond. Do some research and formulate a solid answer. Now you have a reason to initiate a future conversation.
6️⃣ Share Your Story
I love to hear powerful stories of how God has worked in someone’s life. I share them with unbelievers because they often seem more extraordinary than my own testimony. But in today’s skeptical culture, my personal experiences with God offer more credibility than those from a stranger. Your friend knows and trusts you. She’s never heard of Francis Chan, Priscilla Shirer, or Beth Moore.
Telling my own story also promotes dialogue––people can ask questions and God becomes real, not just an abstract doer of miracles.
But sharing what God has done for me requires vulnerability. I must reveal my brokenness, and I risk rejection if the listener discounts what I say. Although I’d prefer the safety of someone else’s story, it pleases God when I give Him the glory He deserves for what He has done for me.
7️⃣ No Christianese, Please
Perhaps you can define Justification, Sanctification, and Atonement, but most unbelievers (unless they grew up in church) have no idea what these terms mean. To the unchurched, Christianese sounds like Aramaic. While we should speak about important doctrines, we need to define them, rather than assume the listener understands.
8️⃣ Ask Questions
Sharing our faith typically works best in the context of relationship. Most people like to talk about themselves, so asking questions can be a great way to get to know someone and learn about their beliefs. If you struggle in this area as I do, books like Randy Newman’s Questioning Evangelism can help.
9️⃣ Two Reasons to Shut It
As people wrestle with their beliefs, difficult conversations often ensue. Healthy debate can lead to understanding and foster deeper relationships. However, if the other party only wants to win an argument or trash your faith, Jesus warns us to disengage.
He says “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matt. 7:6). This means that we need to discern people’s motives. Enquiry does not always equate to interest. The Pharisees asked many questions not to discover truth, but to trap Jesus. We must beware, but treat everyone as genuinely interested until they prove otherwise.
Another situation in which we should keep our mouths shut occurs when we encounter someone who has been hurt by Christians, harmful theology, or abuse in the church.
James tells us we are to be “quick to listen, slow to speak” (Jas. 1:19). In these situations, we need to keep our five pertinent Bible verses to ourselves and hear what the other person has to say. Empathize with their experience and resist the urge to give advice. If appropriate, apologize for the harmful words and actions inflicted by others. Sometimes people just need a listening ear or someone who cares enough to ask, “How can I help?”
Hurt people often conflate God with the people who claim to represent Him. Because you listened, perhaps you will have a future opening for discussion in which you can help them to separate our always good Father from His followers, who often fail.
🔟 Evaluate, Learn, And Never Give Up
I often feel clumsy while sharing my faith. I say the wrong thing at an inappropriate time or remain silent when given a perfect opportunity to speak. Despite my awkwardness, I cannot give up.
If I want to improve, I need to examine where I fall short. How much of my struggle stems from pride, distraction, or lack of courage? Do I want to please people more than God? Do I speak the truth without love or love everyone without speaking truth? Have I failed to equip myself or been lazy about pursuing opportunities to share my faith?
If I acknowledge where I struggle, I can pray for God’s help in that area. He is with us and for us. If we ask, He will help us to carry His words to the ends of the earth.
A STEP YOU CAN TAKE TODAY….
God calls us to be ready.
“Always be prepared to give an answer… for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).
Today, jot down a 60-second version of your story—life before Christ, how you met Him, and how He’s changed you. Practice saying it out loud. You’ll be surprised how God can use even your short story.
Lord Jesus, I confess I often choose comfort over courage. Today I ask for Your boldness. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Quiet my fears and steady my heart in Your love. Give me opportunities to share the hope I have, and the grace to speak clearly, kindly, and without shame. When I don’t know what to say, remind me that You go before me. Use my story, my weakness, and my words to point someone to You. Make me faithful, not fearful. Amen.
This week, don’t wait until you “feel brave.” Pray — and then step out. Open your Bible. Share your story. Offer to pray with a friend. Invite someone to church. Share this email.
Let Jill Briscoe’s words echo in your heart:
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”
The world is waiting for the hope you carry. Will you be bold enough to share it?