The Power of Testimony
I’ve been reminded again lately of the power contained in a testimony. When we share testimony of what the Lord has done in our lives in any area, it not only builds faith, but also creates an atmosphere in which the miracle or breakthrough contained in the testimony can be repeated particularly in the lives of those who not only hear it but also take it to heart.
When we share a testimony with others, they may not fully believe it, perhaps because it hasn’t been their experience, however they simply cannot argue with it because it is OUR story of His goodness or power in our lives. This could be a story of our salvation, or breakthrough in a relationship or financial issue, a creative, healing miracle Jesus performed in our life or some other account of the goodness of God.
The Bible teaches us in Psalm 78 it was God’s plan and purpose for one generation to pass on to the next the testimony of what the Lord had done for them.
Verses 4-8 says We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done for He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Clearly then it was part of God’s design for one generation to pass on to the next the stories or testimonies of His mighty acts and goodness. This was so the subsequent generations wouldn’t forget and by so doing become like the preceding generations - ‘stubborn and rebellious with a spirit unfaithful to God.’
This is such a powerful concept to grasp because we read in the subsequent verses…
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.
This demonstrates the power of the testimony. God’s people even though armed with everything they needed for the battle, actually TURNED BACK because they FORGOT His works and the wondrous things He’s done.
Allow me to illustrate the power of the testimony another way.
We were at a conference a few years ago in Spokane Washington, and the speaker shared testimonies of people who had been healed of two specific physical issues. They were a) women who had had their tailbones broken in childbirth and b) people with deviated septums – the cartilage in the centre of the nose which separates the nostrils. As you can see these two conditions were very specific. He then asked those who had these conditions to stand and move into the aisle. Then without anyone laying hands on them or praying for them individually, after sharing the testimony of how others had been healed of these conditions he asked them to test it out. Of the 80 or so who were standing for these conditions 60 or more testified to being healed right then and there! When they were asked to test out their healing, you could see many women sitting down forcefully to test their tail bone and others taking deep breaths to see if both nostrils were open. It was quite funny but also amazing to watch. The atmosphere was pregnant with faith and praise. So many testified to being healed. This was a clear demonstration of the power of the testimony! Praise God.
We returned home and a few weeks later I was taking a service in our church and sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to share on the power of testimony and recount the experience from Spokane. It was as if He said “trust me and watch and see what I’ll do.” I was led to call out the deviated septum and asked those with this condition to stand. I shared what had happened in Spokane just a few weeks prior and a lady in our church was healed right then without anyone laying hands on her or praying for her. Please hear my heart in this. I wasn’t following a formula but the leading of Holy Spirit. Rev 19:10 says “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” When we share a testimony of what Jesus has done or is doing it creates an atmosphere for the miracle or breakthrough to be repeated.
Let me encourage you not to neglect the testimony. Keep the stories of what Jesus has done in your life foremost in your mind and speech. When we forget His mighty deeds, we can easily ‘turn back in the day of battle’ but that’s not His best for us!
There’s great power in testimony – pass on the goodness of God to the next generation!