Sharing Your Testimony With Before, Turning Point, After

How many of you have ever wanted to share your story, but the moment comes and your mind goes blank?

You want to be real. You want to honor God. You just don’t want to ramble, overshare, or walk away thinking, Why did I say all that?

I get it. Sharing your testimony can feel big. Like you need the perfect words, the perfect timeline, and the neatest ending.

But you don’t.

Sharing your testimony can be clear and simple. And that’s exactly what makes it powerful. I love the 3-part format that keeps things grounded and easy to remember (and honestly, it keeps my nerves calmer too). It’s Before, Turning Point, After.

Let’s talk about how to do it in a way that feels like you. Not rehearsed. Not heavy. Just honest, hopeful, and led by the Holy Spirit.

Can I tell you something? Sharing your testimony is not about having a dramatic story. It’s about giving God credit for what He’s done.

It’s also about community. Because when one woman gets brave, it makes room for another woman to breathe again. I’ve seen it happen. There’s something about hearing “me too” that loosens fear and helps shame lose its grip.

And Scripture actually calls us to this kind of out-loud faith.

Psalm 107:2 gives us language for this

Psalm 107:2 (CSB) says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that he has redeemed them from the power of the foe.”

That word proclaim matters. It’s verbal. Out loud. Not tucked away in your notes app forever.

Sharing your testimony is one way we proclaim redemption. Not as a performance, but as a witness. A simple, steady one.

Your story can plant a seed you never get to see

Sometimes we want proof that sharing your testimony “worked.” Like we need an immediate, visible result.

But I keep coming back to this idea. We’re responsible for obedience, not outcomes. Our role is to plant the seed and keep loving people the way Jesus loves us.

And yes, you might not always see the fruit. But God does.

Here’s the thing. A lot of us avoid sharing your testimony because we think it has to include everything.

It doesn’t.

A practical tool I teach (and come back to myself) is the 3-minute testimony. It’s three parts, Before, Turning Point, and After.

Think of it like guardrails. It helps you stay focused, especially when emotions show up.

Part 1: The Before (set the stage without getting stuck there)

The Before is where you share what life was like before Jesus met you in that area.

And you don’t have to say every detail. You’re not writing a memoir. You’re giving context.

In the Before, you can answer a few simple questions.

What was I believing back then?
What was I carrying (fear, control, loneliness, shame, anxiety, anger)?
What did I try that didn’t work?

This part can be one or two sentences. That’s enough.

For example (and keep it in your own voice), “Before, I looked like I had it together, but I felt empty and anxious. I tried to fix it by staying busy, but it never touched my heart.”

Short. Honest. Not graphic. Just true.

Part 2: The Turning Point (tell how Jesus met you)

The Turning Point is the moment things shifted.

Sometimes that moment is obvious, like a prayer, a conversation, an altar moment, a fresh surrender. And sometimes it’s quieter, like God slowly changing you through His Word and through safe people who loved you well.

Either way, this is where you name what God did.

You can share a sentence like, “Then I hit a point where I couldn’t carry it alone anymore. I asked Jesus for help, and I started getting honest with one friend who could pray with me.”

This is also where you can add one small detail that makes it human. Sitting in your car. Washing dishes. A morning on the couch. God shows up in ordinary places.

And if you’re wondering how spiritual you need to sound, you don’t. Sharing your testimony is not a sermon. It’s a story of God’s kindness in your real life.

Part 3: The After (show the change, even if it’s still in progress)

The After is where you share what’s different now.

Not perfect. Different.

I love this reminder, you don’t have to wait until everything is “fixed” to start sharing your testimony. God uses unfinished stories too.

So in the After, you might say, “Now, I’m still learning, but I don’t hide like I used to. I ask for prayer. I’m quicker to run to God instead of running myself into the ground.”

This part is hopeful by design. It points to what God is building in you.

But what if you’re thinking, Okay Jessica, but what if my story is complicated?

Most of ours are.

Sharing your testimony with wisdom means you get to choose what serves the listener and honors God, without exposing things that don’t need to be exposed.

Keep it gentle and focused on Jesus

One thing I try to remind myself is this, your testimony is about what Jesus has done, not about everything that was done to you or everything you’ve done.

Yes, you can be honest about the struggle. But you don’t have to paint a picture so detailed it pulls the room into darkness.

Light is the point.

Ask permission in real conversations

This helps so much, especially one-on-one.

You can say, “May I share something with you? It’s part of my story, and it changed my life.”

That small question is respectful. It also gives you a second to breathe.

Sometimes the best starting point is not your story. It’s hers.

Listening creates safety. And when she knows you actually care, sharing your testimony lands differently. It feels like a gift, not a speech.

I remember seasons where I felt so unqualified to speak, to write, to do any of it. That shaky feeling is real.

And here’s what I’ve learned. Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s trusting God and speaking even if your voice shakes.

Sharing your testimony doesn’t require a spotlight. It can look like coffee with a friend. A text message. A quiet conversation after church.

Small is still obedient.

Try writing it first if your words get tangled

If you freeze in the moment, write your Before, Turning Point, and After on paper first.

Not to memorize it like a script. Just to clarify it.

Sometimes the clarity comes after you see it in front of you.

Use a simple sentence starter for each part

Here are a few sentence starters you can keep in your back pocket.

Before: “I used to believe…” or “I used to feel…”
Turning Point: “Then God…” or “Then I prayed…”
After: “Now I…” or “Today, I’m learning…”

This is sharing your testimony without pressure to perform.

Sometimes it helps to see it.

Here are a few examples that stay short and real. Use them as inspiration, not a template you have to copy.

Example 1: Anxiety and peace

Before: “I used to wake up with anxiety and try to push through it alone.”

Turning Point: “Then I finally admitted I needed help and started praying honestly, even if it was just ‘Jesus, help me.’”

After: “Now, anxiety doesn’t run my day like it used to. I still have moments, but I run to God faster, and I let people pray for me.”

Example 2: Shame and belonging

Before: “I was scared people would reject me if they knew the real me.”

Turning Point: “Then God gave me one safe friendship where I could be honest, and I started seeing that shame can’t survive in the light.”

After: “Now I don’t hide the same way. I’m learning to live loved, and I’m learning that community is part of healing.”

Example 3: Control and trust

Before: “I tried to control everything because it made me feel safe.”

Turning Point: “Then God kept nudging me to surrender, little by little, and I started choosing His Word over the noise.”

After: “Now I’m still a work in progress, but I have more peace. I can pause, pray, and respond with more wisdom than I used to.”

You don’t have to wait for a stage. You don’t have to wait for “later.”

If God has redeemed you, Psalm 107 says we get to proclaim it. (And friend, proclaim can be quiet and still be brave.)

Here are a few practical next steps for sharing your testimony in real life.

Write your Before, Turning Point, and After in 6-10 sentences total.
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit who might need to hear it this month.
Practice saying it out loud once, in your car or in your kitchen.
Share it with one safe person first (a friend, sister, small group leader).
After you share, release the outcome to God.

And if you’re still nervous, you’re not failing. You’re human.

Sharing your testimony gets easier the more you do it. Not because you become polished, but because you become freer.

A gentle reminder before you go

Does this sound familiar? You think, My story isn’t dramatic enough to matter.

Let me encourage you. Every story matters. We aren’t competing for miracles. We’re gathering reminders that God keeps showing up.

Sharing your testimony is one of the ways we remind our community that redemption is real. That healing is possible. That God is still writing chapters.

So take a breath.

Keep it simple. Before, Turning Point, After.

And let the redeemed of the Lord say so.