Daily Devotional: Wednesday, January 31 - Be Ready

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” — 1 Peter 3:15

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Ezra realized that God’s Word wasn’t just for him (Ezra 7); he understood the importance of sharing and teaching it to others. Jesus stressed this in some of His final words before ascending to Heaven: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Every great athlete understands the importance of preparation. He or she wants to compete at the highest level with success, but that doesn’t just happen on its own. You can’t just show up without putting in the work and expect to compete well.

The same is true when it comes to sharing God’s Word with others. Peter wrote, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).

What are some things you can do to prepare?

1) Learn to share your story of coming to know Jesus Christ as your Savior clearly and concisely; follow the example of Paul in Galatians 1:13-24.

2) Memorize some key Bible verses that explain God’s way of salvation, such as Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:13 and Ephesians 2:8-9.

3) Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with others, and be specific in praying for teammates, coworkers, family members, friends, etc.

As important as it is to prepare as an athlete, how much greater it is to prepare for sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ!

— Jeff Totten, Detroit Tigers chaplain

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