Billy Graham. Dwight Moody. Charles Finney. George Whitefield. History tells the story of these men unashamedly preaching the gospel in front of crowds of people and packed stadiums. As we watched them passionately evangelize America, we too became inspired to courageously share our faith with others.

But are Americans still willing to talk about their faith today?

In the sixth chapter of the State of the Bible survey entitled, “Sharing the Faith,” we asked people across America questions about evangelism.

The results reveal how we can pray about the state of evangelism in America.

Changing Times

Half a century ago, evangelism in America looked like churches holding week-long evangelistic services, or Christians going door to door with the gospel message, handing out tracts, and even street preaching.

As the culture in America has changed, methods of evangelism have adjusted. But what hasn’t changed is the call to Christians to radiate God’s truth and to share it. Here are some key insights from chapter 6 about Americans and sharing faith:

• The more often people go to church, the more likely they are to want to share their faith with others.
• Young believers who engage with Scripture want to share their faith with others.
• People are talking about faith with their friends, family, and colleagues, not just with those who worship with them on Sundays.
• Gen Z is most likely to have had spiritual conversations with three or more non-church connections in the past year.
• Nearly a third of Americans say they regularly talk about the transforming message of the Bible.

How You Can Pray

We, Christ-followers, are the light for the whole world. Scripture encourages us, “Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:16 CEV). Yet, some Christians struggle to share their faith.

Our survey verifies that “’fear of what people will think of me’ is one of the leading obstacles to faith-sharing among the Scripture Engaged.” Another leading hindrance was “I think it is inappropriate to talk about my faith.”

We need to pray that as passionate believers, wholeheartedly committed to following Christ, we will happily share our faith without barriers like self-doubt, fear, or lack of knowledge to stop us. Let’s pray that Christians will find encouragement, knowledge, and growth in their church communities, enabling them to have conversations about their faith outside the church. Let’s pray together:

Father, thank you for instilling in us the light of your Spirit. Thank you for entrusting us with the message of the gospel, which is God’s power to save all who believe (Romans 1:16). Today, we pray that Christians across America will be renewed and encouraged to share this message with their friends, family, and community. We pray that churches will help prepare their congregants to share their faith. Grant us wisdom and discernment to share the good news in an ever-changing culture. May we be led by your Spirit to bring your light and hope to those who desperately need it. We pray this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

To download the first six chapters of the State of the Bible: USA 2022 ebook, visit StateoftheBible.org