"But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed,  but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.  However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame."  (1 Peter 3:14-16) (HCSB)

Scripture actively commands us to bare witness of our faith to people that we interact with.  By sharing the reason for the love that we display as Christians, we are able to evangelize directly to those around us.  

I don't know about you, but many times in my life, this seems like quite a tough calling.

It is convicting to me because I then realize that my relationship with Christ is not where it should be...

Where I should want it to be.  

So how do we acquire the hope and defense that Peter is talking about in this passage?

Personal Preparation

1. Be Sure That You Are a Christian

2. Have No Unconfessed Sin in Your Life

3. Be Filled With the Holy Spirit

4. Be Prepared to Communicate Your Faith in Christ

2 Timothy 4:5 gives evidence to the idea that every believer is called to evangelize.  As tough as this call may sound, this command should not be seen as a burden or labor, but, rather, as a privilege and responsibility! If we truly believe that Christ lived as fully God and fully man, dying as a sinless sacrifice for our sake, and giving our lives meaning and purpose - What's stopping us from sharing such an abundant treasure with our friends and family?  Why do we not let Christ's love consume our every thought and action?

Here are some practical sources of help when it comes to being prepared to share your faith:

Knowledge and Training

"Like any other skill, the ability to give the reason for the hope you have in Christ - or "witnessing" - can be done better after instruction and practice."  (Bill Bright)

+ Seek to learn from the experiences of others - Of elders, and other brothers and sisters in Christ.

+ Take the time to participate in training and equipping.  This may be in the form of seminars, book studies, scripture study, discipleship, etc.  

Regardless of the amount of training and knowledge you have, know that God can use you no matter what your current state is.  Do not be discouraged thinking, "I need to acquire extensive training before I go out and share my faith with people."  If your faith is genuine, the Holy Spirit will be working in you and you will be able and willing to share with many of the people in your life.

Pray

Pray for those people that God has provided in your life for you to witness to. Pray that their hearts will be prepared for what God has to say through you. Pray for your faith in God to be strengthened.  Pray for opportunities to witness. Pray for the strength to love those around you with the unfaltering love of Christ.

Trust in the Holy Spirit

"Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God."  

When taking the step of sharing your faith, know that you can have confidence and strength to do so through the Holy Spirit.  It is not by our power that we share the message of salvation with others.

We don't bring anyone to Christ. We simply fulfill our responsibility as manifested through the Bible.

Fruitful witnessing is only achieved as a result of the ministry of the Spirit of God.

Use Resources

Use resources when witnessing, talking and sharing with others. There are many pamphlets, books, handouts, and plenty of other things that help guide you through conversations about God, Jesus, and the meaning of life.  It may seem like a cliche and somewhat negative thing to do, but using printed resources can be a huge help in evangelism.  Often times we view tracts and pamphlets as immediate fodder when someone hands one to us on the street, however, there are similar resources that can be used to convey the message of Christ effectively to individuals in your life - Especially when used with a little training and experience!

Check out:

Knowing God Personally booklets (KGP)

Four Spiritual Laws

and other resources

Some paraphrases, citations, concepts, and wording used from the following source:

Bill Bright, Transferable Concepts: How You Can Be a Fruitful Witness (Peachtree City, GA: Campus Crusade                                                 for Christ, New Life Resources, 2009).