This article was originally published in the February 2, 2011 “Tip of the Week” newsletter from womensministry.net, a publication of Jennifer Rothschild Ministries. As a special gift to Tip of the Week readers, please enter Promo Code “wmnet” at checkout and receive 10% off any order through July 31! Click here to visit the Neighborhood Cafe store.

“Whatcha Wanna Talk About?”

As a toddler, our very-verbal daughter would tuck herself into our laps and lean in for a long conversation. “Whatcha wanna talk about?” she would inquire. Her suggestions ranged from elephants to the moon to poop! The topics to engage her young mind were endless.

When you are asked to speak at a special event or Bible study, you may also feel you have an endless list of topics to share… or, you may be at a loss to choose your subject matter. The following tips will help you effectively communicate what God has placed on your heart.

Prepare Today to Speak Tomorrow

Even if you’re not booked for a speaking engagement, keep a book of ideas, revelations, stories and Scriptures that inspire you. Use a handwritten journal or type a document as God reveals His word to you or works through your circumstances. I’ve often wished for soap crayons to record the brilliant thoughts that seem to rise with the steam in the shower! These unforgettable insights are all too soon forgotten, so make sure you record them while they’re fresh in your mind. When asked to speak, you’ll have a ready list of topics to draw from.

If You Don’t Know, It Won’t Flow

As a freelance writer, I’ve been assigned topics I knew very little about, such as choosing a snow blower or using a weed wacker. Had I been asked to speak about installing an above-ground pool, my talk would have been stilted, monotonous, memorized and cautious. Ask me to speak about choosing a front-loading washer, however, and the words roll off my tongue!

Choose topics that have special significance in your life, and talk about subjects you have personally experienced. You’ll rely less on your notes and connect emotionally and intimately with your audience. If you’re asked to speak on a topic that doesn’t come easily to you, it won’t come easily to your audience, either. You may be wise to leave that opportunity to another woman who has already walked that talk.

What To Leave Out

When you’ve chosen your topic, you’ll begin to see it everywhere as your mind becomes saturated with the subject. It’ll pop up on billboards, in songs, even cloud formations! I once added two pages of new revelation to a presentation on the very morning I was to give it, yet it proved to be awkward and ill-fitting. Knowing what to leave out requires more wisdom than what to leave in!

Take care to keep your topic focused. Identify one key statement your audience should remember, and ensure that each point in your presentation supports it. Put any extra material back in your notebook, and trust that God will use it another time.

Peter said, “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11). That’s a tall order, but thankfully the verse goes on to say that God provides the strength or ability when we speak and serve. Prayerfully submit your subject to Him, and He will send His Spirit to work through your well-chosen words.