Conflict is essential to your story. In fact, without conflict you have no story.
There are four types of conflict:
1. Person vs. Person
2. Person vs. Self
3. Person vs. Environment
4. Person vs. God
Go to your library or your local Christian bookstore, read lots of story openings, and take notes. You will also find many opportunities on the Internet for studying story openings. See how the author introduces conflict. Then decide how you would resolve the conflict if you were writing the story or book. This is an excellent exercise.
When you are writing a short story, limit your characters to two to four. Also, only have one conflict. In a book, you can keep introducing complication upon complication, solving some as you go along and waiting until the end to solve the main conflict. But remember: If you solve everything before the book is finished, the reader will put it down. Why should he continue reading? Build suspense, don’t tell it all. Surprise the reader and provide an interesting twist. Don’t allow him to figure out the ending before you get there.