We so often come to God asking questions, looking for answers. And that’s a smart thing to do. He has them. We need his answers, his strategies, his perspective. A heavenly paradigm shift from God changes everything.

But what about when God comes to us for answers? What?!? God knows everything!  Yes, he does. But he values conversation, relationship, and partnership with us so much that he doesn’t just tell us how it is. He asks us questions so we arrive at the answers together with him.

Look at Job

You know the story of Job. When Job lost everything and got a bit angry and uppity with God, Job’s three friends showed up. They didn’t ask him any questions. They didn’t try to understand. They just told him how it was: All the suffering in your life is punishment for something, Job. C’mon, dude, come clean. We knew your success was a scam all along. Now it’s catching up with you!

And they were completely wrong. Totally wrong. They knew nothing about the character of God like Job did.

But when God shows up and speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, God does something really strange. Really counter-intuitive. God, the one person who could tell Job how it is, doesn’t. Instead, he asks Job questions.

“I will question you, and you will answer me.” – God to Job (Job 38:3b)

Now in the questions to Job, since Job had gotten a bit snarky, God gets a bit snarky back. God meets us with what we bring to him.

But the point of this post is that God likes to ask us questions. He cherishes the dialog with us. God wants to not only talk to you, but converse with you.

In particular, there are 4 specific questions God asks us. Reflecting through these 4 questions on a regular basis, at least once a quarter, is a powerful practice. This can help you partner with God to transition into your next season.

Question 1: Where are you?

This is the first recorded question God asks in the Bible. He asked it of Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit and were hiding from God. God knew where they were. But he wanted conversation with them about what happened.

This is a great question to ask ourselves. Where am I in my life right now? We often don’t stop to even think about it. We’re just wrapped up in all the busy doing.

But stop a minute and give this a thought. Where are you?

Question 2: Do you want to be healed?

Jesus asked this question to the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:6). I have a post all about this question here.

Now that you answered Question 1 and know where you are, what do you want Jesus to heal? Stopping a moment and naming what we want God to do in our lives is a powerful practice.

In this partnership with God, it’s important to get clear about what we need God to do, what we can’t do ourselves. What do you need God to fix?

Answering this question is powerful because it:

1. Names the problem.
2. Acknowledges that we need God to fix it.

Another way of asking this question is the way Jesus asked Blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) What do you want Jesus to do in your life?

What do you want Jesus to heal?

Question 3: What do you want?

Wait a minute. I’m allowed to have a want? Yes, you’re allowed to have a want.

Jesus asked this question of two disciples who started following him. Presumably Andrew and Philip, they had formerly followed John the Baptist. Jesus sees them following him, turns and asks them, “What do you want?” (John 1:38)

So often in the church, we’re taught self-sacrifice, laying aside what we want, dying to self. That’s a Christian thing, and it’s good as long as it stays in the proper balance.

Too often though, leaders building their own empires, rather than God’s Kingdom, exploit Christ’s teaching of self-sacrifice. Women, especially, are often treated like second-class citizens.

Even if it was never spoken, have you absorbed the lie that the role of a good Christian is to keep everyone else happy? And have you blended into the background of your own life in order to do that? Have you lost yourself?

Now, please don’t get me wrong. Christianity is certainly not about hedonism, self-centeredness, our pursuing our own agenda at the expense of everyone else around us. The desires from our unredeemed heart are self-destructive, eventually, and don’t please God.

But the desires of our redeemed heart were put there by God. The thing that makes your heart leap, what you’re passionate about, God put that there. It’s connected to the calling on your life.

What do you want?

Question 4: What’s in your hand?

God asked Moses this question at the burning bush (Exodus 4:2).

God was calling Moses to do something bigger than Moses – deliver Israel from Egypt. God was giving Moses Heaven’s strategy for pulling this off. Moses had a shepherd’s staff in his hand, and God showed him how to turn it into a snake and back.

God may not be calling you to lead an oppressed people group across international borders, but God’s calling on your life is bigger than you. That’s why it requires partnership with God.

And Heaven’s strategy for pulling it off starts with what’s already in your hand. What are you already doing? Ask the Holy Spirit for Heaven’s strategy to leverage what you’re already doing as the next right step into your calling.

What’s in your hand?

A Great Conversation Starter with God

Reflecting on these 4 questions is such a powerful conversation starter with God, I’ve put them on a one-page worksheet you can download free and use again and again.

Do it often; at least once a quarter. After you’ve answered all 4 questions, go back and look at your previous answers (from last quarter, or even last year), and see how much you’ve grown, how far you’ve come.

Your Turn

Does this resonate? Did these questions reveal something you didn’t expect? Tell us your story in the comments. And please share this post with everyone it will bless.