Are You Asking
the Right Question(s)?

(submitted by a fellow prayer minister in Oklahoma)

I know a woman named Joyce, who works for my sister as a transcriptionist. She has worked under 17 different major ministries (some famous) in her lifetime, is a graduate of Oral Roberts University, and has traveled in a missionary capacity to several different countries. She has the apostolic call on her life. The Lord had her lay it all down, all of it. For a time ....

Joyce shared something VERY interesting with me not too long ago. We were talking about when an individual feels "stuck" in their lives, or when everything has come to a dead stop in ministry, finances, employment, or on a personal level spiritually. Nothing seems to be progressing for them; in fact, it can come to a standstill for several years in their life. Joyce said that at those times when everything has come, or is coming to a standstill, that God is shifting things for an upcoming change. Change in the direction(s) in our personal lives, ministry, finances, or employment.

BUT, instead of recognizing God's attempt at changing direction(s) in those seasons of our lives, we become sidetracked by the "wrong questions" that we immediately begin asking God. We feel confused or perplexed by the standstill. We start asking questions like..."What have I done wrong? What's happening? Why is this happening? Am I being attacked? Is there a hole in my spiritual defenses? Did I miss something God? Did I miss You? Did I hear you incorrectly?"... Sound familiar to anyone?...

I've personally experienced this more times that I care to recount. Especially when, in deliverance ministry, God was bringing change in its application and refinement. AND also when there was a decline in the employment field, finances, OR shifts taking place in my personal life.

One may well ask then, what is the solution to moving forward again? A part of the answer is recognizing that these "standstill" times are seasons of possible change that God desires to bring. The other part of the answer is as simple as this .... Ask God the right questions.

If you look closely at the "usual" questions we ask, "What have I done wrong? Did I miss Your will God?" etc., you will notice that those questions are NOT spoken out of the knowledge of the LOVE OF GOD. In other words, if your NOT SURE that God truly loves you, you will immediately ask or seek to find out what you did wrong, which can be another form of "turning inward" emotionally, or assuming that you must have botched things up somehow!

When, if you TRULY KNOW you are loved by God at all times, no matter the circumstances or changes that are occurring (or lack of them), one would not turn inward, but would confidently ask the questions that reflect the surety and absolute confidence in how much God loves them.

What are the good and wiser questions like? I can only share what I have heard the Lord bring to me or others through experience. Some examples of these questions are, "What is Your perfect will in this season of change Father? What change are You trying to bring into my life? Lord, what are you saying to me? How are You dealing with me, and trying to get my attention? SPEAK Lord, I am listening!" The questions the Holy Spirit brings to us to pray, will be according to the particular situation at hand.

When I understood that I needed to ask the right questions in my times of prayer, I began to practice asking God to place within me the question(s) He wanted me to ask, as led by His Holy Spirit. I'm then learning to wait for several minutes for Him to bring them to my mind. Most often I will "hear" it in my mind, then speak it. Most often, it is a question that I would have never thought of asking! How does one discern if these questions are from the Lord? The questions placed in us by the Holy Spirit, put God's will and desire first.

More could be said on how important our questions are in our times of prayer with God, however, let me say this, that it can be the difference between being "self" centered (I must have done something wrong), and "other" (mindful of God's desire) centered.

Marguerite Woodall
(margwoodall@doctalk.biz)