Many years ago in a conversation with a friend, I told her, “The genius of Jesus was that He always knew the right questions to ask.” Regardless of whether He was talking to the worst of sinners, the self-righteousness Pharisees, or ones who loved Him dearly, Jesus always knew what needed to be asked—not to get information for Himself (He already knew the answers), but to initiate discussion, to provoke self-examination by the hearer, or to build a deeper relationship.

Beth Moore in her study, The Quest, says, “Unless routine has lulled us into sleepwalking, to walk with God is to be on a quest. And a quest is no quest without questions. The component of mutual inquiry is nowhere more fascinating than in a relationship with God.”

Sometimes God asks us questions, but sometimes He prompts us to ask Him questions or to ask questions of others that need to be asked. Sometimes they’re hard questions that seem too risky or too personal.

When we were missionaries in Japan, I got the impression many missionaries believed one should refrain from asking the Japanese people questions about their beliefs for fear of offending them. However, eventually I realized that if I was to follow Jesus’ method of evangelism, I needed to allow the Holy Spirit to prompt me to ask the right questions at the right time just as Jesus did.

One day when only two of my students were present at my conversational English class, I sensed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and asked them questions about their beliefs. We had a great discussion. The next time I saw one of the ladies, she said, “We really enjoyed our time with you last week. You asked us shocking questions, but we really enjoyed it.”

I would never have classified my questions as “shocking,” but I think the shocking thing was that I asked questions they’d never been asked. I think sometimes we don’t know what we believe about something until someone asks us the right question.

As I prepared a devotional on this subject recently for our small group, I made a list of questions that I had asked God or others, or questions that I had been asked, which changed the course of our lives. I was amazed. I discovered that the component of mutual inquiry is important not only in our relationship with God but in our relationship with others. Here is a brief list of some of those life-changing questions:

• My question to Donn after we’d been married seven years in 1977: Why can’t we ever pray together? (This led to Donn acknowledging that he wasn’t a Christian.)
• Do you want to be? (My question in response to Donn’s answer, which led to his salvation.)

• My pastor’s question in 1979 when God revealed hatred I had buried for many years. Do you know when you began to hate her? (God revealed the reasons for my hatred so that I could forgive.)

• My question to God in 1980: What do we lack? (God’s answer: One thing you lack, sell what you have, give to the poor, and come follow me. The first step in our call to give the Lord a year of fulltime service in a gospel music ministry.)

• God’s question to me in 1991 when He called us to do foster parenting which I had always said I’d never do: What if I’m asking you to do foster care? (Since I had made a promise to God in 1980 to do anything, go anywhere, or be anything He asked, His question changed everything.)

• My question to God in 2001 when I wasn’t sleeping at night and remembered that He had interrupted my sleep at previous times when He had something to say to me: What do you want God? You have my undivided attention. (He prompted me to read a book which was the first step in our call to be missionaries in Japan.)

• My questions to God when I began to suspect He was calling us to be missionaries to Japan the year of my 50^th birthday. January 1) Surely you aren’t trying to tell me you want us to be missionaries to Japan? No answer 2) Surely you wouldn’t ask me to go and leave our granddaughter. No answer February3) Are you really telling me you’re calling us to be missionaries in Japan or am I just getting all emotionally involved in this book I’m reading? God’s answer: Confirmation of our call through a devotional book of my mother’s she had given me before she died.)

As I read over this list, I am more convinced than ever of the importance of asking the right questions at the right time, whether in our relationship with God or with others, and the importance of having ears to hear the questions God is asking us. My prayer for you today is that you will have the courage to hear the life-changing questions God is asking you and to ask the questions that need to be asked.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your desire to have a relationship with us and your desire for us to have relationships with others. Give us courage to ask you and others the questions that need to be asked and to respond in obedience to the questions you ask us. Amen