I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
– Psalm 143:5
Slow Down and Think
Too often we get in routines with God. We do our prayers and read our Bible, but we forget to stop and take it all in. Life happens, and we get busy. We don’t make time to think, so we just mark off the days.
God wants us to take stock of the times and make the most of every opportunity. There is never a time He is not interested in spending time with you, but we need to slow down to recognize what He is doing.
Forcing yourself to ask questions of God makes your mind rethink what is going on and what you may be learning. Simple questions after reading the Bible can make the truth of Scripture go deeper. If we just read the story of Zaccheus, we can ask God who we are like in the story. Am I more like Zaccheus who goes against accepted norms to see Jesus? Or, am I more like the Pharisees who mock those who go after God differently than how I do?
Questions God Wants to Ask You
Today, it would be good to write down some of these questions that are brought up. These questions will force you to get real before God and will give you direction on ways to grow closer to Jesus.
I would encourage you to take a journal and prayerfully write out a conversation with God. Whatever you feel the Holy Spirit leading in answer to these questions, write it down. Those answers can be reviewed as you process the Lord’s leading for you.
These questions are written as from God to you. They are questions from a loving Father encouraging His children on to the more He has for them. Here is the list of questions.
- Do you believe what I believe about you?
- When will you prove me?
- Can you see yourself powerful in Jesus? Would you like to be more powerful?
- When will you learn peace?
- I’m making war on all your negativity. Whose side do you want to be on?
- I put you in Christ, so I can treat you like Him. How would you treat yourself knowing Christ is in you?
- Did you know my plan for you is to be as amazing as I am?
- As you renew your mind in the Spirit, what can you see you could not see before?
- Is your mindset hostile to Me, or are you open to learn something?
1. Do you believe what I believe about you?
Our Heavenly Father has amazing thoughts about us. Most of them seem so good that it would be wrong for us to believe. We know everything bad about us. So does God, but the difference is He focuses on everything good He has placed in us.
If you have a negative view of yourself, then you are not seeing yourself as God sees you. Confess those beliefs you have of yourself that are holding you back, and take time to ask God to remind you on His view.
It is so important to get this right if we are to accomplish those things God is calling us to.
2. When will you prove me?
God loves faith. Hebrews tells us that it is impossible to please God without it (Hebrews 11:6). In fact, God makes promises to us so that we can pick them up by faith. He is the God of promise and the God of fulfillment.
When God promises us that He will work out all things for the good of us that love Him (Romans 8:28), will we give thanks in all things trusting that even in what we wish didn’t happen that God will work that out for good, as well?
We prove God as faithful to His promises by believing those promises even when they don’t appear to be coming true. God wants us to hold on to the very end allowing Him to take care of us.
3. Can you see yourself powerful in Jesus?
How many Christians say that they are just a sinner saved by grace? While that sounds humble, it tends to negate any belief that God could use you in any significant way. God has given us new life that is empowered by the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:17 & Romans 8:11). Will we stand up and say we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)?
* Would you like to be more powerful?
We serve the Creator of Heaven and Earth. There is nothing beyond His power to accomplish (Jeremiah 32:27).
God is infinite in His resources and desire to use you in His mission for the world. Many don’t have this power because we don’t ask. God is waiting for people who will humble themselves and ask Him for the resources to fulfill the plan He has for them (James 4:2).
4. When will you learn peace?
If we felt anything the world was giving us during the Covid years, it was to be anxious. We were constantly told to be careful, keep your distance, and diligently disinfect and wash up. You must constantly be alert or you could get sick and die. We were even told to stay away from church, if not for your own safety, at least for others.
This anxiety turned into anger for many people. Either frustrated with people who didn’t follow the orders of the governments or with people who imposed their rules against your freedoms.
Even mentioning this topic can turn people against me. All this to show how far from peace many of are. But, everything can set us off.
- How are we going to get our stuff done at work?
- My kids are not doing good enough at school.
- Will we have enough money to pay our bills?
- My spouse keeps pressuring me.
God wants to know when are we going to let Him have control. Will we allow Him to speak to our situation and trust Him to take care of us? Peace is available if we want it (Philippians 4:7).
5. I’m making war on all your negativity. Whose side do you want to be on?
We have a command to rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19). This is part of God’s will for us and failure to do so will play a part in quenching the Spirit’s flow in your life. But, we cannot freely rejoice when we focus on the negative.
We often call our negativity, discernment. What it is really is expecting the worst, expecting God to not come through, and expecting Satan to win. God wants to fight against your negativity and is asking if you will work with Him on it (Philippians 4:8).
6. I put you in Christ, so I can treat you like Him. How would you treat yourself knowing Christ is in you?
We have been blessed in the spiritual realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). In Him we have forgiveness of sin in accordance to the riches of God’s grace with He lavished on us (Ephesians 1:7-8). When the Heavenly Father looks at us, He sees us through the love and joy He has for Jesus because we are actually and literally in Christ.
Your body is a temple because of Christ in you. How you treat your body is an act of worship of Him who redeemed you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Would you treat Jesus poorly? Of course not! Then let’s honor the one our Savior loves by treating ourselves the way He deserves to be treated.
7. Did you know my plan for you is to be as amazing as I am?
Before you were born, God had a plan for your life (Jeremiah 1:5). You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God put within you all your gifts, talents, and personality to enable you fulfill your mission on this earth. There are specific ways in which only you can minister to God’s heart.
There is no such thing as a boring Christian life if it is fully given to Him. Grab hold of how you were made and fully give it over to your Heavenly Father. The part you play in His kingdom is important.
8. As you renew your mind in the Spirit, what can you see you could not see before?
You have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We do not think as the world does because we are constantly being renewed (Romans 12:2). Therefore the ways of the spirit are opening up around you. You can know the will of God – His good, perfect, and pleasing will.
- Where has there been discouragement that you now have hope?
- … anxiety that you now have peace?
- … loneliness that you now know love?
God wants to continue to reveal more of His wisdom and love to you. Keep pursuing this renewal.
9. Is your mindset hostile to Me, or are you open to learn something?
Many people in Jesus’ time could not see Him for their expectations of how they thought He would come. Jesus could do few miracles in His hometown because they saw Him as Mary’s son (Mark 6:3). Those in Jerusalem were looking for someone who would free them from the Romans, so they asked for the release of Barabbas over Jesus (Mark 15:7).
In order to renew our minds, we may need to unlearn some things and let go of how we always viewed the world. What would you rather have a nice understanding of how things should be or more of Jesus?
10. What do you want Me to be for you in this season?
Knowing everything you are going through, how would you like for God to show up for you? Do you need Him as your Father, encouraging you and giving you advice? Are you in need of Him as a provider taking care of your needs? Or do you need Him to come with…
- stability
- power
- wisdom
- friendship
11. Are you as ready to receive as I am delighted to give to you?
Every good and perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17). He who didn’t without His Son for us, how can He not also generously give us all things (Romans 8:32)? Let’s go to Him with expectancy because He is eager for us to have everything we need.
I hope you take these questions to heart. As you ponder them with God, you will be begin to see more of who Jesus is for you. False perceptions come down and God will come in with His truth. I pray that the eyes of your heart be opened to the hope for which you were called and the riches of your inheritance (Ephesians 1:18).
These 10 questions originally came from a sermon by Graham Cooke. Unfortunately, I don't remember which one. Please post in the comments a link if you know. You can also check some Graham Cooke quotes on prayer on this site.
Original photo by Gaurav K