How to Ask Great Spiritual Questions
James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
If you want to be more effective in your place of mission, a top skill to master is learning to listen.
We do this in order to express our value of that person, and also to help them unearth the deeper matters of life. People who feel heard feel loved - and that better opens them to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus!
Recently we gave you 14 Tips to Listen Well.
Today, we want to give you examples of great questions for different scenarios.
We are going to filter these questions through conversations that have different levels of depth and spiritual meaning.
We must learn how to recognize the moment and type of conversation we are in, as well as allowing the Spirit to show us when we can move the talk into more profound areas. We will ask different types of questions accordingly!
Casual Conversation
This is early on in a conversation or relationship. It is casual, interested, and low pressure.
Commons topics include sports, weather, work, children, where you're from, and so on. This is where you often spend the bulk of your time.
The key here is to ask open ended questions. “What was it like when you lived out east?” “Tell me about your job” “Where are your kids at school”.
People like to make connections (“Oh, my aunt lives there!”) or affirmations (“I’ve heard that’s a great school”, “Your team are having a great season!”)
Meaningful Conversation
To go a little deeper & more meaningful::
When you ask someone how they're doing and they reply “Fine”, say “Just fine?” If they reply “Good!”, ask “Why good?”
If things are going well in life - e.g. they love their career, or they’re excelling in something - ask what prepared them to do so well in it.
Don't always be the one with the answers. Ask for advice.
Say nice things about people and build them up. Call out the good in others. If you see that they're good at something, say it! Embody the good news. That will make them feel safe, loved, accepted and more open.
Spiritual Conversation
To develop spiritual conversations, there are 3 big pathways:
Ask great questions
Tell inspiring stories
Offer to pray for them
1. Questions:
Tell me about your spiritual journey
Would you describe yourself as a spiritual person?
Have you ever had a spiritual experience?
How has this experience affected the way you look at God?
If you could ask God one question, what would you ask Him? Why is that your question?
I’m praying for you today - is there anything specific I can pray for you?
2. Sharing stories - of what God has done in your life. Often with these stories you see people being drawn towards you, and often you see an openness and hunger in their eyes as you share.
3. "Can I pray for you?" in response to anything particularly good or bad that's going on in their lives - sickness, struggles, new jobs, pregnancy, new home etc
Here’s the Full Video:
Homework on Asking Questions
Memorize some ways to go into more profound conversation. Use our examples or write your own.
Ask the Holy Spirit for opportunities to go deeper this week in question asking. Ask Him to train you.
