Provocative Questions

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I am coming to believe that there is major power in asking the right questions.  I am also learning that I stink at asking good questions and I want to get better. Proverbs 20:5 tells us that "the purposes of the human heart are deep waters, but those who have insight draw them out."  I yearn to draw things out of the waters of people's hearts. 

 

Here are 10 AWESOME questions to ask an accountability partner each time you meet. Use them regularly with another Jesus follower and I promise you that there will be fruit flowing from it.

 

1. Have you been a testimony this week to the greatness of Jesus with both words and actions? 

2. Have you been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed your mind to entertain inappropriate sexual thoughts about another this week?

3. Have you been responsible with your finances or have you been consumed with wanting something that does not belong to you?

4. Have you been honoring, understanding, and generous in important relationships this week?

5. Have you damaged another person by your words, either behind their back or face-to-face?

6. Have you given into an addictive behavior this week? Explain.

7. Have you continued to remain angry toward another?

8. Have you secretly wished for another's misfortune so that you might excel?

9. Have you spent daily time alone with God in prayer and in the Word this week?

10. Have you left anything hidden in answering these questions?

 

Can you imagine what would happen if we all met in pairs, triads or quads and worked through these regularly?  Wow!  HERE is the link for these questions at their original source.  They are called LTG questions. 

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For kicks and grins, here are some more provocative questions that I compiled and weeded through.  You could pick and chose these as the Holy Spirit leads you. 

 

This week....

(Spiritual)

• Did the Bible live in me this week? Did I give it time to speak to me every day?
• Am I enjoying prayer?
• When did I last speak to someone about my faith? 
• Did I disobey God in anything?
• Was Christ real to me? 
• What known sins have I committed since our last meeting?
• What temptations have I been met with? Were you delivered? If so, how?
• In what ways did God make his presence known to you since our last Meeting?
• Which spiritual disciplines did God use to lead you further into holiness of heart and life?
• Have you sensed any influence or work of the Holy Spirit since our last meeting? 
• What spiritual gifts did the Spirit enable you to exercise? What was the outcome?
• What is the condition of your soul? 
• What sin do you need to confess? 
• What have you held back from God that you need to surrender? 
• Is there anything that has dampened your zeal for Christ? 
• What do you need to ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you that you have not yet understood? 
• Have you spoken with a non-believer about your faith in Jesus Christ? With Whom?

  

(Relational)

• Is my conscience clear in how I feel toward and speak of the people in my life?
• Did I break people’s confidence and share private information I had no right to share?
• Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it? 
• Is there anyone toward whom I am jealous?
• Did I give priority time, energy and emotion to my spouse and kids this week?

 

(Sexual)

• Have I been with a man or woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising? 
• Have I exposed myself to any sexually explicit material? 
• Have I commited adultery or fornication this week?
• Have I crossed any lines that it seems clear Jesus did not want me to?
• How pure or impure have my thoughts been? 

 

(Financial)

• Did I pray about the money I spent?
• Have any of my financial dealings lacked integrity? 
• Did I buy things that I did not need?
• Am I currenytly looking to justify a purchase that I know I should not make at this time?
• What have I given away this week?

 

(Character) 

• Was I consciously or unconsciously creating the idea that I am better than I am?
• Was I honest in all my acts or words, or did I exaggerate? 
• Was I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
• Was I self conscious, self-pitying, self-absorbed, self-centered or self justified?
• Did I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy? 
• Was I defeated in any part of my life? 
• Was I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful? 
• Did I grumble and complain? 
• What fruit of the Spirit would you like to see increase in your life? Which disciplines might be useful in this effort? 
• What opportunities did God give you to serve others since our last meeting? How did you respond? 
• Did you encounter injustice to or oppression of others? Were you able to work for justice and peace? 
• How has the Bible shaped the way you think and live?

(Schedule)

• Did I get to bed on time and get up on time?
• How did I spend my spare time?  
• Have I spent adequate time in Bible Study and Prayer? 
• Have I given priority time to my family?
• Did I invest the proper quality / quantity of time in my most important relationships? 

 

HERE is where I gathered most of these questions and sorted through them. This is a compilation of the ones I liked best.