#80 – Build Your Own Question Habit

Welcome to season eight of Presently Engaged with Mandy Pallock. Here you’ll find short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are. And now for your host, Mandy Pallock. You know that I love a good question.

Asking questions and listening well can take every relationship you have deeper. In this season, we are diving deep into questions in Scripture. Because as we look to the Bible, we look to the very best source. We will then end the podcast with a Scripture reading anchoring us in the truth of God’s Word before you go on with your day.

This will give us the opportunity to center our minds on Jesus and our hearts on his Word, because lives will change as we engage with God’s Word. I wonder if you could help me with something. Would you consider texting this podcast right now to a friend or to someone that you’re mentoring? Listen in and then join me at PresentlyEngaged.com.

I am so grateful for your time and glad that you are here because you friend are making a difference. I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those all or nothing people. I’m all in on a discipline or a habit or I’m not. It’s what you do the day after that consistently is a challenge for me.

As I have embraced this reality about myself, I’ve learned in being a person who is an all or nothing person, the beauty of rhythm and the beauty of attaching a habit to something I already do. For example, I am going to drink coffee in the morning. I can take that moment that I’m definitely going to do of drinking coffee and then link another thing to it. For example, what I do is I drink my coffee that’s when I spend my time with God.

Then I am going to wave goodbye to my husband as he pulls down the driveway. After that, I’m going to go on a walk around our neighborhood. Those are two examples of disciplines or good habits that I’ve linked to something that’s already happening. It’s a rhythm.

It’s a daily rhythm. When it comes to conversation, when it comes to questions, I’ve learned that those daily rhythms can become sacred through intentional conversation. Learning to ask questions in unaccepted places or ordinary moments are beautiful gifts. Those small moments matter.

God meets us in our routine. We’ve seen it in scripture. We see it in our own lives. That’s what we’re exploring today, how to build a question habit into the rhythms of your everyday life.

Because this season, as we’ve journeyed from Genesis to Revelation, it’s now time to ask, well, what does this mean for me? What does this mean for you? What does it look like in your own life, in your own routine, in your own rhythms? Let’s look at that together.

This season, we’ve walked through scripture together. We began in Genesis, where God asked the first questions in the garden not to accuse but to restore a relationship. We walked with the Israelites as they built memorials that sparked curious questions in the next generation. We listened to Elijah on the mountain and David in the Psalms and Jonah on the shore and Habakkuk at his watch post, all wrestling with their hardest questions before God.

We witnessed Jesus, the master questioner, as he asked those questions with a learner’s mind and a shepherd’s heart. And now we arrive at the end of the story. Not the end of our story, but the end of the Bible’s grand narrative, the book of Revelation. The Bible opens with God’s questions in the garden, and it closes with heaven’s ultimate question.

So let’s read Revelation 5, verses 2 through 5, and then verses 9 through 12. This is the word of the Lord. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, but no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. And then down to verse nine, and they sang a new song saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because You were slain.

And with Your blood, You purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousands times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders in a loud voice they were saying, Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

Ah, that promise, that narrative is good for my heart and good for my soul. So this is the question that echoes through eternity. Who is worthy? Who is worthy to open the scroll?

Who is worthy to bring justice? Who is worthy to carry our burdens, to rule the world, to hold our hearts, to answer our deepest questions? And John sees a scroll in God’s hand, sealed with seven seals, and this scroll contains the fullness of God’s plan, the justice and redemption of all creation, and a voice cries out, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? Heaven holds its breath, no one steps forward, not in heaven, not on earth, not under the earth, and John begins to weep.

I wonder if you’ve ever felt that way, like something in your life is sealed shut, a relationship, a calling, hope, and no one, not even you or the people that you trust the most, can open it. That ache, that weeping is deeply human. But then one of the elders speaks, he says, do not weep, see the lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. And when John looks, he doesn’t see a lion, he sees a lamb, a lamb that looks as if it had been slain, and heaven erupts in worship worthy as the lamb.

And here’s what moves me about that moment. Jesus’s worthiness doesn’t come from power or credentials or conquest, he has those, it comes from sacrifice, from his giving his life to purchase ours. This is the question beneath all of our questions. Who is worthy of our trust?

Who is worthy of our worship? Who is worthy of our deepest hopes and heaviest burdens? And the answer every single time is Jesus. It’s the lamb.

And because the lamb is worthy, we don’t have to earn our place in the conversation with God. We’re invited, not because we’re impressive, not because we’ve earned it, but because he is faithful. And from heaven’s throne room to your breakfast table, this truth changes everything. Worthy is the lamb.

So how do we live from that reality? How do we build a question habit that flows from Jesus’s worthiness and his invitation to you rather than our striving? Let’s talk about it. So we see a rhythm.

We are speaking of rhythms. We see a rhythm in Deuteronomy 6 verses 6 through 9. Let’s look at it together. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

God gives us these four natural rhythms built into every single day. When you rise, when you walk, when you sit, when you lie down. These aren’t random. They are divine invitations.

We could call them watch posts, these sacred moments to be present, to ask, to listen, to engage with God and with the people he’s placed in your life. You’re not adding something extra to your schedule. That’s my favorite thing about it. You are not adding an extra item on your to-do list.

You are embracing the rhythm and redeeming what’s already there. Let’s walk through each one. When you rise, your feet hit the floor. The alarm silences.

If you’re one of those alarm people, I definitely am. Coffee brews. The day is brand new. This moment matters because it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Morning awareness then shapes those afternoon responses. Before the chaos begins, before the to-do list takes over, it’s your chance to orient your heart and ask God a question. A simple prayer that you can whisper as soon as you wake up. My pastor calls it the include me prayer.

Jesus, would you include me in the work that you are already doing today? It is a life-changing question that you can ask Jesus, but it shifts everything because Jesus is already at work in the day that we’re heading into. He’s already there. We’re asking Him to give us eyes to see where He is at work and that He would include us in it.

Because when you pray this, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re not trying to conjure up the energy or the determination or the wisdom or patience on your own. You’re recognizing that God is already at work and you’re asking to join Him. We’re moving from striving to participating.

You can also ask other questions here, questions of God. God, what do you want me to notice today? You can ask, hey, what am I grateful for this morning? To your spouse or kids at breakfast or your roommate, what are you looking forward to today?

Simple, short, orienting questions. They create space for connection before the world rushes in. So when you rise, ask a question. When you walk.

In our modern world, this might actually be your commute or your school drop-off or your errands or an actual walk around the neighborhood. These are those in-between moments. The spaces that we often dismiss as waste of time. But Jesus had some of his best conversations on the road.

He walked with his disciples from town to town. He asked questions while they traveled. He taught while they moved. And movement can open hearts in ways that sitting still sometimes can’t.

Sometimes for me, that looks like shooting hoops with a preteen or walking around the buck or taking a bike ride with my child. So instead of filling every commute with podcasts or music or silence, what if you asked a question? And if you’re with someone, your child, your spouse, a co-worker, you could try asking, what surprised you today? Where did you see beauty or goodness?

What made you laugh? And if you’re alone, you can turn the drive or the walk into a prayer. Lord, who are you wanting me to encourage today? Where do I need courage to speak up or step in?

Those walking moments are gifts. They’re gifts in the rhythm of life that we can can seize and not let slip by unnoticed. So when you rise and when you walk, the third is when you sit. That third watch post is when you sit, sit at the dinner table on the couch in a coffee shop at your desk during a break and sitting together is an ancient spiritual rhythm.

In Jewish culture, teaching often happened over food, not behind a pulpit. And meals were sacred spaces for connection and discipleship and they still are. But I know I often waste this time scrolling or zoning out or rushing through. What if we reclaimed it?

What if instead I asked questions when I sit or even had them ready to ask questions like, Hey, what’s something new that you learned today? Or recently, where did you feel close to God today? What’s one way that you showed courage or love or care this week? And if you’re mentoring someone or meeting with a friend over coffee, you could ask, Hey, what is God teaching you right now?

Or what is one challenge you’re facing? And how can I walk with you through it? One thing to remember is that these don’t have to feel like interviews. You can keep them natural.

You can laugh together. You can be curious, your eyes, your facial expression, your body posture can communicate that you are interested in what they have to say and that you’re listening and responding to what they share. This is an opportunity to listen more than you talk, because questions are an invitation, not an interrogation. When you rise, when you walk, when you sit, and finally when you lie down, the day is ending, your body is tired, your defenses are down.

This is one of those rich moments for reflection, for vulnerability. Nighttime creates space for honesty in ways that the busyness of the day often doesn’t allow. That can be a gift. Some families share highs and lows at bedtime.

It’s a great start. Here are a few more options. You could ask, What was hard today and how did you handle it? Where did you feel God’s presence with you?

What are you hoping for tomorrow? If you’re alone, you could journal one gratitude or one prayer before you sleep or whisper the deep questions that you have to God. God, where were you today when I was feeling discouraged? Where were you in that hard moment that I had and wait for Him to answer?

You can let those questions settle over you as you drift off and trust that God will answer. You can have questions like, God, where did I see your sovereignty today? Where did I see your goodness? Where did I see your providence?

Where did I see your love and thinking about Him meditating on His attributes as you ask Him those questions and drift yourself off to sleep? Maybe as you think about, well, what does this look like in my life? You know, I’m this all or nothing person. I’m thinking, this is perfect.

Let’s do all of them. But I would encourage you to choose one of these watch posts. Don’t do all four at once. Don’t master all four at once.

Choose one. And maybe the one that feels the most natural for your current rhythm. Maybe mornings are your sweet spot. Maybe it’s the car ride home from work.

Maybe it’s a dinner with your family. Maybe it’s those quiet moments before sleep and start there. Ask one question at that one rhythm and repeat it consistently for a week. And notice what happens because that repetition creates rhythm.

We all thrive on it and we grow from it. The goal isn’t to get it perfect. The goal is to be present in the relationships that we most value. Friend, if this season has sparked something in you, if you’re hungry to go deeper in building a question habit, I wrote a book for you.

It’s called The Question Habit. Build resilient relationships with God and others one question at a time. And in it, I walk you through how to use questions to deepen every relationship you have. Questions, the relationships you have with God, with family, with friends, and in your community.

Throughout this season, we’ve explored questions in Scripture and in the book, you’ll discover how to apply those same principles in your everyday conversations at the dinner table and mentoring relationships at work and in your walk with God. And here’s the best part. I want to give you a free discussion guide to go along with it. So whether you’re reading solo or going through the book with a group, this guide will help you process what you’re learning and put it into practice.

You can download your free discussion guide today at thequestionhabit.com slash discussion questions. That’s thequestionhabit.com slash discussion questions. And you can experience the question habit in print, digital, audiobook form, and the discussion guide is my gift to you. Now let’s talk about how to prepare your heart before you ask.

Before we talk about the prayers that will prepare your heart, I want to share something foundational. When you step into those four rhythms, when you sit across the table from your child, when you walk alongside your spouse, when you meet a friend for coffee, you’re not speaking to just anyone. You are speaking with someone made in the image of God, someone who reflects the very design of the Creator. C.S.

Lewis said it this way, there are no ordinary people you have never talked to a mere mortal. That person sitting across from you, whether they’re a toddler throwing a tantrum or a teenager giving you one word grunts or a coworker who frustrates you, they bear the mark of divinity on their soul. Every human you interact with today is fearfully and wonderfully made, crafted in the image of God. That’s Genesis 5.1-2.

That’s who they are at the core. And if that person is a believer, there’s something else too. They are a brother or sister in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, a joint heir with Jesus redeemed by his blood covered in his righteousness and on the path of sanctification just like you. And even if you’re speaking to a young child, and yes, you may have the authority of a parent or a teacher, if that child has put their trust in Jesus, they are your sibling in Christ.

They don’t have a baby Holy Spirit inside of them. The Holy Spirit inside of them is just as measureless and God-sized as the Holy Spirit inside of you. So let these life-altering truths inform how you ask questions. One of the simplest ways you honor the image of God and another person is actually through a simple, simple practice of eye contact.

Eye contact says, I see you, I value you, I’m interested in what you have to say. It communicates trustworthiness and trust, expresses respect, and tells the other person they matter. So when someone is talking to you, look at them. Don’t just wait for your turn to speak, thinking about what you’re going to say.

Look and listen. Put your phone away, lean in, and listen. That simple act of eye contact is a powerful, nonverbal tool that honors the image of God. Now before you step into a conversation, especially one that feels difficult or important, pray.

Ask God to include you in his work. Pray to recognize the image of God in the person that you’re about to talk to. So here are five prayers rooted in Scripture that you can whisper before you ask your questions. You can pray for freedom in Christ from Galatians 5-13.

Lord, help this person experience the freedom they are called to in Christ and show me how to serve them in love. You can pray from 1 John 3-1 that they would be lavished in love. Father, let them know the great and astounding love you’ve lavished on them that they are called the children of God. This is a beautiful prayer when someone is struggling with identity or worth or belonging.

You can pray for a spirit of power from 2 Timothy 1-7. Holy Spirit, would you fill them and me with power, love, and self-control? You can pray this prayer when fear is holding you or someone else back from truth or courage. You can pray for joy in God’s presence from Psalm 16-11.

God, would you make knowing your path of life to them? Would you fill them with the joy of your presence? This can be that morning prayer when someone is looking for hope or life direction. And you can pray from Romans 15-5 for endurance and encouragement.

God, would you infuse us with endurance and encouragement as we talk, as we walk? This would be a beautiful prayer in group settings and family discussions or when the unity seems a little fragile. And remember that include me prayer from earlier? Jesus, would you include me in the work that you are already doing?

God delights in partnering with his children to bless others. So whisper that prayer often before you walk into a room, before you pick up the phone, before you ask a question. It prepares your heart and reminds you that you’re not starting from scratch. You’re joining God in something he’s already begun.

Let these prayers be the ground you stand on when you walk. Maybe write them on a 3×5 card or stick them in your journal or purse or wallet. These prayer prompts transform questions from technique into spiritual act. Prayer reminds us that conversations aren’t just about gathering information.

It’s not an interview. They’re opportunities for the Spirit to move for truth and beauty to come together and for the image of God to be honored. In the show notes, I’ll include a link to these five Bible-based prayers for a conversation, or you can see them yourself at thequestionhabit.com. We can pray any scripture at any time to be grounded in God’s word as we pray and as we go into a conversation.

These five verses are a great place to start. Here we are at the end of the season. We’ve spent an entire season learning from scripture, and now it’s your turn. This week, I want you to choose three simple things.

Pick one watch post. When you rise, when you walk, when you sit, when you sleep, when you lie down. Choose the one that feels the most natural for your current rhythm. Rise, walk, sit, lie down.

Which one is it for you? Don’t try all four right away. Just start with one. And choose one question.

Pick one question. Write it down. Put it on your phone. Tape it on your coffee mug.

Put it on a three by five card. Text it to yourself. Ask it consistently this week with an open tone of voice, with an open facial expression, and with curiosity. And notice what happens when you repeat it.

Notice how it tunes your awareness. Notice how it opens doors that you might not have even known or closed. And number three, pray one prayer. Choose one of those five prayers we just walked through.

Whisper it before you ask your question. Let it prepare your heart. Let it remind you that this is more than a technique. It’s a rhythm.

It’s a spiritual practice. So that’s it. One watch post or time of day. One question, one prayer.

And do that for one week. Let me speak over you for just a moment. You’ve journeyed with me through an entire season of presently engaged with Mandy Pallock, with that entire season of studying questions in scripture. You’ve seen how God asked questions in Genesis to restore relationship.

You watched the Israelites create memorials that sparked questions in the next generation. You listened to Elijah and David and Jonah and Habakkuk bring their hardest, most honest questions to God. And you’ve seen him meet them with patience and truth. We saw Jesus ask those questions.

And you’ve heard heaven ask the ultimate question, who is worthy? Now it’s your turn. It’s my turn to step into this heritage of holy questions. Go ask like Jesus.

Trust your worthy lamb. Build the habit into your rhythms. Because here’s the truth that I need to hear. And maybe you do too.

You don’t have to be impressive to ask good questions. You just have to be present. The lamb is worthy. So you don’t have to earn a place in the conversation you’re invited by him into a relationship with God and with others.

Jesus is already at work. He is already inviting. He is already redeeming. He is including you and the good, beautiful, true work he’s doing as you are a trustworthy honorer of the image of God and someone else.

Together, let’s simply be open to notice where Jesus is already at work and meet him there. So this week, step into one rhythm. Ask one question. Pray one prayer and watch what God does.

And I would love to hear how it goes. Send me a note at presentlyengaged.com and tell me which rhythm you chose and what you discovered. Your story might encourage someone else to start asking questions too, because you friend are making a difference. To close the season, we are going to center ourselves once more in God’s Word.

Let’s revisit Revelation 5 and hear the full worship response to the worthy lamb. This is the Word of the Lord. Revelation 5. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, but no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, do not weep. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has triumphed.

He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the elders fell down before the lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands and 10,000 times 10,000. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders in a loud voice. They were saying worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

The four living creatures said, amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. Friend, I’m so excited to share another podcast that I’m launching and because you’re here, I think you’re going to like this one too. It’s called Presently Engaged through the Bible. It’s the five-day Bible reading podcast.

It offers a sustainable rhythm for immersing yourself in scripture. Using the proven five-day Bible reading plan, this podcast guides you through the entire Bible in one year with built-in space for rest, catch-up, or your other Bible studies. This isn’t just a cover-to-cover read. The plan arranges the Old Testament as chronologically as possible, placing events, Psalms, and prophets where they belong in Israel’s unfolding story.

The New Testament weaves the Gospels throughout the year, bringing you back again and again to the life and teachings of Jesus. Each episode is scripture only. There’s no commentary. There’s no extras.

It’s just the word read aloud by me, Mandy Pallock. You’ll hear a brief introduction, the day’s passages from the Berean Standard Bible, and a benediction from 2 Corinthians 13-14. Episodes so far are 20 minutes or less, making them perfect for your commute or morning routine or evening wind down. If you miss a day, the five-day structure gives you the grace and space to catch up.

Are you ready to begin? You can subscribe to Presently Engaged through the Bible to receive episodes automatically, and you can start anytime. The whole story is waiting. Let’s enjoy God’s Word together.

Will you join me? And now, as we conclude this season, a blessing for you from Ephesians 1, 3-6. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed you in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ, for he chose you in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight, friend. In love, he predestined you for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given you in the one he loves. May your questions draw you closer to Jesus and to others. May your watch posts and rhythms become sacred spaces, and may you live each day knowing worthy is the Lamb. Thank you for joining me for season eight of Presently Engaged.

It has been an honor to walk through scripture with you, discovering how questions invite us into deeper relationship with God and with each other. Let’s stay in touch. Find me on socials at mandy underscore Pallock. Find our email community at presentlyengaged.com, where I continue to share short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are.

We’ll be back for season nine, Lord willing, after a short pause. Until then, keep asking, keep listening, and keep being present because you, friend, are making a difference.