A: What I believe God wants from us is honesty, sincerity, and openness when we go to Him in prayer. From what I can see, He certainly seems to have no problem with His children questioning Him in many different areas when they pray. God understands our anger, frustrations, sadness, disappointments, and confusion over some of the things He has done or that He has allowed to happen. However, I believe if we stay in this condition of questioning God about the same things over and over, it can turn to something that displeases God.

     God wants us to seek Him for guidance, wisdom, and understanding in all areas of our lives. Questions are sometimes a part of this. Pretty much every single major person in the Bible questioned God about something at one time or another. I think the best way to answer this question is simply to look at some of the questions these people in the Bible asked. It gives me comfort, and maybe it will comfort you as well, to see them asking many of the same questions that we ask today.

Abraham:
(Gen 15:2)(NASB) Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, since I am childless,  the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
(Also see: Gen 17:17,  Gen 18:22-23)

Moses:
(Ex 3:11) And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

(Ex 4:1)(NASB) Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?…
(Also see: Ex 3:13, Ex 5:22, Num 11:11-13,21-22)

Joshua:
(Josh 7:7) And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?

Elijah:
(1 Kin 17:20) … O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I soujourn, by slaying her son?

Elisha:
(2 Kin 2:14) and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Job:
(Job 10:18)(NASB) ‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!

(Job 13:24)(NASB) Why do You hide your face And consider me your enemy?
(Also see: Job 10:1-11, Job 7:20-21, Job 13:23)

David:
(Ps 10:1) Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

(Ps 13:1-2) How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? (2) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
(Also see: Ps 6:5, Ps 22:1-2, Ps 35:17, Ps 41:5)

Isaiah:
(Isa 6:11) Then said I, Lord how long?… (should he continue preaching God’s judgment)

(Isa 64:12) Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

Jeremiah:
(Jer 12:1) Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments. Wherefore doth (why does) the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?  (** I like this one. )
(Also see: Jer 12:4, Jer 14:19, Jer 15:18)

Ezekiel:
(Ezek 9:8) … Lord God, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
(Also see: Ezek 11:13)

Paul:
(2 Cor 12:8) For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
(Paul asked God 3 times to remove his “thorn in the flesh”)
(Also see: Acts 9:5-6)

Jesus:
(Matt 27:46) … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And others:
Jacob: (Gen 32:29)
Gideon: (Judg 6:36-40)
Manoah: (Judg 13:11-12,17)
Samson: (Judg 15:18)
Israelites: (Judg 1:1)(Judg 21:3)
Solomon: (1 Kin 3:9)
Amos: (Amos 7:6)
Habakkuk: (Hab 1:1-2,12-14,17)
The Martyrs: (Rev 6:10)

Isn’t it amazing, after thousands of years, we are still asking some of the same questions? If these great men of the Bible could ask God these questions (and a number of them are called “Heroes Of The Faith” in Heb 11), I think it is safe to assume we can do so as well.

NOW… is it ok to doubt God, or have unbelief? See our next question for the answer to that.

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