The Inquiry Prayer

The inquiry prayer is a hidden, powerful weapon for the disciplined believer. I only say that it is hidden because you rarely have ministers of intercessory prayer groups explaining how to inquire before the Lord or modeling it for believers during intercessory prayer. What is inquiry prayer? An effective inquiry prayer is a prayer in which you ask ONE question of the Lord. To be effective, it must be only One question as a prayer point for an extended period of time, then you wait for the Lord to respond.  This is not a new strategy. You will find patriarchs and people of God throughout the bible practicing inquiry prayer consistently. You have kings and prophets making inquiries to God which were key to many victories before and while in battle as well with many issues of life and certainly matters of the heart.

A great place to start is with the infamous David who inquired of God in war and when he sinned with Bathsheba and needed to save the life of his son. While God did not preserve his son due to the sin of David for killing the husband of Bathsheba to obtain her in stealth, you see David in a single inquiry towards the Lord.

You also find David making inquiry prayers under pressure, under the pursuit of Saul and when he became King of Israel. Let’s look at a few scriptures.

2 Samuel 2:1
2 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

2 Samuel 5:19
¹⁹ And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

You also see a similar approach in the book of Jeremiah when King Zedekiah inquired of Jeremiah of the threat of the Chaldeans in their lands. Jeremiah did not speak from his intelligence, he went to the Lord and made the inquiry. Jeremiah knew of the principles and commandments of the Lord as a submitted vessel. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 37:6-8
⁶ Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah saying, ⁷ Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. ⁸ And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

While these are a few examples, we have a cloud of witnesses if you search the scriptures of inquirers of the Lord for  safety, direction, or a specific counsel about an issue or decision in life.  Having the counsel of the Lord is priceless.  All true believers have a prayer life. For those who have grown in their prayer life, we pray defensive prayers and offensive prayers. We craft prayers for our needs as well as the needs of others. Sometimes the prayers cover a variety of issues and situations. For many of us who are in community with other believers, we even have fellow intercessors, pastors and prophets who will stand in agreement in prayer and fasting.

However, as you continue your journey, you will hit a stumbling block, a repetitive cycle of an issue or failure.  Sometimes you may recognize that you are in a cycle of failure around an issue or  cycle of delay that appears ungodly. You pray and fast and craft all the prayers that you know (or have heard) and nothing is changing. This is particularly true for cycles of failure or resistance to be delivered from an issue. These situations require an inquiry prayer – not praying the problem, or telling God what he should do to settle the affairs or declaring the random promises of God that you have researched in the bible.

You must take the time and inquire of the Lord with a laser specific question. This is one of the ways of God. The Lord counsels us to inquire of HIM for he knows all things and the way that we should take to have good success, to bring us to the expected end. In Jeremiah he tells Israel clearly “I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil to bring you to an expected end.” If the Lord knows our expected end from the beginning, why inquire from the ways of the world, friends  or the unsaved gurus of Tik Tok or whatever is your preferred social media. Let’s seek him as the true believers that we are! With all our heart and all our mind for the Lord seeks those will seek him!

Here are some of the scriptures that I use when making an inquiry prayer.  I love these

Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts human plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 20:24
Mans goings are of the Lord: how can a man then understand his own way?

I find these scriptures powerful when I am addressing the Lord in an inquiry:

1. Remind me of my limitations. In Proverbs 16:9 Solomon shares in our hearts we plan our course, but only the Lord can give you the blueprint about how to get there. This verse always reminds me of the Lord’s direct declaration for us about our journey in earth.
   
   
2. Give me an opportunity to reverence God as my source

Here is one of my inquiry prayers with these scriptures wrapped around it.

Lord! I enter your courts with praise and thanksgiving. For you are faithful and righteous. You have seated me in a heavenly place within you through the blood of Yeshua. You are my exceeding and great reward and I worship. I come to you as your daughter to seek your will and counsel. 

For your word says in the hearts of man we plan our course but you establish our steps and your counsel is the right counsel. Those who are submitted to you are guided by you. As your submitted daughter my goings must be of you and I cannot understand the way without you.  I need your counsel on X… Reveal to me if this is in alignment with your will for me. Open spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear your counsel on this matter.

Prayer point

Holy Spirit, reveal to me your counsel on (name the issue) in the name of Yeshua

Note: I may pray this prayer point two or more hours and wait and listen. If your have the gift of praying in the Holy Spirit, you can pray in your gift as you focus on this prayer point.

Be Blessed as your press in for the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

More Scriptures on the importance of the inquiry prayer

 Psalm 37 :23-24
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts human plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 20:24
Mans goings are of the Lord: how can a man then understand his own way?

Psalm 119:05
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Proverbs 19:21
There are many devices in a man`s heart nevertheless it is the counsel of the Lord that shall stand.

Isaiah 48:17
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shoudest go.

Psalm 31:14-15 (trust)

But I trusted in thee, O Lord; I said thou art my God. My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies; and from them that persecute me.