Asking “Powerful” Questions: The Engine of Christian Coaching
by Gary Rohrmayer
If deep listening is the posture of Christian coaching, then asking “powerful” questions is its engine. Jesus Himself knew the power of asking good questions. He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51), “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15), and “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). Those questions didn’t merely extract information; they surfaced desire, identity, and willingness. These are the heart-level realities that open the door to transformation.
Great coaching follows the same pattern. Gary Collins observes that Christian coaching “guides people from where they are toward the goals and fulfillment they desire,” and that guidance most often moves forward by questions more than by answers. When we ask powerful questions well, we partner with the Spirit to reveal truth, clarify calling, and catalyze obedience.
“Guidance most often moves forward by questions more than by answers.” –Gary Collins
Why Powerful Questions Matter
1) Questions create awareness.
Tony Stoltzfus notes that awareness is the currency of change; powerful questions “surface assumptions, illuminate options, and help people take ownership of their growth.” Advice produces dependence; questions cultivate discernment. As awareness rises, so does the coachee’s capacity to choose wisely.
2) Questions honor the imago Dei.
Keith Webb’s COACH Model is built on the conviction that God is already at work in the life of the person you’re coaching. Therefore, “the coach asks rather than tells, drawing out insight rather than driving it in.” Questions demonstrate trust: trust in the Spirit, trust in Scripture, and trust that the leader can hear and obey.
3) Questions accelerate responsibility.
Robert E. Logan argues that questions move leaders from passive recipients to active participants: “When leaders discover solutions themselves, they own the change.” Ownership is the difference between a good idea and real follow-through.
4) Questions transform conversations—and cultures.
Steve Ogne and Tim Roehl describe coaching as a “transformissional” ministry precisely because it relies on discovery: clarity → commitment → change. Over time, leaders who are consistently asked great questions learn to think prayerfully, reflectively, and strategically. Churches and organizations lead by such leaders become cultures of curiosity and growth, not command-and-control.
5) Questions cultivate coachability.
J. Robert Clinton uses the term responsiveness to describe coachability. Responsiveness is a humble openness to feedback and development, which is a hallmark of leaders God uses.Good questions invite this responsiveness by making room for inner examination before outer execution.
What Makes a Question “Powerful”?
A powerful coaching question is short, open, and Spirit-aware. Stoltzfus suggests questions should be concise, forward-leaning, and values-oriented. Webb adds that they should be asked with genuine curiosity and without embedded advice—no “shoulds,” “why-didn’ts,” or leading hints. Logan summarizes: easily understood, answerable in a few minutes, and provoking reflection rather than defensiveness.
“In asking power questions, individuals will often experience a ‘Oh-no’ or a ‘Ah-ha’”. –Gary Rohrmayer
You’ll know a question is powerful when:
The coachee pauses and looks up (thinking, not reacting).
Their language shifts from problems to possibilities.
The conversation moves from they/it to I/we (ownership).
New options appear and energy rises.
In asking power questions, individuals they often will experience an “an ‘Oh no’ or an ‘Ah ha’.” Moving them toward deep change and true transformation.
What are the powerful questions that shaped your life, your calling, and relationships?