The Origin and Use of John Wesley’s 22 Questions for Self‑Examination

When John Wesley gathered the first Methodist societies in the 1730s and 1740s, he wasn’t trying to start a new denomination. He was trying to form a people who took the gospel seriously enough to let it reshape their daily lives. Wesley believed that God’s grace is always moving—awakening, justifying, sanctifying—and that Christians grow best when they pay attention to how grace is at work within them.

One of the most practical tools Wesley used for this spiritual formation was a set of self-examination questions. These questions did not appear in a single moment but grew out of the early Methodist “bands,” small groups of three to five people who met weekly for honest confession, encouragement, and accountability. The goal was not guilt but growth. Wesley wanted believers to cultivate a life that was awake to God, honest about sin, and open to the transforming work of the Spirit.

The “22 Questions” were compiled for these band meetings and reflect Wesley’s deep conviction that holiness is both inward and outward—shaped by thoughts, motives, habits, relationships, and the stewardship of time and resources. The questions are intentionally searching. They probe the heart, challenge self-deception, and invite believers to consider whether their lives are aligned with the love of God and neighbor.

Over time, these questions became a hallmark of Methodist spirituality. They were used by early Methodists for weekly reflection, by class leaders for pastoral care, and by preachers preparing their own hearts for ministry. Today, they continue to serve as a powerful tool for anyone seeking a life shaped by grace and disciplined by love. They remind us that holiness is not accidental. It grows when we pause, reflect, and allow the Spirit to speak truth into our lives.

Wesley never intended these questions to be a burden. They were meant to be a means of grace—a way of cooperating with the Spirit’s work, cultivating self‑awareness, and nurturing a life that looks more like Christ. In a world full of distraction and hurry, Wesley’s questions still invite us to slow down, examine our hearts, and rediscover the joy of a life fully surrendered to God.

Look at the list of questions that follow and see if they might be incorporated in your own devotional life.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

If you feel you cannot incorporate them on a weekly basis, try using them each month, perhaps on the last day of the month.