I fleece all the time and it's very successful in helping me understand God's will for me. There is a big difference between fleecing to uncover and clarify God's will and testing Him by rejecting His will to see how He will respond.
Gideon was scared and uncertain about what he was hearing and wanted to validate it before acting to ensure that it was truly God asking this of him and that he really understood what God wanted as he didn't see how he could possible be chosen for the task. We all should clarify what we believe we are hearing from God.
The word that is used throughout scripture regarding "testing" God is really the word for "tempt". In all the cases where the phrase tempt is used it's in regards to people rejecting God's will for their own desire without fear of the Lord.
If you are truly seeking God's will then ask Him to clearly show you His will in some way. Be sure that you are honestly looking for His will and are open to the fact that He may respond in a way that you don't expect.
One time I was at a crossroads on a decision. I knew that I really needed to hear God. I didn't even have it in me to come up with a fleece option that I couldn't misread ( I have a tendancy to read into it what I want, go figure). So I told God that He would need to figure out what the fleece would be and then respond. The next morning I went to daily Mass. As I was entering the church a friend of mine caught up to me and said "We absolutely have to talk after Mass. I know this sounds weird but I have a message for you from Mary." So I thought maybe it was God's way of telling me what I needed but then again, my friend can often mix her messages up with God sometimes so I was more than a bit cautious.
So Mass begins and the reading was none other than Gideons fleecing story which actually made me laugh outloud. So when Mass was over and I was leaving the church, my friend caught up with me and told me what she thought Mary had shared with her. Honestly, there is no way that my friend could have come up with the words she shared with me. She had no understanding of my situation but her words were exactly from God. I probably would have recognized this on my own but that the reading was Gideon and perfectly timed right after my prayer for fleecing guidance made it a sure thing.
I certainly have had silence from God as well but typically it's when I'm really not about His will but trying to get Him to agree with mine. It's pretty quiet then.
Prayer is never worthless. If you need clarity from God, ask. He loves you and will show you His will in His way. But as for tempting God, don't. His will is perfect even if we don't understand it. Follow what you know to be His true will....all that has been written and that the Church teaches is truth. Do not do the opposite of what is written just to see if He really meant what He said. That's where fear of the Lord comes in .
Hope that helps.
