Not sure

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

I'm really not sure if I am posting in the right section. This may be more appropriate in the theology section. I don't know. I apologize if my question does not fit this forum.
But...I like to ask God to show me signs for things. An example would be..."God, if this person is supposed to be in my life, then let such and such happen at a particular time as a sign to me that the answer is yes."
I have two questions about this, one, have any of y'all done this as well, and if so did you usually receive your sign? And two, is there scriptural evidence of God doing such a thing as this? Giving signs.
Again I apologize if I have posted in the wrong section.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hi, Beauty,

I understand the desire for confirmations, and I used to look for those. But I'm afraid that Scripturally, you'd be on stronger ground if God said He would give you a sign, rather than you saying what sign you want to see.

There is a danger in such things and let me just ask you this - how do you know your sign is from God? What if the enemy tempted you, even, to ask for a particular sign, and then provided it, for the purpose of misleading you?

But as I said, I DO understand wanting confirmations. There are safer ways of going about it though. First understanding well what God's principles are - many questions are answered by knowing those. Secondly, there can be wisdom in the counsel of others, especially if we know godly and wise people who are careful in what they say. Committing ourselves to prayer, doing the best we can to discern important decisions, moving slowly or even staying where we are unless God moves us are other good principles. And trusting in Him - often through difficulties He strengthens us, and trains us to trust in Him.

I hope you find what you need. God be with you.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

I'm really not sure if I am posting in the right section. This may be more appropriate in the theology section. I don't know. I apologize if my question does not fit this forum.
But...I like to ask God to show me signs for things. An example would be..."God, if this person is supposed to be in my life, then let such and such happen at a particular time as a sign to me that the answer is yes."
I have two questions about this, one, have any of y'all done this as well, and if so did you usually receive your sign? And two, is there scriptural evidence of God doing such a thing as this? Giving signs.
Again I apologize if I have posted in the wrong section.

I've not found any scripture basis for testing to see who's suppose to be in your life but there's plenty on treating people as you'd like to be treated.
There's lots in the Bible about praying for others, sharing the gospel with them, being hospitable to them, showing them agape, forgiving them etc.

1 Peter 3:8-12
Colossians 3:12-14
Matthew 6:14-15
1 Corinthian 13:4-13
Romans 12:17-21

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

In answer to your question...how do I know the sign is from God... that's the thing I guess I don't.
But I know back when I was involved with this jerk of a guy...I would ask God for signs that he was ok to keep talking to.. and i wouldn't get that sign. Or ask for a sign that i needed to let that whole situation go (I kept hearing "let it go" but... honestly wasn't ready to let it go yet) I would get those signs. I ignored both because I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I knew He wanted me to drop things with this person but that wasn't what I wanted. Needless to say it did not end well doing things my way.
Now, I am definitely sure He was telling me "let it go". But I'm not sure if the signs I did or did not receive had any merit. I could have just read too much into it. I did learn that if you ignore God you'll be sorry. I learned that the hard way.

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

I've not found any scripture basis for testing to see who's suppose to be in your life but there's plenty on treating people as you'd like to be treated.
There's lots in the Bible about praying for others, sharing the gospel with them, being hospitable to them, showing them agape, forgiving them etc.

1 Peter 3:8-12
Colossians 3:12-14
Matthew 6:14-15
1 Corinthian 13:4-13
Romans 12:17-21

I didn't suspect there would be scriptural evidence about this. Asking for signs is kind of an old habit. I used to do it all the time before I was saved but instead of asking God at that time it was more like asking a magic 8 ball. " should I do this? Let this happen as a sign for my answer" it really sounds kind of silly now that I talk about it.
Thanks for the scripture those are good ones

 

[~Anastasia~]

In answer to your question...how do I know the sign is from God... that's the thing I guess I don't.
But I know back when I was involved with this jerk of a guy...I would ask God for signs that he was ok to keep talking to.. and i wouldn't get that sign. Or ask for a sign that i needed to let that whole situation go (I kept hearing "let it go" but... honestly wasn't ready to let it go yet) I would get those signs. I ignored both because I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I knew He wanted me to drop things with this person but that wasn't what I wanted. Needless to say it did not end well doing things my way.
Now, I am definitely sure He was telling me "let it go". But I'm not sure if the signs I did or did not receive had any merit. I could have just read too much into it. I did learn that if you ignore God you'll be sorry. I learned that the hard way.

You've learned some good lessons, I would say.

Being aware of what we might want, especially if it goes against God's principles, is always a warning. Going ahead looking for signs in such a situation, hoping to justify our own wills, is just asking for deception and delusion. And God may well allow the deception in that case.

Human beings are created in the very image of God. You are precious to Him, and you have an innate dignity because you bear His image. That is enough to know that you shouldn't be involved with "a jerk" ... so no need to even ask it of God. I hope that doesn't sound harsh. Yes, I understand the heart can want wrong things. That's where some very strong discipline comes in ... we must do all we can to be able to cooperate with the grace of God for the good of our souls.

But I'd say anytime, especially, if you already know the answer in your spirit, don't ever seek confirmation to do the opposite just because you want it. You have gotten the wisdom to recognize the heart going against God - that's a step right there.

God be with you.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

I didn't suspect there would be scriptural evidence about this. Asking for signs is kind of an old habit. I used to do it all the time before I was saved but instead of asking God at that time it was more like asking a magic 8 ball. " should I do this? Let this happen as a sign for my answer" it really sounds kind of silly now that I talk about it.
Thanks for the scripture those are good ones

Keep reading your Bible and doing what it says to do.

 

[Sketcher]

I asked for signs when my faith was much shakier. I might have stopped asking for them because I didn't trust myself enough to rightly interpret them. Or because I eventually learned that it's OK to just live however you want to live as long as it is within the moral commands of Scripture and informed by what it does promise.

 

[Sarah G]

In Genesis 24 Abraham tells his servant to go and find a wife for Isaac. The servant asks God for a very specific sign. (Abraham had told the servant that an angel would go ahead of him though so maybe that's a thing.)

I used to pray for signs a lot but I find it unreliable because I think I will see whatever is favourable to my own will. Once at a 10 day eastern religion (non Christian) festival I was attending I prayed for a sign of whether that religion was really right for me and I found a Christian flyer on the ground right where I sat down. Whether it was a true sign or not it somehow still feels very significant to me all these years later. Praying that we have clear intuition from God lead by the Holy Spirit seems like a valid thing to do?

 

[ToBeLoved]

I'm really not sure if I am posting in the right section. This may be more appropriate in the theology section. I don't know. I apologize if my question does not fit this forum.
But...I like to ask God to show me signs for things. An example would be..."God, if this person is supposed to be in my life, then let such and such happen at a particular time as a sign to me that the answer is yes."
I have two questions about this, one, have any of y'all done this as well, and if so did you usually receive your sign? And two, is there scriptural evidence of God doing such a thing as this? Giving signs.
Again I apologize if I have posted in the wrong section.

When you pray, you are putting your request at God's feet at the cross. And to give God an ultimatium to do something in your timing in your specific way is testing God. Because faith is waiting for God and God's timing and knowing that He will lead you in His righteousness.

We all have probably done this at one time or another, but this is not the way to handle this situation. Prayer is not something we do and then always get a reply or even get a reply in any timely fashion. God's timing is not our timing.

God wants to build your faith and you are a spiritual being as much as a human one. So know that God's first thing is to grow your faith and you spiritually and sometimes that is not the most pleasant experience, nor do we get our way much of the time.

 

[ToBeLoved]

This is what Got Questions had to say and it includes verses. Link What does it mean to test God?

Question: "What does it mean to test God?"

Answer: In the Bible, there are examples of both an acceptable and unacceptable kind of testing God. It’s acceptable to “test” God in regard to tithes and offerings, for example, but unacceptable when the test is rooted in doubt.

Malachi 3:10 says, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’” This is the only situation given in the Bible in which God tells His people to “test” Him. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used for “test” in this verse is bachan, which means “to examine, scrutinize, or prove (as in gold, persons, or the heart).” Just as gold is “tested” with fire to prove its quality, God invites Israel to test Him in tithes and offerings and see that He proves His faithfulness in response.

There is another Hebrew word for “test” used elsewhere in the Bible. Nacah means “to put to the test, try, or tempt.” It is used in Deuteronomy 6:16, where God commands Israel to not test Him: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.”

This second, unacceptable kind of testing is when doubt leads us to demand something of God to prove Himself to us. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 in the wilderness, in response to one of Satan’s temptations. “The devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”’” (Matthew 4:7—10). Essentially, the devil was telling Jesus to “prove” God’s Word was true by forcing God’s hand—if Jesus was in peril, God would have to save Him. Jesus refused to test God in such a way. We are to accept God’s Word by faith, without requiring a sign (see Luke 11:29). God’s promises are there for us when we need them; to manipulate situations in an attempt to coerce God into fulfilling His promises is evil.

The occasion where the Israelites tested God at Massah is found in Exodus 17. As God was leading Moses and His people toward the Promised Land, they camped at a place where there was no water. The Israelites’ immediate reaction was to grumble against God and quarrel with Moses (Exodus 17:1–3). Their lack of trust in God to take care of them is evident in their accusations toward Moses: “They said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?’” (Exodus 17:3). The Israelites were obviously in a situation where they needed God to intervene. The point at which they tested God, though, is when doubt and fear overtook them and they came to the conclusion that God had abandoned them (see Exodus 17:7). They questioned God’s reliability because He was not meeting their expectations.

The difference between these two kinds of testing God is faith. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The Israelites at Massah tested God because they lacked faith in Him. The Israelites in Malachi’s day were invited to test God because they had faith in Him.

Faith, by definition, takes risk. When true faith is present, obedience follows. It is that faith-inspired action of obedience that God loves. As seen in the example of Israel’s tithes and offerings, when we give out of our faith in who God is (faithful), He proves Himself to be just that. By contrast, when we view God through our doubt and demand something of Him as a way of determining whether or not He can be trusted, we’re in danger of testing God (see Mark 8:11–12).

 

[GandalfTheWise]

Judges 6:36-40 is the story of Gideon putting fleeces before the Lord for a sign. In many Christian circles I've been part of, I've commonly heard asking for a sign like this as putting a fleece before the Lord.

Joshua 18:6, casting lots was done to distribute the promised land to the 12 tribes of Israel.

Some commentators understand the Urim and Thummim (or Lights and Perfection) which the high priest used to determine the will of the Lord as some type of lot system. I'm not sure what to think.

Genesis 24 (as mentioned by @Chosen_and_blessed) is another example.

In I Sam 20 under the direction of Samuel, Saul was shown to be the king by lots. Other similar examples show up in Samuel and Kings.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (I would NOT take this as a guarantee that casting lots always works!)

In Acts 1:26, casting lots was done to select one of the apostles. I'm aware of at least one Christian denomination that approves of using lots for decision making.

I would say that there is a biblical precedent for "fleeces" as I've often heard them referred to. I know many people who at various times have done something like this. Speaking for myself, one time I did was when we were having some spiritual issues with one of our kids. I was alone along a wooded creek praying and seeking assurance our daughter would be okay. I remember asking God that if she would be okay, could I see a red bird. A bit later I saw a cardinal. I then asked to see a blue bird. A bit later I saw a blue jay. At that point, I decided I was being a bit silly because those are common birds I see. I then asked God to see a green bird. A few minutes later, I heard a loud sound in the trees along the creek and a lost duck with a very greenish head was quacking and crashing through branches along the creek. The first and only time I'd ever seen that happen. At that point, I realized I could not remember which way I had asked God to answer, if she was going to be okay or not. It was like God was just letting me know He was in control of things in spite of my worries.

Another time for me was once when I felt like God wanted our family to change churches. One Sunday service, I was sitting there (enjoying the service because we liked the church), and I just had a sense that we weren't supposed to be there anymore after being there for several years. I didn't know what to make of that so I just asked God that if that was indeed what He wanted that the rest of my family would feel that way. I didn't say anything to them but just kept it in mind. The next Sunday driving home from church, my kids and wife started up a conversation about whether or not we should go to another church. As it turns out, within a period of about a month a handful of families all left. No clue what that was about since everything seemed to be going fine and we all did it independently of the others.

Having said all this, very few believers I know would ever completely trust a major decision to such a thing. I don't myself. Most often, we have a pretty good sense of what God wants. If we don't, it's something we should spend more time meditating on and seeking counsel from wise spiritual people. The people I know who've given testimonies about fleeces usually relate stories of them as a confirmation or comfort of some sort and NOT as the key to major decision making. Also, this is something that is only done once in awhile, not as a regular thing. Indeed, if you look closely at the biblical examples above, you'll see that most of them occur after a large part of God's direction has already been revealed and they are to some extent confirmation of that.

To me the fundamental question is this, are we relying on God, or are we relying on the method? I think there are times that this type of thing is done relying on God. But, it is all to easy to slip into a trap whereby we start looking primarily to the method to produce "results".

 

[Goatee]

I am sure we all would love signs from God. I know I would. I have asked too but, I tend to say to God 'Let your will be done'.

God knows our hearts and minds. He knows what we want so for me, I don't ask for a sign now. Plus, I think it may be incorrect too.

If God wants to tell or show you something He will. No need to ask!

 

[ValleyGal]

Being very general and just asking for a sign leaves a lot of room open for doubt, as was already pointed out. But there may be a time when it's okay...as in Gideon's fleece.

I will share a story, but I do not recommend doing this... Years ago, I was on the phone with a friend and I "heard" (felt/sensed, etc) God tell me to just love him. This was followed by an extraordinary experience of God's love itself - the kind of love that drove Jesus to the cross. But it was by far overwhelming for me, and I knew that my experience was only a tiny fraction of God's immeasurable love. I took the message, but was not necessarily happy about it and argued with God. I posed my argument while in fasting and prayer, and God again said "just love him and I will make it worth your while." I told God that I needed a sign. I was very specific in that I was looking for a butterfly. Keep in mind now, this is Canada in February. It's cold and to see a butterfly would be a miracle. The next day a different friend invited me out for coffee - and she wanted to go to this man's favorite coffee shop (she had no idea that's where I would go with him). It was there it happened - the biggest, bluest butterfly I've ever seen - again, not common to the area, the time of year, or the type of butterfly. It fluttered around me for a bit before ascending out of sight.

So I obeyed, and God was faithful - he kept his promise to make it worthwhile. But...disclaimer... the word from God that day confirmed what was already spoken in the Bible - to just love him. That is what I did. That is what all of us are called to do with everyone. Just love them...all of them, love each other. I targeted my love to one man, and he reciprocated with love like I'd never known. However, I'd argued with God and I sought a miraculous sign. Don't argue with God. And if you do seek a sign, do not seek one that is a common occurrence which would leave room for misinterpretation of circumstances. Be very careful with testing God and asking for signs. Do not take this process lightly, and be prepared to accept and act on whatever answer God gives you.

First, always turn to Biblical principles.... as others have already pointed out.

 

[longwait]

Just pray.