Asking for a sign? Is it wrong to ask God for a sign?

Question

If there is a question that you need the answer to, or a need for direction is it wicked to ask for a sign?

Matthew 12:39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.Hebrews 2:4God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.John 4:48 "Uless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe

2 Thessalonians 2.
9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness

Answer 1

The verses in Matthew are actually related to something different that asking God for a sign when praying.

Mt 12:38 Despite all the miracles Jesus had performed, the scribes and Pharisees had the temerity to ask Him for a sign, implying that they would believe if He would prove Himself to be the Messiah! But their hypocrisy was transparent. If they had not believed as a result of so many wonders, why would they be convinced by one more? The attitude that demands miraculous signs as a condition for belief does not please God. As Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Joh_20:29). In God's economy, seeing follows believing.

Mt 12:39 The Lord addressed them as an evil and adulterous generation; evil because they were willfully blind to their own Messiah, adulterous because they were spiritually unfaithful to their God. Their Creator-God, a unique Person combining absolute deity and perfect humanity, stood in their midst speaking to them, yet they dared to ask Him for a sign.

Mt 12:40 He told them summarily that no sign would be given to them except the sign of the prophet Jonah, referring to His own death, burial, and resurrection. Jonah's experience of being swallowed by the fish and then disgorged (Jon_1:17; Jon_2:10) prefigured the Lord's passion and resurrection. His rising from among the dead would be the final, climactic sign of His ministry to the nation of Israel.

I sometimes ask God for a sign, anything, to give me hope that my prayers have been heard. Obviously, when my prayers are answered, I have a true sign from God. Unlike the scribes and Pharisees above, I am not doubting who Christ is, so I need no great and wonderous miracles to convince myself of Christ's deity.

Answer 2

Of course it isn't wrong to as for a sign... and it isn't wrong to then look under every rock for evidence that a sign has been given.

The wrong of it only happens is in the mind of the asker after he has asked.... When the seeker of signs is willing to accept a commonplace occurrence or a coincidental happening as if it was a miracle - a truly delivered sign of god - then it becomes wrong.

Fabricating, lying, falsifying and misrepresenting the ordinary for the purpose of justifying a blatant untruth, that of god existing and the other nonsense of religious faith, is simply flat out WRONG - it is as immoral as harming a child. It is willfully perpetuating a lie.

The wrong is not is in the asking, the wrong is in the finding of a response which is not truly there and then claiming that it is....

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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POST SCRIPT to family f…: I've come across some really brainwashed people in my day .... and here you are definitely challenging for one of the top spots on the list.

It's time to look into the mirror and ask for a true sign - an undeniable sign - and it's time to be fair and absolutely honest with yourself about the result you get. And remember... no result means there is no god.
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Answer 3

In Christianity, motive is the most important consideration. Asking for a sign as proof because you doubt God is what is wicked and adulterous.

Asking God to guide you with signs is different. I see miracles occur on a regular basis, primarily because I am able to recognize them as miracles.

So approach God, believing and not doubting. Always be submissive and trusting. Read 1 Corinthians chapter 13. It describes what love is. Approach God (and everyone else) in love, and you will not have to worry about being so legalistic in your approach.

Answer 4

It's not wrong to ask in earnest for a sign concerning a crossroad or stumbling block. Be prepared to accept it when it's given, I've found they often don't directing me in the way I wanted to go.

PS: Out of personal experience, I've quit asking for big signs because He will grant those on occasion also ;)

Answer 5

well i believe that if you have a question then you need to go to your prayer closet and pray and ask god for the awnser and then read the bible he seems to always give me my awnsers threw the bible no there has been times i have prayed and got a awnser out of the wors but wasent sure that i got the correct awnser so to confirm the awnser i have went to a eldr in our church and ask them to pray and see if they got the same awnser but i would never reviel my awnser to them like i would say i need a yes or no awnser from god and they would pray and come back to me the next service or so and say yes or no and keep in mind that god teaches us paitients threw our prayers also sometimes our awnsers come just in time and he is teaching us patience when this happens

Answer 6

God would prefer we hear His answer for ourselves but He also is fully aware of our human nature. He understands that sometimes we need confirmation of a word He has given us. If you call confirmation a sign then it's ok. Remember Gideon. He was so unsure of himself that he asked God for two signs. God honored Gideon's need and responded.

Answer 7

You pretty much answered your own question - Christians are taught (supposedly) in the Bible that you are not supposed to ask for signs, you're just supposed to trust "God" is around.

Answer 8

I didn't real all of that. (Hate it when people quote half the bible.) We are not to ask for signs, but everyone does at some time or other. God understands.

Answer 9

It depends on your motives. I think that God wants to prove Himself, but if we do it for the wrong reasons, then it is wicked.

Answer 10

I was raised by nuns and I learned when it comes to religion anything you say or do is wrong. Ten whacks with a ruler for you.