“God, just give me a sign.”
Most Christians have prayed some version of that prayer before. I know I have!
Maybe you are deciding whether to take a new job, move to another city, or maybe you’re just simply at the crossroads of a tough choice that needs to be made soon, and you just want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.
And so, you pray for a sign.
We have all done this before. A decision needs to be made, and because we want to be “good Christians,” we take it to the Lord in prayer first. Now don’t get me wrong, asking God for clarity like this when it comes to decisions is completely appropriate, but there is an important question we need to ask first:
“Do I actually need a sign?”
Stay with me on this because I’m going to shoot you 100% straight here. There are some things in the Christian life that God has already made abundantly clear to us.
So therefore, stop praying “God, give me a sign if you want me to forgive this person.” Jesus has already commanded us to forgive. Stop praying, “God, show me if you want me to be generous.” Scripture has already called us to generosity. And please stop praying for a sign telling you whether you should go to church, serve other people, pursue holiness, love your neighbors, share the gospel, pray, worship, give, or anything like that.
Because those questions have already been answered!
I hear something along those lines a lot from people, and I’m going to be honest. Sometimes what we call “seeking a sign” is really just a spiritual cop-out, and delayed obedience (which is really active disobedience) to something God has already said we should be doing.
Don’t Ask for a Sign When God Has Already Spoken
Picture this: You and your friend are in the car together and you’re coming up on a red light. You’re the passenger, and your friend, who is the driver says, “God, if you really want me to stop, give me a sign.”
Um…the sign is already there!
Ridiculous, right? But we do the same thing spiritually. God has given us His Word, but instead of obeying what He has already revealed to us, we wait for an additional feeling, circumstance, or supernatural moment.
Again, to give words to what I’m saying, we’ll pray things like:
- “God, if you really want me to serve, have someone ask me this week.”
- “God, if you really want me to tithe, let some unexpected money come to me.”
- “God, if you really want me to go to church, make me wake up feeling energized Sunday morning.”
But, obedience does not always require confirmation. Sometimes obedience simply requires… obedience.
In the Gospels, Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commands” (John 14:15). Notice what He does not say. He does not say, “If you love Me, wait for a sign confirming whether My commands apply to you.” If Scripture clearly commands something, our responsibility is not to ask whether we should obey. Our responsibility is to ask how we can faithfully obey.
Instead of praying, “God, should I serve?” Perhaps the better prayer is, “God, show me where I can serve.” Rather than, “God, should I be generous?” Pray, “God, give me wisdom about how I should be generous with what You have given me.”
In these examples, when we pray in the second manner, we are operating under obedience already. I say this because we know and want to be serving, giving, etc… and therefore we’re asking for help in finding how and where to do it. Why? Because the command has already been given. When we ask “if” we “should” serve, give, reconcile, etc… we’re actually in a state of disobedience because we’re secretly hoping that all those verses that tell us to do those things aren’t really about us.
So, When Should We Ask God for a Sign?
Signs become more understandable and appropriate when we are facing decisions where Scripture does not give one specific answer. For example, the Bible tells us to “work diligently,” but it does not tell us whether we should accept a job in Nashville or Cincinnati. The Bible teaches us to use our gifts to serve others, but it does not always tell us which ministry opportunity we should pursue.
In my pastoral ministry, this is where I find Christians often saying, “God, would You please give me a sign?” or “God would You please make it clear to me what You want me to do?”
That desire is completely understandable, because who doesn’t want guidance and certainty? We all want reassurance that we are actually walking where God wants us to walk. But even here, I think we need to be careful about what we mean by a “sign.”
Let me explain.
Look For Wisdom Before You Look For Something Miraculous
Sometimes when Christians pray for a sign, we imagine something unmistakably supernatural. Have you ever prayed something like this before?
- “God, if You want me to take this job, let someone randomly say the name of the company today.”
- “If I should date this person, let them text me at exactly 7:17PM.”
- “If You want me to move, let me see three blue jeeps on the way to work.”
I’ll be honest, I’ve actually prayed those exact prayers before. Now, could God do something like that? Of course. God is perfectly capable of using unusual circumstances to get our attention, but Scripture gives us much more dependable tools for discerning God’s will for us.
Instead of immediately searching for something miraculous, like lightning from Heaven for three blue jeeps on Preston Highway, begin by searching for wisdom.
James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” That is an incredible promise. God invites us to ask Him for wisdom! So, here are a few ways we can obtain wisdom from God in decision making.
1. Search the Bible.
Your first question should always be: Does God’s Word speak clearly about this or not?
Even if Scripture does not tell you exactly which job to take, it may reveal important principles about your decision. Will this opportunity make it extremely difficult for you to honor God? Or will this relationship pull you toward Christ or away from Him? Does this decision require dishonesty? Does it compromise something Scripture has clearly commanded?
God will never guide you somewhere that contradicts what He has already revealed in His Word. A “sign” that contradicts Scripture is not a sign you should follow.
2. Search Your Motives
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to understanding God’s direction is not a lack of signs. It can actually be that we already know what answer we want. So you’ve got to ask yourself honestly: Why do I want God to say yes or no to this? Is it pride? Fear? Comfort? Money? Recognition? Something else?
Sometimes we ask God for signs because we want Him to bless a decision we have already made in our hearts one way or the other. Isn’t it funny how that one person who is always asking for signs always seems to do what they originally wanted. Were they asking for signs truly? Probably not, it was most likely a spiritual excuse to do what they intended to do anyways.
So, on the flip side, a helpful prayer might look like: “God, if my desires are getting in the way of hearing You clearly, expose them.” Now, that can be uncomfortable, but spiritual maturity requires a willingness to obey God even if His direction is different from the direction we prefer.
3. Search For Wise Counsel
The book of Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes the importance of wise counsel. One of the simplest ways God guides His people is through other mature believers. Asking the pastors and elders in your church, ask your family and friends. But above all else sift through your wise counsel like this:
- Talk to people who know Scripture,
- Talk to people who know you
- Talk to people who are willing to tell you something you do not want to hear.
Sometimes the “sign” we need is not mysterious at all. Sometimes it is a faithful Christian friend saying, “Hey, I think you need to slow down and think.”
It is also appropriate to pay attention to circumstances. God opens doors, but He also closes them. Opportunities can appear, but plans can change. So, as a general rule, circumstances should rarely be interpreted alone.
An “open door” does not automatically mean, “God wants me to walk through this.” And on the other side of things, a difficult road or obstacle does not automatically mean, “God wants me to stop.” Sometimes obedience is challenging, and the right decision comes with an uphill climb.
Circumstances can help guide us, but they should also be considered alongside Scripture, prayer, wisdom, and godly counsel.
Ask God for Clarity, Not Just Confirmation
This might be one of the most important changes we can make in how we pray. We’re opening our hands and the situation to God, hopefully removing ourselves in the process and saying things like:
- “God, I want Your wisdom more than I want my preferred outcome.”
- “Close the door if this choice would pull me away from You.”
- “Give me courage to say no if saying no is wiser.”
- “Help me recognize selfish motives.”
- “Give me peace where I need peace and conviction where I need conviction.”
Sometimes You Will Not Get a Sign
As we come to the end here, let’s all be real for one second. Sometimes God may not give you the dramatic sign you are looking for. Or, the peace and clarity you’re searching for never comes. What do you do then?
You pray, read Scripture, ask wise people, examine your motives, consider the circumstances…and then you make the wisest decision you know how to make.
Here me when I say this to you, that is not a failure of faith. Because oftentimes faith looks like trusting that God is sovereign enough to guide you even when you are not completely certain. If two choices are both morally acceptable and biblically wise, you may actually have freedom to choose one or the other! And worse case scenario, let’s say you make the “wrong choice,” you can trust that God is big enough to pull you back to the correct path.
We often want God to reveal one perfect path because we are terrified of making the wrong decision. That’s honorable, but I believe that we miss the goalpost if that’s all we think about. Because ultimately, all decision making is about walking closely with God in the process. I wonder if sometimes it has nothing to do with the decision needing to be made, but with the process of how we go about making the “right choice.”
I think that that’s where real relationship and discipleship with God happens.
So tying this all together here. Yes, you can ask God for a sign, and can ask Him for clarity. You can ask Him to open doors and close doors, and even to make your next step clear. But before you do, I just want you to ask one question: Has God already told me what to do?
If He has, you do not need another sign, you just need to obey. And when Scripture has not given a specific command, do not merely look for a mysterious signal. Rather, look for wisdom, and then trust God enough to move forward.
North Bullitt Christian Church 