You’ve got a big decision to make. Should you pray to God for a sign? Read on for what the Bible says about asking God for a sign.

Does God Give People Signs Today?
Maybe you’ve heard people talk about receiving signs from God and you feel curious. How do you know when something is a sign from God and not just your imagination?
Does God bless other people with more direct communication that you aren’t getting? Maybe they are just more faithful, or more spiritually gifted.
Or perhaps, they are off the religious deep end.
True confession time. I have tended to be a person who leans more toward the belief that people who claim signs from God are in the “off the religious deep end” camp.
If you tell me every time you find a penny it means a loved one who died is sending you a message, I don’t believe that is a sign from God. I think it means you found a penny. I find pennies all the time, and it means I am one cent richer.
What Does the Bible Say About Signs from God?
As much as I would like to hold on to my skepticism, however, it’s not fully Biblical. Check out this passage in Isaiah,
Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
Isaiah 7:11
Consider the story in Judges 6 where Gideon asked God for a sign. Many people look to this story when asking God for a sign. Three different times Gideon asked God for a sign, and all three times God granted Gideon’s request. Once an angel of the Lord, who was visiting with Gideon, touched an offering of food and fire sprang up and destroyed it.
Twice Gideon laid out a fleece on the ground. Once he asked the Lord for it to be wet with dew and the ground dry, and the next day for it to be dry and the ground wet, as proof that the Lord would deliver him in battle. Both times God granted Gideon’s request.
This is why sometimes people say they are “laying out a fleece” when they ask God for a sign.
Should You Pray to God for a Sign?
Should you pray to God for a sign, like Gideon?
You could, but let me suggest something different.
You have something Gideon did not have.
You have the Bible, which is God’s direct communication with you. You have the knowledge of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who has died on the cross for you.
Gideon had the promise of a Savior to come, but he did not have the assurance of the Jesus you and I know, and Gideon did not have the written Word of God that you and I have today.
The Bible also never says in Judges 6 if God was in a good mood about granting these signs to Gideon. God shows his mercy and favor in this story. Gideon shows a lack of trust.
It’s not necessarily wrong to ask God for a sign, but it might be going down a tricky path with your faith. God has provided you with what you need to make decisions, because he has given you the Bible.
Study God’s word. Get to know God and who He is. Develop a relationship with God. The more you are in a relationship with someone, the more you understand what the person wants.
Pricilla Shirer in her book and videos, Discerning the Voice of God, teaches fantastic principles for how to make wise decisions. (This book seriously changed my spiritual life.)
She teaches that, as a Christian, you should make decisions based on:
- Scripture.
- The guidance of the Holy Spirit in you. The Holy Spirit will never guide you to do anything that goes against the Word of God.
- Live in the the mode of prayer.
- Seek the guidance of other Christian mentors.
- After all of these things, then you may receive the mercy of a sign from God.
You may receive signs from God. These are at the end of your decision making process, as a gift of confirmation from God that you have made a wise decision.
There is a sweet joy in receiving a sign of confirmation from God in this way. These types of signs bring with them an amazing type of peace.
God Gives a Sign of Confirmation
Sometimes God gives signs of confirmation even when you have not asked for them.

A few years ago, after serving at our church in Colorado for over 15 years, my husband made the decision to take a call to a new church in New York. This was a big move for our family.
We’d been getting a lot of teasing from people about all the snow we’d be shoveling in our new home town. I won’t kid you. I was excited about the move, but not so much about the snow part.
Right before we packed up to move, a storm dumped 20 inches of snow on Denver in the springtime.
When we looked at this picture of the storm’s path, and it was exactly from Denver to where we are going to be moving, it was a serious WOW-God moment.
This is a sign of confirmation. God was leading the way for us to go to New York, and that was awesome. I was thankful for the sign.
But…I gotta be honest here.
A sign in…snow? (I know, I’m sounding like a picky, whiny Gideon now, right?)
I posted a message about this on Facebook, and a friend wrote this comment,
Sounds like the God of the storm, JAH, is leading the way for you. Check out Psalm 68:4.
This is what Psalm 68:4 (KJV) says,
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
And the Matthew Henry commentary on this verse says,
As a great God, infinitely great: He rides upon the heavens, by his name JAH. He is the spring of all the motions of the heavenly bodies, directs and manages them, as he that rides in the chariot sets it a-going, has a supreme command of the influences of heaven; he rides upon the heavens for the help of his people (Deu. 33:26), so swiftly, so strongly, and so much above the reach of opposition. He rules these by his name Jah, or Jehovah, a self-existent self-sufficient being; the fountain of all being, power, motion, and perfection; this is his name for ever.
Matthew Henry
What a fantastic sign of confirmation for me. I got chills reading the Bible passage and commentary.
This is the God I follow. I will follow him anywhere.
Do you follow Him, too? Tell me about it in the comments below.
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I tried to post a comment a few minutes ago but I don’t think it let me. If you end up getting this twice I apologize. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all that you do and you have helped me learn how to lose weight. I also love that you are a Christ follower. I just wanted to share this website with you to give you more information regarding Priscilla Shirer. I used to do a lot of her studies but I’ve found out that she has gone off the rails. So many women are deceived by ladies like Priscilla and Beth Moore. I was deceived for a long time. If you google Priscilla and Joel Osteen you will see that she also preaches at his church. Joel is a health, wealth and prosperity preacher. False teachers hang out with other false teachers. I hope this helps.
https://michellelesley.com/2015/09/18/going-beyond-scripture-why-its-time-to-say-good-bye-to-priscilla-shirer-and-going-beyond-ministries/
I don’t ask or look for signs but I totally believe in God’s direction and trust Him as my life unfolds. Most of my life has been a struggle with food. Right now I am in a very peaceful place and am using an app that counts calories as well as a number of other health guidelines. I trust that God is helping me finally deal with the thorn in my flesh. My primary doctor wanted me to take weight loss injections which I wanted to avoid. That has been the motivation to do what I am doing … for the rest of my life, if need be. I am 79. To God alone be the glory.
I have seen some responses similar to my own, here is my story:
I have a somewhat complicated past with one of my closest friends. When we initially met it was not platonic at all, however I wanted a relationship and he didn’t, he told me that he wasn’t in a good place in life to date and even if he were to be sent his soulmate right then it wouldn’t work. We spent some time apart and reconnected, this time as friends. My feelings for him grew stronger, and eventually turned to love. I told him months later how I felt, but as expected, it wasn’t reciprocated. We are still very close and talk consistently, but my feelings for him just seem to come and go.
I asked God for a sign, if I’m meant to date or marry this man please show me through signs related to soccer. I wanted to confirm if I should finally just try to let go. Moments later I open instagram and see a post about this girl making the national soccer team. A couple hours later as I’m driving I see a car in front of me with a Liverpool Soccer Team sticker . The next day while at work, a group of AYSO soccer kids stop by my store.
I was so overwhelmed with emotion seeing all of these signs, It’s hard to wrap my head around this future fate for us though because right now we are so deep in friendship land. But I believe in God’s timing, and I’m curious to see how this will all play out
I forgot another instance, that same night in a dream I was in the bathroom and there was a guy dribbling a soccer ball inside the women’s restroom
I have experience before asking for a sign to God if I will continue liking this guy or not. So, I ask him if I will see a cross (preferably a gold cross) it means I have to continue liking this guy because he’s the one for me. As I walk going to the office and on the elevator when the door almost close, it got open and the last person came in is wearing a gold cross (kinda big one though). I was totally shock because I almost give on that guy. Is that really a sign from God?
Hi BLANCAFLOR HONTANOSAS, Gabrielle here from The Holy Mess. Thanks for reaching out. I would take time to pray and ask the Lord if this is truly a sign from Him. I would also open your Bible and read His Word. Does His Word line up with what you are experiencing? He will never send counterfeits, and you always want to check your motives. Sometimes, we think it’s God because our feelings are so strong. But then in fact, it’s not God at all, it’s us. I hope this helps. God bless you.
Hi Sara, I’m asking for a sign from God that he will heal my liver. I have severe liver damage and I asked God to reverse the damage and give me a sign that he will heal my liver. Is that wrong?
I do believe in God and say my prayers most every night. I was brought up Catholic then changed to Protestant. In 2010 I lost my Dad then my younger sister the next year then my younger brother the year after her! Then I wonder why our family? I’ve always heard if you see red cardinals around it means loved ones are visiting? I just say my prayers and hope that the things I pray for are taken care of. They usually are!😊❤️
I sat in prayer asking God for direction. The next day at school I had a 4 hour class with 10 minutes break each hour. A creature of habit, I ate a nibble and called my sweetheart each break every school day. This day break 1: ate, sweetheart not available. Next break: same. Next break: I walked across the street to take a stroll on the trail. Something got my attention on a bridge at the trail head. While standing there, a woman appeared from the field on the other side of the bridge. We said hello and she started, unprompted, to address the prayer I prayed the night before. I asked if she was a believer and she said YES! I told her she was answering a prayer question and that my being on the bridge was a break in my routine. She said she didn’t even realize the bridge was there until that day, that she was drawn to it but had no idea why. She assured me that that’s just how God does things.
Great insights! I don’t look for “signs”, but I love it when I get confirmation of something. Earlier in the week I sensed Jesus telling me to just stop running and for me to just be still and let Him love on me. I went with that…and I began a new devotional last night and the writer described a similar experience and repeated how we simply cannot OUTRUN the love of God. Ok. So I take that to mean that the Lord wants me to just get quiet, get still and allow Him to be present and work in my life.
Hi im Joy
Ive been married for 4 years now. Everytime Im not sure about certain things I asked God for a sign.
I remember my husband left is wrdding ring in the bedroom and my 3 years old son got it abd play with it and we could not find it anymore. He said he lost it outside or bring it to friends house. Im so hooeless that time that we could find his ring. I asked God if this is a sign that me and my husband are not meant for each other. After asking him a sign I do a laundry and there i found the ring inside the washer.🤣🤣
Hello, it’s been bothering me for a while now. First of all when i was in highschool i promise myself to not ask a sign from God if they’re not the one. But i met this man, and i don’t know but some strange things happen and suddenly i found myself praying to God for a sign “Lord is this Your plan” the first sign i prayed for, God confirmed it God says yes because the sign happened. And there’s something strange like before i was planning to pray for a sign it will happen right away, like what? I was just planning to pray for this and now it’s already happening? And just like Gideon i tend to ask God for the second sign again because i want a clear cut sign and sure. But in this case the 2nd sign didn’t happen as I expected it to be. So what would i gonna do now? Should i ask God for the 3rd time?
I met a guy online a couple years ago. A Godly christian man. I guess I wasn’t ready back then. We went on our way. A few weeks ago we met up again. We both thought we were perfect for each other and prayed about it. A couple days later he messaged me that God convicted him. He made a commitment to his therapist that he would not date anyone until he gets through some past issues. I admired the commitment to God and his therapist but was sad a bit. A few days past and I prayed that God would give me a confirmation if this was the man I was suppose to be with as my future spouse. I said please just let him send me any message and I will wait for him. He lives 2 and 1/2 hours away and is trying to transition from one job to another. He works so much but I know God has no limits. Well the day I asked for a sign, I received a small message to be blessed. I got excited. A week passes and I felt like Gideon, I wanted another confirmation of the 1st confirmation. I don’t know if God got angry like I was testing him or like Zechariah for questioning the confirmation because I didn’t get a 2nd confirmation. I prayed in my mind the 1st time so the enemy would not intercept with a false confirmation. I sent this man a message of my feeling and what I prayed about. I have not heard back. I sent it yesterday and I know he read it. 🙁
Hi Debbie, It sounds like you are in a challenging situation. One thing that struck me as I read your message is that sometimes the challenge is not in asking God for a sign, but in being okay with his answer. If God’s plan is for you to be with this man, it will happen with no pushing from you. If not, it’s not meant to be. I know waiting on the Lord’s timing is hard (and sometimes painful) but it does seem to be what is needed in this case. HUGS.
I lost my husband 5 years ago.. I still pray for healing for my sons and I, but I would say maybe a year ago I also started praying for God to send me a good Christian man. A couple weeks ago I met a really great guy. I question if the door was opened by God because along with this great guy is also some, I guess you could say obstacles. Between working three jobs, studying and going to school his schedule is very busy on top of that there is a two hour drive between us. I only want a relationship that is blessed by God.
Hi Karen, Thanks for writing today. I’m so sorry for the loss of your husband. I pray God brings you to a new relationship that brings you so much joy and someone to love and who loves you! I just wrote another article that has a section I think would help you. At the bottom of this article there is a section, “A Question for Relationships” – check it out when you get a chance. https://theholymess.com/how-you-know-sex-life-good/
Sorry to butt in, but in situations where you’re asking the Lord for a sign on whether you should switch jobs, or something non-spiritual related, how would the bible help?
I’m struggling so hard not to lose faith recently. We’re always told the Lord is with us, but what does that mean? How do I know? And what good does it do? From what I’ve seen and heard about, He wont save us from harm, or give us direct guidance. So HOW is He ‘with’ us? How is it a comfort that the Lord does nothing when you need Him to?
Hi Kay, you aren’t butting in at all. I appreciate your comment. I believe God is the creator of life and is involved in all aspects of our lives, not just “spiritual” ones. He has given us free will, so we aren’t robots who have to do His bidding, but He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us, the same way I love my kids and want to have a relationship with them. I want them to talk to me about their day at school and how their lives are going. HOW do we know God is with us and does He direct us? That is tougher! Many Christians will say that they feel his presence with them. I know God speaks to me through His word, the Bible. I also know the more I draw close to God, He draws closer to me. God does not move, but I move away from Him.
Hi im anne from philippines, last week i have a ver weird experienced that ever happened in my life,actually i have a prayer request to God and ask him to give me a sign and all of those signs i have seen were on streets vehicles,billboards everywhere,i will make it short the first day of that God signs was i always seen a lot of phrases like trust in God,God is love,faith in God,john 3:16,names of angels and bible names written in the vehicle at first i just thought i was paranoid because i ask God for a sign and at the end of that day a white vehicle passed by in front of me saying nothing is impossible with God,2nd day was i was riding on a jeep with a praise d provider and i notice a taxi with philippians a book verse from the bible,the lord is my shepherd,and i was walking i saw on the stall selling fruits written jesus is alive and the most amazing part was the room that me and my children standby always and that was the first time i saw that small hand figurine in that room saying belive and you will receive it whatever you ask for in prayer…ive seen also a phrase on a jeep God will make a way,and Jesus christ to God be the glory and a phase about prayer but i didnt resd the whole thing only the first word prayer….does God want to say something to me?are those signs for my prayer i also ask God for a sign that if i heard or read a phrase now is the time or a word win he will grant my prayers ive seen those sign but nothing happens….hope you will help me to understand those things ive experienced thank you so much,looking forward for your reply..Godbless
Hi Anne, Thanks for your comment. It is great that you are seeking God, looking for answers from Him, and seeing phrases about Him everywhere! I have two thoughts: The first is to not try to seek a sign like some sort of magic. I don’t think you are doing that, but I wanted to say it, just in case. God often works in and through us in a process, not a quick fix or a quick answer. It is important for us to let the Holy Spirit guide us.
The second is that even if God is answering a prayer (as perhaps indicated by the signs “win” or “now is the time”), we might not see the answer or know about it right away. Trust Him that He is working things out in His time. How God answers might be very different than how we thought He would answer or how we thought He would work out the situation. So keep talking with Him, and pay more attention to how He speaks to you during your quiet times with Him than what you see on the street. He will often speak to you through the Bible, His Word. You might also ask Him to help you know–was that a sign or not? As you walk closer and closer with Jesus, you may find that you have less need of signs because you’ll just know what decision to make and that He is guiding you. But sometimes, like Gideon, we just need to know God is with us, and the signs on the billboards, taxis, and so forth, are great evidence of that. He is clearly encouraging you to keep praying. It is very exciting that you are seeing those things!
I have been guilty of praying to God for a sign, even quite recently. I have pondered whether this is a valid reason for prayer or not. I second guess myself..a lot. I never know whether the decision I am making is the RIGHT decision or not. For this, I have turned to God for assurance and if things don’t work out quite how I expected them to, I suppose this would be a sign of confirmation, as you have called it. Sometimes, I don’t always hear Him, either; I find myself confused and even a little disappointed. But I remind myself that He is still always there. I’m not going to lie; sometimes it gets a little rough in the silence and I find myself asking for a sign, some reassurance, anything to help me get through whatever decisions life throws at me.
Hi Casey, I don’t think you have to feel guilty for asking God for a sign. There is never a bad reason for prayer. These are all learning experiences and I know God is teaching me continually. Good for you for turning to God for help in these times. I know what you mean that it does get tough in what feels like silence, but sometimes in those situations if I open the Bible, answers I need are there. I just haven’t been looking for them in the right place — God’s word. I don’t mean to oversimplify. I know it’s not easy!