Are coincidences signs from God?

The bible says it is an evil generation that seeks after a sign. But what if I wasn't seeking a sign? What if I'm minding my own business and some coincidental even happens? For instance if I had prayed about something and then the pastor preaches a sermon on the same topic, or what if i wanted to go somewhere but i didn't want to go by myself and then someone invites me to go to said place with them? Am I right to say God is talking to me or He's showing me signs that He's with me and know my thoughts? Or is it the devil trying to lead me astray?

Have you experienced anything like this, and how did you interpret it?

The wise magi followed the sign of Christ's birth. The star of Bethlehem.
Don't think that the scripture in Matthew 11 is speaking against signs from God. In context it is not doing that at all. Read here please.

I find the more I let go and trust God to guide my steps the more I find that even the littlest events that seem to be in my life and making things go bad are actually fortuitous. I think God speaks to us always and sometimes coincidence is one method.
Maybe keep a journal of your life and see if you notice a synchronous thread that appears in the events that transpire. As if things happening or coincidences, are all carrying one characteristic among them. I've done this myself and I find when looking back that all the little things add up to one giant message pointing out one simple thing I need to recognize and address in my life.

Sometimes I've said, well God if you're sending a message taking a finger and writing it out on my wall would be a great idea right about now Lord! I can paint over it later once I get it.
Seriously, it has gotten that convoluted at times.
Then one day I took a deep breath and relaxed. And it was like God thumbed through this Rolodex he'd put in my memory. And all these cards where his thumb stopped were memories I was seeing run through my mind. They all had similar characteristics, and I saw my responses at the same time. And then at that last "card", I got it. I saw that common thread, theme, in all those cards.
And this happened just when it turns out I was facing right then and there another similarity to those past "cards".
So , going with what I saw myself doing in the past in that recall, I in an instant chose to do something different. Something new.
And to this day over a decade later I've never seen that coincidence, that similarity to things past, come up again.

God talks to us all the time. What we have to do is to stop talking to ourselves and watch for what he has to say.

GOD speaks to us when we stop to listen, I believe that He has a plan for our life and maybe they aren't any coincidence, I agree with Ostrichsmiling, I wish I could have said it that good. If you are seeking GOD you will know if satan is trying to lead you astray. Put on the full armor of GOD. Yes I have experienced this and love it when happens.

Its not a yes or no answer. I've had things I thought were coincidences end up from God and things from God I thought were coincidences.
Just have to pray and ask for confirmation and testing it against the bible.

Thanks for your replys

Last week I was thinking to myself how it's important that we think God's thoughts and not man's thoughts. And I was reading up scriptures on this topic.

Then low and behold I turned on my radio to listen to a certain pastor and what topic was he speaking on but the same thoughts that were flowing around in my head, putting my thoughts into words....I was so amazed.... The topic of his sermon was spiritual warfare.

With so many distractions, its so hard sometimes to drown everything out and just to focus on renewing our minds with the word of God.

Isaiah 8:11-13
11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:

12 “Do not call conspiracy
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.

Isaiah 55:8-11
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

John 15:1-8
The Vine and the Branches
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I was about to start a new thread on hearing from God, then I remembered I had started this one some time ago.

I'm very interested in this issue. I'm not understanding how people do things and say they heard from God or He lead them and yet, in the particular area where they said God led them it ends in disaster.

Does God lead his people into hardships? Embarrassment? Failure?

Or is it the case that God led us into a good situation for our lives because we had faith, and we were leaning on Him, hanging on to His every word, like the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of Jesus' garment. So desperate we were for the breakthrough or for God to answer us.

But then when we get what we want we stop relying on God to direct us in the situation. We stop hanging on to His word, so He is no longer the one leading us, but the flesh.

And at other times when we said we heard from God. Was it really God?

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

"Be sober be vigilant. Your enemy, the devil is a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he may devour."

"Put on the full armour of God that you may be able to stand against the evil tricks/tactics/schemes/strategies of the devil"

I think God does use "coincidences" to answer prayer. But likewise, the devil seeks to entice us to sin. When I ask something from God and He gives a situation in answer, I try to walk in faith. But this should be differentiated from temptation.

Many claim to have heard from God, when clearly, it was not our God.

Everything God does, satan imitates.


It seems to me that no one knows 100% if something is God or not.

Yes, we must have faith. Faith, that even if I'm wrong when I thought it was God, His grace is enough to see me through.

With that in mind, is it a bad thing to take precaution, since we just absolutely don't know 100% if it's God. Is it a lack of faith to act practical?

Yes Abraham went to a place he did not know when God called him to leave his family and go to a different land. Can we do the same in every area of our lives?

I was thinking that if I get married, I will not take my husband's name. Just in case it dosn't work out, I don't have to go through the hassle of changing my name again.

I'm also thinking, I won't wear a ring either. That way if it dosn't work out, I can get a quiet separation, and folks won't be speculating: where her ring at? I haven't seen her wear it in a while lol

Other things I want too. Like my own house, just in case husband kicks me out of his or I have to say to him: beat it! Just beat it Lol

I would be soooooo traumatised if my marriage didn't work out, so in order to transition back to my single life, I have to plan carefully you see. The same effort I take in planning the wedding, is the same or more I'll take in planning the "just in case" separation.

Am I wrong for not thinking: when I get married I'll be led of God, I'll be married happily ever after? I don't know...

But I do believe in faith, and all things are possible with God. Faith in God is what salvation is about. And I have stepped out in faith and seen God give me the victory.

Had I not have faith that God would see me through, I don't know where I would be right now.

Is there a time to have faith? But also a time to be practical?

I really try to get understanding in this area, because I don't understand as I should. (Many things I don't understand, to be honest with you.)

True. But Satan is a poor imitator. What comes from God is love, but from Satan, selfishness and pride.

Use God's written word - God doesn't contradict Himself. Pray like Gideon to see if it's God's will.

Amen.

David had faith God would protect him, but still took along his sling and some rocks. Rahab believed God was with Israel, but still hid the spies from the king. Faith can be practical.

Abraham is a great example. He acted in his own strength (on bad advice from his wife), when he married Hagar. But he still treated Ishmael as a son, and looked after Hagar. God made it alright, despite Abraham's mistake.

I can understand this, but sometimes, not having faith can result in our fears being realised. God told Gideon to send home all the men who were afraid.

I think I understand. But I would leave it with God. He knows your needs, and trust Him to get you through. Job lost his riches and his children, but his faith made him an example for Christians for millenia.

I don't think there are many fairytale weddings, because we live in a sinful world. People are selfish, there is death and suffering. But God teaches us that He will get us through.


See? God has already been teaching you that you can trust Him!

I don't think faith and practicality are mutually exclusive. Act in love, pray for God's guidance and trust in Him. The rest is up to God.

To recognise that some say "God said this" when God didn't say, I think you understand more than many.

I personally believe that God works in mysterious ways.
I've had similar events happen, and I believe that's God telling me it was meant to happen. This was a good thread.

I don't think God leads us into failure or hardships for the spite of it.
I think he sometimes tests us to see how we would handle something.
He doesn't lead us places for no reason. The good and the bad both have a purpose.

We have to test all things, but God never leads us into sin. He may allow trials to test us like Job or for some other purpose. We don't always know in the moment or even in this life why some things happen. His hand is easier to see sometimes after we come out on the other side. God can use what others would perceive as coincidences for His purposes. I definitely have had many of those moments and I wouldn't call them a coincidence. Some could be, but even those would ultimately fall under the sovereignty of God. I don't think He cares if your friend happens to wear the same color shirt as you one day. However, He knows our thoughts and can answer and guide us in multiple ways.

We should trust that He knows what's best for us. His ways are higher than our ways. Pray for Him to lead you. The flesh is at war with the Spirit, and a holy God would never lead you into sin or temptation. It is understandable to want to be practical, prepared, maybe even scared. However, the right man would love God above everything and want to do right by Him and you. A marriage that keeps God at the center would take the vows seriously. In sickness and in health, for better or for worse.

If you didn't trust them, then maybe they are not the one? Either wait and get to know them better with time so that the trust can grow before you make such a serious commitment, or if they give off red flags already then why continue being with someone you can't trust? We can trust God and wait for the person He has in His plans if there is one, or we can rush into things and learn from our failures when We don't wait on Him. He still somehow knows how to fix our messes and use them to benefit ourselves and others. "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Is it ever a coincidence for a certain verse to stick out at you? I had that happen the other day, but the verse only seemed semi relevant to my situation, so I wasn’t sure if I needed to take it seriously or not.

Well not every scripture will be applicable to our personal situation, but it is always good to increase in knowledge of God, that way we can become closer to Him.

Some time ago I was reading the book of Leviticus and I came across this scripture 18:18 Do not take your wife's sister as one of your wives, as long as your wife is living.

When I read that, It really caught my attention. It has nothing to do with my life but when I saw it, I thought about the things that goes on in the world today:

One man in a relationship with two sisters. Or a man getting a divorce, then getting remarried to his wife's sister.

It was wrong back then, and its still wrong today because it will cause bitter jealousy. However some might see this as normal behavior.

So if a scripture sticks out, just meditate on it and see whatever you can learn from it. (And you can also share what you've learned with me as well )

This thread is such a blessing to me. So many wonderful thoughts expressed here. God bless you all.

Some of the coincidences I experienced after I received the Holy Spirit, and was convinced our Father is and is in total control.
After receiving the Holy Spirit during the day, I went later, that night to an on/campus coffee house. Moved by the Holy Spirit I left my table and went to and through a door. It led to a store room, and in this room was a book opened and face down. It was a light blue book and thick so I assumed it was some text book. Picking it up and reading I was immediately overwhelmed by the warmth of the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Reading, I found myself saying over, "that is right, that is right, that is right..etc. I closed the book to look and it was the Oxford Study Bible. I was readin in Isaiah.

The following day i went to the student store and bought my own copy of this Book. I read it for years after.

Here ae some of the other coincidences. I would share all I was learning with anyone who would hear me in the Student Union. I would sit a a table for two at the entrance of the cafeteria. No matter how busy it was that table was always empty. One person would come to me at this table and aske me about this or that and I found I had just read the subject for the first time, and shared what I had learned. This happened time and time again, again my first time through the Word. +

One day I went to the bathroom. There was a card, like a business card, stuck in the mirror frame. I took it with me back to that deuce, and lo, reading it, it had the very sentence I had just underlined having read it for the first time. You all know the one, "He who will gain his life will lose...."

Las coincidence for this time. One day I came to the Union to my usual deuce, and it was occupier. My heart sank, and speaking in my mind to the Lord, I asked if I had been offensive in any manner. Then He made me aware of a very large table empty in the midst of a very crowded cafeteria. I thought, I guess I will sit down here, still feeling a little bad. I began to read and after a short time I realized someone was standing next to me, then, looking up, my the table where I was seated was encircled by a bunch of frat guys from ZBt, a Jewish fraternity. They had heard of some of my experiences and wanted to know just what I had to say. It was wonderful, and they were very polite and orderly as we sat for some time and I was given to share, and well for it was not I. I would open my mouth and speak. This also happened a lot while going through the Word for my first time, and I would read what I had shared only after having passed it on by the Holy Spirit.

There have been coincidence's ever since but never so many as my first three years of traveling and sharing the Word, many states and many countries.

Huh, that’s really interesting!! Thanks for sharing that; that’s a good perspective!!

I’ll share a bit about my situation. It’s not so serious particularly; I’ve just been trying to figure out when God is trying to tell me something and when it’s my own head. I apologize in advance in case this is long, and also if this post isn’t in the right thread. It was the most relevant one I could find; sometimes the “search” feature on here doesn’t give you quite what you’re looking for.
Anyway, the other day a thought came into my head about giving up a favorite show of mine. (It may have occurred to me during prayer, but I don’t remember exactly.) Didn’t really make sense and I didn’t want to think about it so I just brushed it off. Might be more accurate to say that I tried brushing it off, because thoughts of “should I keep this show or not?” kept swirling through my head over the next few days. I prayed about it several times and tried to not have my guard up at the same time, but I wasn’t super successful, if you get what I mean.
A day or so into this dilemma, and I asked God to just speak to me through His Word. (Having dealt with intrusive thoughts and anxiety type of stuff before, I tend to not pay much attention to thoughts in my head telling me to do stuff, even if I think it might be God.)
These verses stood out to me over the next two days (they’re too long to type out so I’ll just put the references): Job 33:13—30, and Job 36:9—12. Seems like there was one in Proverbs too but I can’t remember which one.
Do these seem to be pointing me towards giving up something?

Over these past few days, however, the thought somewhat faded. I even had a Funko POP of a character from the show in my hand yesterday and almost bought it, but then a thought came to my head of the story in the Bible where Saul didn’t wait for Samuel to make the sacrifice, and because he didn’t wait, he caused irreparable damage. I ended up putting the Pop back on the shelf, even though I really wanted it and didn’t really feel guilty about buying it.
I would also like to add that the show in question isn’t like an immoral show. It’s a cartoon (okay, an anime), and it’s funny, a bit heavy at times, and also really relatable and inspirational. Really the only thing that spoils it are two side characters: one acts like a pervert (and is often reprimanded for his behavior), and the other character wears an inappropriate costume.
Feel free to ask any questions about parts of this that weren’t clear; I’d be happy to help explain it further.