Last updated on October 6, 2020
Question:
Hi there,
I wanted to ask you about casting lots. I remembered quite some time ago that I prayed to God and then I send a friend request to two women on Facebook to see who would accept my friend request first. Whoever accepted my friend request first would be the one for me and I would stay faithful to her. Is this really a lot? Does this mean that I cannot take another woman as my wife?
Come to think of it, I believe I made a wrong choice in that sense. But still, I don’t want to be bound by that lot. Is it really an accepted lot by the Lord since I prayed before making the lot? I am actually still young and I still have so many opportunities. Come to think of it, I don’t want to be bound by that lot at all. Is this a valid lot and I can pray to cancel it?
Answer:
Let’s start with a simple fact. Just because you prayed for this, it doesn’t mean that God thought your prayer was acceptable. God answers prayers that are according to His will (I John 5:14). In this case, God never tells people to pick a spouse based on random events. He tells men and women the character traits they should be looking in a future spouse. You tried to avoid your responsibility and make God make your decision for you. That is wrong and I would not expect God to answer such a prayer.
What you asked for was something that is in the normal course of the world. You send out friend requests, of course, many are going to reply. That tells you nothing! It doesn’t even tell you if God answered that prayer.
What you should do is admit to God that you did wrong by trying to avoid your responsibilities and make God responsible for your choices. Admit that it was wrong, go on with your life, and start using your knowledge of God’s teachings to make good choices in life.