Is it wrong to wish for something? Are Christians allowed to wish?

To wish is to be human. God created us with a free will and the ability to choose, therefore wanting or being hopeful or getting something (or "wishing") in and of itself is not wrong.

Did you know that even Jesus Himself has said He wished for something? Yep. In Revelation 3:15 Jesus says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot." And Luke 12:49, He says, "I have come to cast fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!"

Perhaps the most memorable time in the Bible that Jesus makes a wish is when He is praying before the crucifixion (Luke 22:42). He asks His Heavenly Father for another way to save humanity. He prayed, asking the Lord to "remove this cup." But here is the most important part: He ended His prayer with, "not my will but yours be done."

The Right Kind of Wish

When we wish, we have to really look at that wish and see if it is in line with God's will. How do we know? Well, some things are very clearly NOT God's will. For example, if what you are wishing for is a sin or would cause you to sin, then that wish is wrong and would not be honored by God. Another example is wishing for more than we actually need (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Or wishing that you could be with someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse (Deuteronomy 5:21).

If our wishes are rooted in an ungrateful heart for something that we cannot change, then that wish is wrong. Our goal should be to be content with the gifts, talents, family, body, everything really, that God has given us.

Ask yourself, "Is my wish coming from an ungratefulness for what I already have?"

While we should be content in what we have, we can still work toward something new. But we need to be satisfied and grateful to the Lord for what we have now (Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

Godly Wishes

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Bringing glory and honor to God should be our greatest goal, and when that is our focus, our wishes will surely change to reflect His desires.

There are things that Bible commands us to wish for: spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1), wisdom (Proverbs 24:14), the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:12), salvation of others (Romans 10:1), and revealing who the children of God are (Romans 8:19).

So, is wishing wrong? Nope. Not at all. But check your wish, and see where it originates from in your heart. Is it something that will bring you closer to the Lord and bring honor to Him?

One more thing to remember: Wishing is to be an appeal to God Himself and not just a "wish upon a star." Why wish upon a star, when you can bring your request to the Creator of the star?