“but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” Psalm 66:19

The neatly folded strips of paper carefully arrayed in the temple grounds fluttered in the gentle breeze like hundreds of white-winged butterflies moving in unison. Written on them were the prayers or predictions for visitors who sought a change in their fortune or a glimpse of their future. Good health. New love. Success in business. Physical protection. High test score. Well-paying job. Recovery of a lost item. Healthy children. Nice housing. Profitable investments. The list of wants and needs by the serious believer to even the most casual devotee are both varied and endless. Everybody wants something for a minimal investment.

Known as omikuji (御御籤), these strips of paper offering guidance or predictions, are available throughout Japan in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Meaning literally “sacred lot,” omikuji are acquired by contributing a small donation. They are particularly popular around New Year’s when people are keen to ascertain their fortune for the coming year. The omikuji, with their previously recorded transcriptions, are dutifully placed in a special box and from there randomly chosen by a fortune seeker. These days it is now quite common to purchase omikuji dispensed through conveniently located vending machines. Possible fortunes written on the omikuji fall within the following categories:

• Great blessing (dai kichi)
• Blessing (kichi)
• Small blessing (shō-kichi)
• Half-blessing (han-kichi)
• Future blessing (sue-kichi)
• Future small blessing (sue-shō-kichi)
• Misfortune (kyō)

If a person is unfortunate to draw an omikuji that portends bad news, they are likely to rid themselves of the ill fortune by attaching the paper to a nearby pine tree or a specially prepared place within the temple or shrine grounds alongside other unfavorable predictions. The desired outcome is that the bad luck, in an obvious play on words, will wait (待つmatsu) by the tree (松matsu) rather than attach itself to the bearer. If the fortune is good, the owner may likewise choose to leave their omikuji in a designated sacred area for greater effect or take it home for good luck.

The power of the omikuji is considered to be effective for only one year, at which time it must be properly destroyed. The origin of omikuji is traditionally dated back to the Heian period to a monk named Ryōgen, who lived from 912-985, but the custom started to flourish in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) as omikuji were increasingly used for making decisions.

Having been made in the image of God, the natural inclination of the human heart from the beginning of time is to seek communion with God. Not only do we have practical needs that we want filled, as social creatures, we also long to be seen and heard by an all-knowing and all-caring God. As a result, we tend to create and maintain inadequate traditions to facilitate communication with God (or gods). In Japan, omikuji is a popular form to enhance dialogue between mortals and the immortal. But the Bible does not portray a God who needs to be coerced or helped in communicating with His creation. Instead, by His very nature, God delights to hear our prayers and act upon them because of His boundless love for us. Such care is not random, limited by time and certainly cannot be manipulated. As the psalmist testifies: “God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” (Psalm 66:19)