Praying for Open Doors

for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

 I Corinthians 16:9 ESV

One church experience is incredibly meaningful for Pam and I, although we love every person and opportunity that we have had.  I was serving as youth minister and we had lost a pastor due to moral failure.  It took a year before we agreed upon the new pastor for the church.  After serving for one year, he attended a conference in which he felt compelled to repent for limiting God’s power.  He would make time and space for God to move in our services. 

During the next year, we saw salvations, healings and deliverances.  Many times, people just responded from the weight of conviction of the Holy Spirit.  That was a season of an open door of effective ministry.  Sunday night services would last 3-4 hours with ministry and worship being the main components.  Words do not adequately explain how fun it was to see how God was going to move in our next service, I am thankful for the experience.  But, there was also great opposition.  So much disagreement, that the church went through a major split.  I somehow wish that had not happened.  Our adversary is always the devil, but he uses people to disrupt God’s ways.

Paul is closing his letter to the Corinthians.  He is expressing his desire to come to them and spend as much time with them as the Lord allows.  But, he is staying in Ephesus because there is an open door for effective ministry.  Every pastor knows those times when God’s hand is on a project and great favor is unleashed.  Pastors also know those times when hard work has not produced an open door.  Is it scriptural to pray for an open door?  Are there some principles that can help us?

Jesus holds the key – In Revelation John is writing to the church of Philadelphia.  He states that Jesus holds keys to doors that no one can open and opens doors no one can shut.  This means that we focus our prayers toward Jesus asking him to open doors that seem to be closed.

Jesus pattern in ministry – In Luke 10, Jesus sent 72 people out to do ministry.  They were instructed to pray, bless and preach the kingdom.  These were sent ahead of him, as he would then enter these towns for ministry after they returned.  His evaluation is important.  “I saw Satan falling like lightening from heaven.”  Jesus attributed the joy of their success to a removal of the reigning authority.

You don’t have because you don’t ask – We need to pray for Jesus to open doors for effective ministry.  I have a friend who works with YWAM.  On her first mission trip experience, they were told not to engage in evangelistic conversations.  The whole team was sent to saturate the place with prayer.  They would go to strategic places in the city, just to pray for God’s favor and blessing to begin to fall.  They would ask Jesus to tear down the walls that have been keeping people from coming to the Lord.  They would ask for the light of Christ to begin to shine in this place.  The next mission trip was for evangelism. The principle is clear.  Win the place in the Spirit through prayer, before effective ministry.

Clean hearts – Repentance is always attached to open doors.  The leaders must walk in humility before God.  The minister  recognizes that it could be their own sin withholding God’s outpouring of mercy.  Great revivals start with confession.  If there is a sin that is exposed in your church, God may be using it to uncover all hidden sin.  Let the Holy Spirit bring the proper conviction.  He loves pouring and flowing through clean vessels.

Clean land – There is also corporate repentance that may need to take place.  Injustices can cause a curse over the land.  God said to Cain, that his brothers blood speaks out from the land.  In America, think of the millions of innocent babies’ blood that cries out from our land.  At the least we can keep asking for mercy for our land.  In a church, you may need to repent for a former minister’s actions or for the way the church responded to a failure.

Opposition will be present – this is a spiritual battle.  Don’t think that a door is closing just because people oppose what is happening.  Just make sure that you remain humble as a leader through this process.  Pride will quickly close the door again.  Don’t think that you are above making mistakes or that others are just getting in your way.  Let God remove those who are obstacles, stay focused on loving people and preaching the kingdom.

Father, I pray for open doors in the ministries of your people.  Help us to stay clean through your blood that cleanses us from all sin.  Will you open doors for people to become saved?  Will you bring light into their darkness?  Will you help us let the Holy Spirit be free to be Himself in our midst, even if we have to adjust our time to meet His agenda?  Be lifted up oh you ancient gates, that the King of Glory may come in.  Thank you Jesus, Amen