How often in our Christian life do we ask God to open something? We ask Him for good reason, because God loves to open things. Jesus loves to open things. In fact, He came to the world to open things. So we should pray that He will open those things that are shut in our lives, things we can’t pry open though we may try like crazy. Consider all these things that Jesus opens.
1. He opens hearts. “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14). This was Lydia’s conversion. When we pray for our friends and relatives to be converted, we are asking the Great Heart Opener to do His work.
2. He opens ears. “My ears You have opened.” (Psalm 40:6) He opened the ears of the deaf man in Mark 7: “He sighed, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is ‘Be opened. Immediately his ears were opened…'” “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped” (Isaiah 35:5).
3. He opens eyes. The disciples did not recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:31). But later when He broke the bread, “their eyes were opened and they knew Him.” We need our eyes and ears opened regularly so we will recognize God’s presence with us.
4. He opens the Scriptures. Continuing in Luke (vs. 32) “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” We need our hearts opened so the Scriptures will open up to us.
5. He opens our understanding. Following in Luke a few verses (vs. 45): “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” When we come to God’s Word or sit under the preaching of the Word, we should be praying that our understanding will be cracked open so we can get it.
6. He has an open hand. In Luke 11:10, Jesus says, “knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” This is an “open invitation” to ask, to seek, to knock.
7. He opens wombs. “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” Children are from the Lord. Ask God to remember you as He remembered Rachel.
8. At Christ’s resurrection, not only did He break out of His tomb from the inside, opening the way to heaven for us, but the tombs of many of the saints were opened as well (Mt. 27:52).
We know nothing exists that God cannot overcome. No door is shut to Him that He can’t speak the word to open. He clears away hindrances, removes obstacles, and opens a way for us to come to Him for all we need. He is the Great Opener and Way-Maker.
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Thank you for this great encouragement. My husband does not believe, and it seems very hopeless, I needed to be reminded that God can open his eyes and heart x
Hi! I am excited to read more of your blog. How do I subscribe to it? Thanks!
great encouragement. when you pray for your families eyes to be opened and it takes years and still not opened, but this article is very encouraging to wait on God’s timimg and the circumstance he will present
I just read this in my Bible reading the other day (Revelation 3), and thought of your post.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: “
I love how encouraging your blog is — I’m always checking back to see if you’ve posted again. Thanks! 🙂
These scriptures are balm to my spirit! So refreshing and soothing and encouraging.
Thank you, Nancy!
Nancy, this is SO beautiful, and worth meditating on! Thank you. Our God is incredibly kind and mighty. Let our prayers be for openings!
Some of my thoughts on your post: It seems to me all things are shut both within me and without. My senses don’t function, and the paths before me are blocked. I see with age my utter dependence on God to open all things in me and for me. I am like Eve starring in disbelief as I look at barred gates of Paradise. True despair grips me, and I think, “What have I become? What have I done!” But as I turn my back to what I have lost, I see before me what I have gained. There He is, the great Path Forger. He says, “Lo, I am with you always.” Because He is with me, the road before me opens. Because He is with me, my heart is kindled on the path. He doesn’t ask me to open; He asks me to believe. I sweat and grunt and grimace trying to pry off lids, when all I need to do is call the One who can do it with ease.
I think of something I heard during a John Piper lecture. It was not his main point, but it is always with me. He read Romans 8:32, and asked, “What would you exchange for such a promise?” There is not enough gold in the world to match the value of those words. As Nancy mentioned, His palms are always open.
This is just what I needed to read today; wonderful encouragement to my soul. My faith is renewed!