By Joel Comiskey, Share: Make Christ Real to Others, 2023
Open doors. God works behind the scenes to open up opportunities for the gospel message. He normally opens those doors through friendships and family contacts. But the God of the universe is not limited to such occasions. Be ready for anything. He’ll give you some memorable opportunities.
Paul said to the church in Corinth, “I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:8–9). In the midst of major obstacles, opportunities often present themselves.
Praying for open doors
As with most endeavors in the Christian life, start with prayer. God has chosen to work through our prayers. Since He made the universe, He’s able to create supernatural opportunities that go far beyond human capabilities.
Prayer will not only open the door but also will prepare your heart to evangelize effectively. As you pray, a spiritual bond will take place between you and the person you’re going to witness to. Your heart will be filled with compassion and love for that person. Your increased concern will cause the person to respond to your message.
Finally, God uses our prayer to tear down the walls of demonic obstruction, spiritual blindness, and worldly diversion in the lives of the people you pray for.
The person of peace
Jesus told His disciples to preach the good news and to look for a “person of peace.” Jesus said, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you” (Luke 10:5–6).
The person of peace in our day and age refers to someone whose heart God has touched and is open to the gospel. It might be a fellow student, neighbor, family member, or work associate. A “person of peace” is someone who God has been preparing and it’s obvious through the person’s sincere hunger to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and to follow Him. A person of peace makes a divine appointment possible.
We see many Biblical examples where God opened up people’s hearts and lives to the gospel. One of those examples is Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. Scripture says in Acts 16:14, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” Lydia became Paul’s helper and a major influence in that area.
As in the case of Lydia, we need to look for people and opportunities where God has already been working. Evangelism has an exciting miraculous element because God is the One who makes it happen.